Breaking News:

Atlanta police call out sick to protest charges in shooting

Jun 18, 2020, 2:53 PM | Updated: Dec 30, 2022, 11:25 am

Atlanta police sick...

Interim Atlanta Police Chief Rodney Bryant speaks to the AP Thursday, June 18, 2020, in Atlanta. On Saturday, June 13, Former Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields resigned after an officer fatally shot Rayshard Brooks after a struggle in a Wendy's restaurant parking lot. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

(AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

ATLANTA (AP) — Atlanta police officers called out sick or refused to answer calls Thursday to protest the filing of murder charges against an officer who shot a man in the back, while the interim chief said members of the force feel abandoned amid protests demanding massive changes to policing.

Interim Chief Rodney Bryant told The Associated Press in an interview that the sick calls began Wednesday night and continued Thursday, but said the department has sufficient staff to protect the city. It’s not clear how many officers have called out.

“Some are angry. Some are fearful. Some are confused on what we do in this space. Some may feel abandoned,” Bryant said of the officers. “But we are there to assure them that we will continue to move forward and get through this.”

Prosecutors brought felony murder and other charges against Garrett Rolfe, a white officer who shot Rayshard Brooks after the 27-year-old black man grabbed a Taser and ran, firing it at the officer, Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard said.

Howard said that Brooks was not a deadly threat at the time and that the officer kicked the wounded black man and offered no medical treatment for over two minutes as he lay dying. Another officer, Devin Brosnan, who the district attorney said stood on Brooks’ shoulder as he struggled for his life, was charged with aggravated assault and violation of his oath.

Rolfe and Brosnan turned themselves in Thursday. Jail records show Brosnan was released a $30,000 signature bond, meaning he only has to pay if he fails to show up for court, while Rolfe was being held without bond.

Less than 24 hours after Friday’s shooting, police chief Erika Shields resigned, and Bryant took over on an interim basis.

Bryant wore a navy blue shirt Thursday, rather than the white shirt typically worn by command staff, to show solidarity with the officers.

“This is the uniform that the men and women of the police department wear, and I felt that it was important that they have an understanding that we are one organization, and we will dress as one organization,” he said.

In the roughly three weeks since protests first broke out in Georgia’s capital after George Floyd was killed by police in Minnesota, officers have worked shifts of 12 or more hours and have been yelled at, spit on and had things thrown at them, Bryant said.

“At some point, people get tired, I recognize that, and physically exhausted,” he said. “But we’ll get beyond that. We will definitely get beyond it and I’m certain that we will see our sick-outs drop back to normal, average.”

The decision to prosecute the officers came less than five days after the killing rocked a city — and a nation — still reeling after Floyd’s killing set off nationwide protests that have urged an extensive rethink of policing and an examination of racism in the United States. On Wednesday night, the largest labor group in the Seattle area voted to expel the city’s police union, saying the guild representing officers failed to address racism within its ranks.

Bryant said he was surprised at how quickly Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard reached the decision to charge the officers, noting that the Georgia Bureau of Investigation hadn’t yet had time to finish looking into the shooting.

He would not say how many officers called out, but just one officer showed up for work Thursday morning in Zone 6, which covers much of Atlanta’s east side and which several dozen are assigned to patrol, said Vince Champion, southeast regional director for the International Brotherhood of Police Officers.

Atlanta officers are walking off their shifts or not responding to calls because they feel “abandoned, betrayed, used in a political game,” Champion told the AP.

“What they realized is that the city, meaning the mayor and the police department, does not support them,” Champion said.

Champion said he’s heard from several officers that they fear using force to protect themselves will get them fired or arrested.

Brooks’ funeral is set for Tuesday at Atlanta’s historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, which was the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s congregation, the Rev. Raphael Warnock announced. Tyler Perry, the actor and filmmaker, has offered financial help for the services, officials said.

Police were called to a Wendy’s last week over complaints of a car blocking the drive-thru lane and found Brooks asleep behind the wheel. A breath test showed he was intoxicated. Officers had a long, relatively calm conversation before things rapidly turned violent when officers tried to handcuff him.

Rolfe shot Brooks after he grabbed a Taser and ran, Howard, the district attorney said. But when the officer fired, Brooks was too far ahead of him for the Taser to be a danger, and it had already been fired twice, so it was empty and no longer a threat, Howard said.

Rolfe’s lawyers said he feared for his and others’ safety. Rolfe opened fire after hearing a sound “like a gunshot and saw a flash in front of him,” apparently from the Taser.

“Mr. Brooks violently attacked two officers and disarmed one of them. When Mr. Brooks turned and pointed an object at Officer Rolfe, any officer would have reasonably believed that he intended to disarm, disable or seriously injure him,” the lawyers said in a statement.

The felony murder charge against Rolfe, 27, carries life in prison or the death penalty, if prosecutors decide to seek it. He was also charged with 10 other offenses punishable by decades behind bars.

The district attorney said the other officer, Brosnan, 26, is cooperating with prosecutors and will testify. But one of his attorneys, Amanda Clark Palmer, denied that. Clark Palmer said that Brosnan stood on Brooks’ hand, not his shoulder, for just seconds to make sure he did not have a weapon.

Brooks’ widow, Tomika Miller, said it was painful to hear the new details of what happened to her husband in his final minutes.

“I felt everything that he felt, just by hearing what he went through, and it hurt,” she said.
___
Associated Press writers Sudhin Thanawala and Jeff Martin in Atlanta contributed to this report.

We want to hear from you.

Have a story idea or tip? Send it to the KSL NewsRadio team here.

Andrew Adams

Utah bill aims to provide comprehensive cancer screenings to firefighters

A measure on Utah’s Capitol Hill aims to provide comprehensive cancer screenings to the state’s firefighters.

3 hours ago

A screenshot of the Utah Avalanche Center website displays danger forecasts for Sunday, Feb. 16, 20...

Mariah Maynes

High avalanche danger reported across Utah, avalanche warning in effect

An avalanche warning was in effect across Utah on Feb. 16 as forecasters rated avalanche danger as extreme in most areas.

4 hours ago

Debris left behind by the LA wildfires...

DORANY PINEDA Associated Press

Scientists work to understand LA wildfires’ impact on the ocean

Scientists are working to understand the impact the LA wildfires could have had on the ocean.

5 hours ago

Green River Tunnel crash aftermath...

Alton Barnhart

3 people confirmed dead after Green River Tunnel crash

An additional body was found during the investigation of Friday night’s Green River Tunnel, raising fatality confirmations to three.

6 hours ago

Protesters rally outside the Ogden Municipal Building on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025....

DARBY SPARKS, KSL TV

Anti-Trump protestors speak in small Ogden rally Saturday

At the Ogden Municipal Building downtown, a little over 50 people gathered to protest the current Trump Administration on the building’s front steps.

12 hours ago

FILE — The logo of the Utah Highway Patrol. A wrong-way driver crashed into oncoming traffic on S...

Carlysle Price

Wrong-way driver reaches high speeds on I-15, hospitalizes 3

Three people have been hospitalized after a wrong-way driver crashed into oncoming traffic on I-15.

13 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

Filing taxes online using a computer...

The Law Offices of Jordan F. Wilcox

Tax time is approaching. What to do if you have debilitating IRS debt

Is the IRS threatening you with wage garnishment, asset seizure or business closure? Here are some ideas to resolve your tax dilemma.

Full speed through the snow. A man on skis is pulled by his through the snow at full gallop Skijori...

Bear Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau

Get ready for an unforgettable skijoring adventure in Bear Lake!

“Skijoring the Bear” takes place this year on February 21-22 in Garden City, Utah.

the bedroom in a geodesic dome shows the night sky...

Clear Sky Resorts Bryce Canyon

Your front row to an extraordinary cosmos show

As America's first glass dome stargazing resort, Clear Sky Resorts Bryce Canyon is one of the world’s most unique and spectacular places to stay.

2 people huddled up in a blanket and warm clothes sipping hot chocolate...

Bear Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau

The best ways to spend your Christmas vacation in Bear Lake

If you're dreaming of a white Christmas this year, Bear Lake should definitely be on your radar. Read this guide for more!

big crowd of people under holiday lights in an outdoor market...

Western Nut

Our favorite family Christmas activities in Utah

We gathered up a list of our favorite activities, movies, and treats to try this holiday season that the whole family can enjoy.

an IT tech looks at a laptop in front of a server network...

Comcast Business

Tips to protect yourself from phishing attacks

Check out this resource from Comcast Business to learn more about phishing attacks and how to protect yourself from becoming a victim of one.

Atlanta police call out sick to protest charges in shooting