Protests flared up again in Atlanta, Georgia, the capital of the United States, after an African-American youth was shot and killed by a policeman while he was chasing and arresting him after a complaint from a restaurant, stating that a man fell asleep in his car in the corridor designated to receive meals from vehicles.
The repercussions of the accident began in the sequence after the doctors failed to save the life of Richard Brooks, and the official announcement of his death was caused by the bullets that were fired by the policeman in a hunt that took place on Friday evening in Atlanta.
Incident details
In the incident's details, an official report stated that Brooks, 27, was found sleeping in his car at the entrance to a fast food restaurant, which obstructed customers' route and prompted facility staff to contact the police.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said the man was drunk and resisted the police when he tried to arrest him.
The report indicated that the surveillance records show that during an attempt to physically confront the police, "Brooks grabbed a thunderbolt with a handgun" that "belonged to one of the policemen" and "escaped."
# Richard_ Brooks, who was killed by the police because he was asleep in his car at the window of outside requests in Wendy's Atlanta pic.twitter.com/6caz5XbGSk
- Samar D Jarrah (@SamarDJarrah) June 14, 2020
"Police officers chased Brooks on foot. During the chase, Brooks turned toward one of them and directed the stun gun to him. The officer used his weapon and wounded him," he said.
The report pointed out that Brooks was taken to a hospital and underwent surgery, but he died later, adding that one of the officers was also injured.
The recording, posted on Brooks' social media, appears outside the car, as he fights two policemen.
Brooks grabbed a Taser stun from the hand of one of the policemen, and after a few seconds he freed himself and started running. The recording then showed that one of the policemen shot the thunderbolt toward Brooks while running behind him, and then the two policemen then left the registration window.
In the video, shots are heard with a man shouting, "You fell for it!" Then Brooks appears lying on the ground.
Lawyers representing the victim's family told reporters that Brooks is a little girl who would be celebrating her birthday on Saturday.
They said that the Atlanta police did not have the right to use lethal force even if he used the stun gun against it, especially since it is a non-lethal weapon.
Implications .. Protests and investigations
Protests against the Brooks killing began Saturday afternoon in Atlanta, and are expected to continue throughout the day.
The accident caused the resignation of the Atlanta police chief, according to what the mayor of this city in the south of the United States has announced.
Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said that Erika Shields had led the Atlanta Police Service more than 20 years ago.
Bottoms was named the next White House vice president on the Democratic presidential nominee, Joe Biden.
Police Shooting in Atlanta:
- Last night, police shot and killed Rayshard Brooks, a 27-year old black man, while arresting him for failing a sobriety test
- Brooks resisted arrest and stole a taser before getting shot
- Protests expected in Atlanta todaypic. twitter.com/wGzz8PJZF5
- PM Breaking News (@PMBreakingNews) June 13, 2020
"Because of her desire to become Atlanta a model of what must be the major reform in the entire country, Shields has submitted her immediate resignation," the mayor added, on televised statements.
"I don't think this was a justified use of lethal force," the mayor said. She stated that the element that hit Brooks was relieved of his duties.
In this context, Paul Howard, the District Attorney of Fulton, said in an e-mailed statement that his office "has already begun an extensive and independent investigation into the incident" and is awaiting the FBI's findings.
Violent protests erupted in Atlanta late on Saturday evening, and a fast food restaurant was set alight in the wake of police firing on an African citizen the day before, and protesters blocked a major highway in the city.
The Atlanta Fire Department wrote on its Twitter page that a fire broke out in a restaurant adjacent to a gas station.
A video clip, broadcast by "Fox News, CNN," showed the building ablaze, with reports that the protesters were blocking a highway.
Shadow of Floyd
’s death Brooks’s murder came after weeks of mass anti-racist protests across the states following Floyd’s death.
In the same context, protesters in New York City demanded the removal of the statue of the late Italian explorer Christopher Columbus, the first European to reach the American continent. Participants described it as a symbol of slavery and oppression of the indigenous people.
On the other hand, hundreds demonstrated in front of the White House in Washington, DC, for the third week in a row, holding banners calling for social justice, and chanting slogans denouncing what they described as the abuses of police officers.
Washington and other cities continue to witness daily protests against the killing of Floyd in the city of Minneapolis, southeast of Minnesota.