Attorney for Rayshard Brooks' Family Speaks Out After Atlanta Police Chief Resigns

Rayshard Brooks was killed by a police officer in Atlanta on Friday

Rayshard Brooks. Photo: Facebook

The attorney for the family of Rayshard Brooks, the Black man who was fatally shot by Atlanta police at a Wendy’s restaurant on Friday night, has spoken out.

Brooks, 27, was killed after police received a complaint that a man — later identified as Brooks — was asleep parked in the drive-thru. After he resisted arrest, the officer deployed a Taser and a struggle ensued, resulting in Brooks being shot.

Brooks was taken to a hospital and died following surgery.

"During the arrest, the male subject resisted and a struggle ensued," the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said. "The officer deployed a Taser. Witnesses report that during the struggle the male subject grabbed and was in possession of the Taser."

L. Chris Stewart, the attorney for Brooks' family, told CNN of the tragic murder, "the one that nobody can disagree with is that it shouldn't have happened."

"But it did because the value of African-American males' lives in the inner-city, or wherever, doesn't mean too much to officers nowadays," he added. "And it's sad."

"In Georgia, a taser is not a deadly weapon," Stewart noted. "That's the law, that's what the cops are trained to do. It's not a deadly weapon."

Stewart called for the officer who shot Brooks — who has since been fired — to be charged for an unjustified use of deadly force, which equals murder. “You can’t have it both ways in law enforcement,” Stewart said. “You can’t say a Taser is a non-lethal weapon ... but when an African American grabs it and runs with it, now it's some kind of deadly, lethal weapon that calls for you to unload on somebody.”

Ben Hendren/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

In the wake of Brooks' death, Atlanta police chief Erika Shields resigned, while the officer that shot Brooks, Garrett Rolfe, was fired, according to CNN. The other officer involved, Devin Brosnan, has been placed on administrative duty.

Brooks’ killing came as protests against police brutality and racial injustice continue across the world. The protests began following the murder of George Floyd, a Black man who died at the hands of Minneapolis police in May.

During the demonstrations on Saturday night, protestors burned down the Wendy's restaurant where Brooks was killed and shut down an interstate highway in both directions.

At least 36 people were arrested, police told CBS News.

Ben Hendren/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms addressed Brooks' death in a news conference, saying, "While there may be debate as to whether this was an appropriate use of deadly force, I firmly believe that there is a clear distinction between what you can do and what you should do."

"I do not believe that this was a justified use of deadly force," she added.

To help combat systemic racism, consider learning from or donating to these organizations:

• Campaign Zero (joincampaignzero.org) which works to end police brutality in America through research-proven strategies.

• ColorofChange.org works to make government more responsive to racial disparities.

• National Cares Mentoring Movement (caresmentoring.org) provides social and academic support to help black youth succeed in college and beyond.