The Wendy’s in Atlanta where a man who fell asleep in his car essentially received a death sentence by cops has been burned down, during a night of protest and civil disturbance.
A video posted on twitter shows the beginnings of the blaze … you hear the man shooting the video say, “Look at this white girl. Look at the white girl trying to burn down the Wendy’s. This wasn’t us.”
The fast-food restaurant became a flashpoint Saturday for protests against police brutality and racism.
As TMZ reported all day Saturday, cops got a call that someone in line was sleeping and partially blocking the drive-thru. Cops arrived, and the situation escalated to where Brooks grabbed one of the officer’s tasers and began running. As he ran he appeared to vaguely point the NON-LETHAL weapon behind him, and that’s when Brooks was shot 3 times.
The 2 cops involved in the shooting were fired overnight, and the Police Chief has submitted her resignation.
A little perspective … so in Minneapolis, a call over what at worst was passing a counterfeit bill turned to a brutal murder. And in Atlanta, sleeping in the car ended with death. And, check out the video of a violent confrontation that started with a call that someone might have been smoking weed in a car.
Cities and counties can ban all sorts of police techniques, but until there is a cultural shift, built from the ground up in these departments, where de-escalation becomes the guiding light, this insane violence will continue.