By Amanda Cooper
“No Justice No Peace No Racist Police” is what more than 500 protesters chanted as they marched from Centennial Park to the Georgia State Capitol, where another group of nearly 500 protesters joined at the steps of the state capitol.
Both groups demanded justice for Rayshard Brooks, the unarmed black man who was shot in the back by two Atlanta Police Department Friday nights at a Wendy’s on University Ave in Southwest Atl. After leaving the Capitol, they then proceeded to march to the Atlanta City Detention Center.
The peaceful protest Saturday afternoon was once again the prelude to the chaos that unfolded hours later. Just a few hours after the protest began at 3:00 pm the City of Atlanta, Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, announced that the officer involved in the shooting had been fired, and she ended by also announcing that City of Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields resigned.
As the night progressed, protestors relocated to the Wendy’s where Rayshard Brooks was shot and killed where they proceeded to break windows and burn the quick service restaurant down. Earlier in the day, protestors spoke of how chaos creates change.
During a press conference, GBI Director Vic Reynolds says that Rayshard Brooks was a father of three who was arrested for falling asleep in his car in the drive-through line at the Wendy’s before he was shot and killed. Reynolds stated Brooks grabbed one of the officers taser and ran away, then turned around and fired the taser at the officer. As a result, footage from a video surveillance camera shows that the officer reached for his service weapon and shot Brooks serval times. He was taken to the hospital, where he ultimately died.
Atlanta Police Spokesman Carlos Campos confirmed to ABC News early Sunday morning that the officer who shot Brooks has been fired. The officer has been identified as Garrett Rolfe. The other officer, Devin Bronsan, has been placed on administrative duty. Rolfe has been with APD since 2013.
According to WSBChannel 2, Saturday would have been Rayshard Brooks' daughter's eighth birthday.