I’ve seen the video. You have, too. We’ve all seen it. The video is stomach-churning and heartbreaking.
Rayshard Brooks got stopped by Atlanta police. They tested his sobriety after finding him asleep in the drive-through lane at a Wendy’s restaurant.
He took a Breathalyzer test and came up slightly inebriated. He offered to walk to his sister’s house just a few blocks away. The cops sought to handcuff him instead. Brooks resisted; he wrestled a Taser stun gun from one of the cops; he ran away.
The cop — Garrett Rolfe — shot him in the back … twice while he was fleeing, running for his life. Brooks died later in a hospital.
Now the cop is charged with felony murder. This looks like a legitimate accusation to level at the former officer.
The ex-cop is white; Rayshard Brooks was black. It is another case in a distressingly long line of cases involving white police employing the heavy hand of the law on a young African-American. To think, as well, that this case happened while the nation is still reeling from the George Floyd case in Minneapolis, where another white officer snuffed the life out of Floyd, a black man who allegedly tried to pass a counterfeit bill.
Oh, my goodness. When will we learn? Ever?
I agree the officer went way to far. But, the prosecution may have messed up with the level of charge. He’s claiming the taser isn’t a lethal weapon, but just last week he charged two officers with attempted something (I forget exactly) with a deadly weapon. The weapon was a taser.
I hope the officer doesn’t get off on a technicality because the prosecution moves to fast.
I also hope Pelosi doesn’t present the family with a folder American flag like she did with Mr. Floyd’s family. You probably agree with her doing that. You agreed with her and her colleagues wearing Kente cloth.