A black man who was seen wrestling with police officers near a Wendy’s drive-thru in Atlanta was shot and killed by cops as he fled on foot, authorities said.
Video shows Rayshard Brooks, 27, in a scuffle as officers tried to take him into custody in a parking lot of a Wendy’s on University Avenue at around 10:30pm on Friday.
Brooks is seen in the video getting away from the grasp of two police officers and running away from them in the parking lot. He managed to take a Taser from one of the officers before trying to run away.
One of the officers is seen getting up and giving chase with what appears to be a Taser.
Moments later, gunshots are heard, though Brooks or the officers are not seen at that point in the video.
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Rayshawn Brooks has been identified as the 27-year-old black man who was fatally shot by police officers while running away in Atlanta on Friday
Video from the scene of a Wendy’s in Atlanta shows someone being loaded into an ambulance shortly after a police-involved shooting on Friday night
Police officers are seen behind yellow crime scene tape near the Wendy’s where the shooting took place on Friday night
A crowd of onlookers gathered at the scene on University Avenue in Atlanta on Friday night
An Atlanta police officer is seen above near the Wendy’s on Friday night. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has been asked to investigate the shooting
Officers were responding to a complaint of a male in a vehicle parked in the drive-thru who was asleep, causing customers to drive around the vehicle.
After he failed a field sobriety test, the officers attempted to place the male subject into custody, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which has been asked to investigate the shooting.
But he resisted and a struggle ensued, leading the officer to deploy a Taser.
The GBI said witnesses saw the male grab the Taser away from the officer.
Deputy Atlanta Police Chief Timothy Peek said officers tried numerous attempts to subdue Brooks with a Taser.
‘Ultimately, when the officer used the Taser, it was ineffective for the suspect,’ Peek told Fox 5 TV.
Hours after shooting, protesters gathered near the Wendy’s on Saturday morning
A small group of protesters held signs and chanted slogans early on Saturday morning
‘It did not stop the aggression of the fight.’
Numerous videos posted to social media sites showed a small crowd gathered at the scene and protesting the police shooting.
‘It has also been reported that the male subject was shot by an officer in the struggle over the Taser,’ the GBI said in a statement.
The male was transported to a local hospital where he died after surgery, the statement said.
One officer was treated for an injury sustained during the incident and was subsequently discharged from the hospital.
The GBI said it is trying to identify next of kin.
Brooks’ sister posted a GoFundMe page asking the public to donate to the family.
Once its investigation is complete, the case will be turned over to the Fulton County District Attorney´s Office for review.
This is the 48th police-involved shooting that the GBI has investigated this year, according to WSB-TV.
Atlanta, like scores of other major American cities, has been roiled by protests following the May 25 death of George Floyd.
Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, died in the custody of the Minneapolis Police Department after one officer, Derek Chauvin, was seen kneeling on his neck for almost nine minutes, cutting off his air supply.
Six Atlanta police officers face criminal charges after video showed they used Tasers to arrest two college students – Messiah Young (left) and Teniyah Pilgrim (right) – for breaking curfew
Chauvin has been charged with second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.
Three other Minneapolis police officers have also been charged with aiding and abetting.
Atlanta police have come under scrutiny for actions against protesters in recent weeks.
Six police officers – all of whom are black except for one – are facing criminal charges after they were seen violently arresting two college students for violating curfew.
Body camera footage shows a group of Atlanta police officers confronting 22-year-old Messiah Young and 20-year-old Taniyah Pilgrim in a car in downtown traffic caused by protests sparked by the killing of Floyd.
Video shows the officers shouting at the students, firing Tasers at them and dragging them from the car.
Throughout the confrontation, the couple can be heard screaming and asking what they did wrong.