In the wake of George Floyd’s death at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer, the heat has been turned up on police around the entire country. While riots, vandalism, destruction, anarchy, and even murder has ensued following the Floyd incident, other police encounters have seemingly been engulfed in the lingering smoke. However, another incident that has come to light is a drunken man, Rayshard Brooks, who passed out in a Wendy’s drive through.
While Black Lives Matter and Antifa protesters have taken to the streets in Atlanta to protest this latest killing of a black man by police officers, the actual footage shows that the police officer was completely in the right to shoot. The man, Rayshard Brooks, was approached peacefully, dealt with peacefully, and given every opportunity to comply with the police officers. He was even given the opportunity to refuse a breathalyzer test if he so chose. He did not.
Once he informed the police that he wanted to drive home, the police calmly stated that he had been drinking too much to drive and that he was being placed under arrest for DUI. He was asked to place his hands behind his back, when, at that point, Brooks decided he’d rather lay down his life than comply with them.
Brooks began to struggle with the officers. He was physically capable of escaping the restraint of not one, but two police officers — even while under the influence — and managed to grab one of the officer’s tasers. He was warned multiple times to comply, yet continued to struggle. He then ran and as the police pursued him, he turned around and aimed the taser at one of the officers and attempted to shoot. At that point, the officer, Garrett Rolfe fired three rounds into Brooks.
Rolfe — who has now been fired from the Atlanta Police Department — did nothing wrong. Absolutely nothing. Brooks demonstrated a clear threat to the lives of the police officers and others and maintained a weapon that could cause serious harm or even death as he fled the site. However, the police department has caved to the demands of Black Lives Matter and unjustly fired the officer who was only doing his job.
