The GBI just released the surveillance video. Unfortunately, the initial attempt to arrest Rayshard and the scuffle happened just off-camera, on the left side of the screen.
However, the video clearly shows Rayshard start to run away from the officers. He does seem to hold up a yellow object, presumably the stolen taser, and point it at the cop closest to him. It appears that’s when the other officer, further away, opened fire on Rayshard.
In another development, ATL Mayor Bottoms just announced the police chief has handed in her resignation — amid demands by the GA NAACP — and the Mayor also is demanding the immediate firing of the officer who fired the 3 shots.
1:14 PM PT — The head of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation just said his dept. will release the Wendy’s surveillance video later Saturday. He acknowledges Brooks was shot while fleeing the officers with taser in hand. The G.B.I. official did not initially say Brooks had his back to the cops, but eventually conceded that, though he did say the surveillance video shows Brooks extended his arm holding the taser behind him, somehow pointed toward the cops. The case will be presented to the D.A., but already the head of Georgia’s NAACP is demanding the resignation of the police chief. Remember, this started as a call about Brooks sleeping in his car — THE OPPOSITE OF A VIOLENT OFFENSE. And presumably, the 2 cops knew the weapon in Brooks’ hand was a non-lethal taser. Yet he was shot — possibly 3 times — and killed.
A 27-year-old African-American man was shot in the back and killed by Atlanta police Friday night, after someone complained he was sleeping in his car at a Wendy’s drive-thru.
TMZ obtained video of what went down around 10:30 PM … cops got a call that the car in which the man was sleeping was blocking other cars in line. The other customers could still pick up their food … they just had to go around him to the window.
According to the police report, 2 officers tried placing Rayshard Brooks under arrest — after they say he failed field sobriety testing. In the video, you can see the officers wrestling with Rayshard on the ground for nearly 30 seconds.
When Rayshard stood up, cops say he had taken a taser from one of the officers — the other cop opened fire with his taser, and Rayshard started running away. Both cops started chasing him from behind … and within seconds 3 shots were fired at Rayhsard.
He was taken to a hospital where he died during surgery.
Additional details surrounding the shooting are unclear. The GBI said one of the APD officers suffered minor injuries … he was treated at the hospital and released.
Several bystanders witnessed the incident and were enraged and yelled at the cops moments after the shooting.
This is reportedly the 48th officer-involved shooting the GBI has investigated this year.
