Police shooting in Atlanta rekindles unrest

Renewed protesting broke out in Atlanta over the weekend after a police officer shot and killed a 27-year-old African American man after a routine sobriety check on Friday night outside a Wendy’s restaurant. A peaceful demonstration on Saturday turned violent when protesters set the restaurant on fire, leading authorities to offer a $10,000 reward for information about the arson. More than 100 people protested peacefully outside the charred building on Sunday.

What happened on Friday night? According to video released by the police on Sunday, Officer Garrett Rolfe and Officer Devin Brosnan arrived at the scene after receiving a call that Rayshard Brooks’ car was blocking the drive-thru lane. After more than 40 minutes of peaceful questioning, Rolfe conducted a sobriety test that showed Brooks was too intoxicated to drive. The scuffle began after the officers tried to handcuff him. Brooks grabbed Brosnan’s taser and started to run. Rolfe ran after Brooks, who appeared to point the taser at Rolfe, and three gunshots sounded. Atlanta police on Sunday said they fired Rolfe and placed Brosnan on administrative leave. Police Chief Erika Shields resigned on Saturday.

Dig deeper: Read Emily Belz’s report on police reform in Camden, N.J.