Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard announced on Wednesday that the police officer who killed Rayshard Brooks last week was being charged with felony murder and that Brooks did not pose a threat to the officer even though Brooks fired a taser at the officer.
The remarks from Howard come after he charged a police officer earlier this month “for pointing a taser” at someone because a taser is considered to be a “deadly weapon” under Georgia law.
DA Paul Howard: “We’ve concluded at the time Brooks was shot that he did not pose an immediate threat of death or serious physical to the officer… Brooks [fired] a taser [at the cop]”
He charged a cop on 06/02 “for pointing a taser” since “a taser is considered a deadly weapon” pic.twitter.com/mGMXh7RGtX
— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) June 18, 2020
In explaining the charges against former Atlanta Police Officer Garrett Rolfe, Howard said, “We’ve concluded at the time Mr. Brooks was shot that he did not pose an immediate threat of death or serious physical injury to the officer or officers.”
Howard continued by noting that Brooks fired a taser, which he took from the officer on scene, at Rolfe and that Rolfe opened fire on Brooks after that.
“But I don’t know if you can see it clearly,” Howard told the media in announcing the charges on Wednesday while showing a blown-up photograph of the incident. “The prongs from the taser were actually fired above Officer Rolfe here.” – READ MORE
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