Atlanta police officer who fatally shot Rayshard Brooks is fired

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Rayshard Brooks Split — Rayshard Brooks (Photo: Stewart Trial Attorneys/Twitter)

The Atlanta police officer who fatally shot Rayshard Brooks at a Wendy’s parking lot on Friday night is reportedly out of a job 24 hours later.

The officer, who has not yet been identified, has been terminated from his job, Atlanta police spokesperson Carlos Campos confirmed on Saturday night, according to CNN. The second officer involved in the shooting has been placed on administrative duty.

Brooks, 27, was shot in the back as ran from the two officers following a physical encounter that was all caught on camera.

One video recorded on a camera phone by a witness was initially obtained and subsequently published by TMZ, while a second surveillance video shows the actual shooting more clearly was released by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

GBI released video that shows the moment Rayshard Brooks was shot and killed by an Atlanta Police officer at a Wendys on University Ave last night. Police say Brooks had taken an officer’s taser and pointed it at the officer as he ran. pic.twitter.com/1G8fn03gFV

— Matt Johnson (@MattWSB) June 13, 2020

As theGrio previously reported, the officers had approached Brooks while sleeping in his vehicle after someone reported him to authorities. Footage shows Brooks running with a Taser in his hand for a few seconds before he falls to the ground.

Brooks’ death has led to massive protests in the city of Atlanta, which is over 51 percent African American. The Wendy’s where the shooting took place was torched on Saturday night.

According to reporter Courtney Bryant, the fire started after demonstrators broke windows and set fireworks off inside the establishment. As of publishing, there have been no reported arrests.

According to 11 Alive, firefighters were challenged when called to respond to the fire as protesters blocked their way to the scene, however once able to come in they have worked to contain the blaze.

Atlanta has again engaged in civil unrest. After weeks of protesting the police-involved death of George Floyd in Minneapolis and the outrage provoked by the assault by officers on two Atlanta University Students, the city is up in arms again. This time the protest is in response to the killing of Brooks on Friday and the footage of his death going viral on social media.

theGrio’s Stephanie Guerilus contributed to this report.

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