NAACP Wants APD Chief Out

The NAACP is demanding that APD Chief Erika Shields resigns
Photo credit (Photo Credit: APD)

The Georgia NAACP is calling for the resignation of Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields following the latest officer-involved shooting that has claimed the life of a man.

The group announced this afternoon that it has started a petition to demand that Chief Erika Shields resigns. In the petition to the Atlanta Mayor's Office, the group says:

The Atlanta Police Department continues to terrorize protestors and murder unarmed Black bodies. It’s time for new leadership and a change of policing culture. Stand with us and call for her immediate resignation. 

Rayshard Brooks, 27 of Atlanta, died following an encounter with police last night in southwest Atlanta.

Brooks had apparently fallen asleep behind the wheel at the drive-thru of a Wendy’s restaurant on University Avenue. Police at scene reportedly tried to take Brooks into custody after he failed the field sobriety test. A struggle ensued leading to Brooks being shot. He was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital where he died following surgery.

The officers involved have been placed on administrative leave. The GBI is investigating.

In a statement, the Georgia NAACP says:

At this time, we must address the oversaturated police presence in Atlanta’s Black communities. This is not the first time a Black man was killed for sleeping. We saw a similar situation with the murder of DeAundre Phillips. While Atlanta is often referred to as the so-called “Black Mecca,” the Atlanta Police Department has a history of antagonizing our Black communities. The City of Atlanta must address this not only with their words but also with their actions and budgetary decisions.

The Civil Rights organization is expected to lay out its demands this afternoon. They include “holding Chief of Police Shields and Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms accountable for the continued threat on innocent Black lives in their community.”