The shooting by police of Rayshard Brooks in Atlanta was a murder, former Democratic Georgia House minority leader Stacey Abrams told CNN’s “New Day” on Monday.
"They knew that he was impaired because he had parked in that driveway, and they knew when he ran away that he did not pose a danger that was a deadly force incentive," said Abrams, who lost in 2018 in her bid to be Georgia governor."The decision to shoot him in the back was one made out of maybe impatience or frustration or panic, but it was not one that justifies deadly force. It was murder."
Brooks scuffled with the police as they tried to handcuff him for suspected driving under the influence. He took an officer's Taser and then fired it at the officers as he ran away. His death has been listed as a homicide in an autopsy report released by the Fulton County Medical Examiner's Office.
Abrams stressed that "at no point did [Brooks] present a danger that warranted his death. And that's what we're talking about. A murder because a man made a mistake, not a mistake that would have cost the police officer his life, but a mistake that was caused out of some form of dehumanization of Rayshard Brooks."
Garrett Rolfe, the police officer who shot Brooks, was fired, the city's police chief resigned and a second policeman involved in the incident was placed on administrative duty. A decision on whether to press charges is expected this week.
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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