Charges dropped against officers who shot Rayshard Brooks

A special prosecutor announced Tuesday that the two Atlanta police officers who killed Rayshard Brooks in 2020 used a reasonable amount of force and did not act with criminal intent. They faced charges of assault and felony murder, but those will all be dismissed. Police said that Brooks fell asleep in a Wendy’s drive-thru lane. Officers talked with him and gave him a field sobriety test, which he failed. When they tried to arrest him, he grabbed one officer’s Taser, tried to fire it, and ran away. Brooks’ death sparked protests in Atlanta and led to the police chief’s resignation.

How did the prosecutor reach the decision? Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia Executive Director Pete Skandalakis, who was appointed to review the case, said the circumstances and what the officers knew at the time led to his decision. He also said he did not believe the shooting was racially motivated. Officers Garrett Rolfe and Devin Brosnan shot Brooks after he pointed the Taser at Rolfe’s head. The altercation lasted for about 90 minutes, and Brooks fired the Taser at the officers multiple times and inflicted injuries before he was shot. FBI investigator David Porter said Brooks was twisting around to fire the Taser again. Prosecutors said police officers in Georgia are allowed to use deadly force if the subject has a deadly weapon and poses an immediate threat.

Dig deeper: Read Addie Offereins’ report in Compassion on citizens pushing back against light-on-crime policies.