Atlanta Officers Charged in the Shooting of Rayshard Brooks Turn Themselves In

Officer Devin Brosnan in a file photo. Atlanta Police Department via AP

Both Atlanta police officers charged in the deadly shooting of Rayshard Brooks in a Wendy’s parking lot on June 12 turned themselves in to the Fulton County Jail on Thursday.

Devin Brosnan surrendered himself Thursday morning, jail records show. He bonded out again about an hour after turning himself in. Brosnan was placed on administrative leave after the shooting incident and is facing three charges, including aggravated assault, officials said.

“He’s very concerned,” Brosnan’s attorney told WSB-TV2. “He’s a law enforcement officer, he’s a policeman. He’s obviously never had any problems with the law before, never had an[y] disciplinary issues.”

Garret Rolfe, the officer that pulled the trigger, also turned himself in. He was being held in the Gwinnett County Jail, WSB reported.

On Wednesday, Rolfe was charged with 11 counts, including felony murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, in the slaying of Brooks.

Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard announced that Brooks’s cooperative demeanor before the arrest attempt played a role in the decision to charge Rolfe. He suggested that Brooks didn’t appear to present a threat.

“Brooks never displayed any aggressive behavior during the 41 minutes and 17 seconds,” Howard said after his team studied the video evidence, he stated.

Howard set bail at $50,000 for Brosnan and no bail for Rolfe.

Officer Garrett Rolfe in a file photograph. Atlanta Police Department via AP

The decision to prosecute came less than five days after the death of Brooks, which has put Atlanta in the spotlight during nationwide protests over police brutality in the United States.

On the night of June 12, Brooks was found intoxicated behind the wheel at a Wendy’s drive-through. He later physically struggled with the two police officers during his arrest, took a stun gun from one officer, and appeared to point and deploy it at the officer as he fled, but missed, according to surveillance video. Rolfe then fired about three shots at Brooks.

Brooks died after being rushed to a local hospital for surgery, officials said. An autopsy found that he was hit twice in the back and suffered resultant injuries to his organs and blood loss that led to his death.

The shooting sparked new demonstrations in Georgia’s capital against police brutality, after occasionally turbulent protests in response to George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis had largely simmered down. Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields resigned less than 24 hours after Brooks died.

Protesters shut down a major highway in Atlanta and burned down a Wendy’s restaurant where Brooks was shot dead as he tried to escape arrest.

Authorities are now offering a $10,000 reward and published photos in the search for the alleged suspects of the restaurant arson. Police urged anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers Atlanta at 404-577-8477 or visit the Crime Stoppers website.

The Associated Press and Jack Phillips contributed to this report.

From NTD News