Atlanta police officer Garrett Rolfe who shot dead Rayshard Brooks appears in court via video conference and is granted $500,000 bond

Garrett Rolfe, the white former cop who fatally shot Rayshard Brooks in an Atlanta Wendy's parking lot earlier this month, has been granted $500,000 bond.

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Jane Barwick said Tuesday Rolfe can be free on bond while his case is pending because he does not pose a threat to the public and is not a flight risk. 

He will have to wear an ankle monitor, will not be able to have any kind of weapon and must surrender his passport. 

Rolfe faces charges including felony murder for killing Brooks, a 27-year-old black man, during an arrest attempt on June 12. 

The shooting sparked fury across the nation as protests unfolded in all 50 states decrying police brutality and systemic racism following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.  

Garrett Rolfe (right), the former white cop who fatally shot Rayshard Brooks in an Atlanta Wendy's parking lot, has been granted $500,000 bond. He appeared on a television screen at his bond hearing via video conference on Tuesday

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Fulton County Superior Court Judge Jane Barwick said Tuesday Rolfe can be free on bond while his case is pending because he does not pose a threat to the public and is not a flight risk. Judge Barwick pictured as Rolfe appears on the television screen beside her in Atlanta court

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A view of the television screen displayed at Tuesday's bond hearing above. Rolfe appears top center

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In a statement, attorneys for the family of Brooks said they were 'disappointed' by the judge's ruling, but said it was 'just one step in the long quest for justice for Rayshard' 

Rolfe’s legal team appeared at the hearing via video conference and submitted 28 character letters on his behalf, portraying him as a professional and trustworthy member of his community, while asking for a $50,000 bond signature. 

A prosecutor argued that Rolfe had committed an unjustified fatal shooting and was a flight risk and might intimidate witnesses. 

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Rolfe pictured in booking photo made available on June 18

Brooks' wife Tomika Mikker made an emotional plea begging the judge to not grant bond for Rolfe. 

'[Officer Rolfe] has already shown he's a danger to the community. The way he stood over my husband and kicked his body, and I can only imagine what he felt and how scared he was at that time,' Miller said. 'Killing him wasn't enough. They stood there when something could've been done to save him.'

'I say no to it. I say no because, mentally, I'm not able to handle it,' Miller added.

Explaining her decision to grant bond, Judge Barwick said Rolfe 'is not a flight risk and I do not believe he is a danger to the community.'

In a statement, attorneys for the family of Brooks said they were 'disappointed' by the judge's ruling, but said it was 'just one step in the long quest for justice for Rayshard.'

'Rather than looking at this process as a series of "wins" or "losses," it's imperative that we continue to push for systemic change within our criminal justice system,' attorneys L. Chris Stewart and Justin Miller said. 

'From hate crime laws being passed to increasing oversight of members of law enforcement, our job is to ensure that positive change comes from this tragic situation.' 

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Brooks' wife Tomika Mikker made an emotional plea begging the judge to not grant bond for Rolfe saying: 'I say no to it. I say no because, mentally, I'm not able to handle it'

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Explaining her decision to grant bond, Judge Barwick said Rolfe 'is not a flight risk and I do not believe he is a danger to the community'

In the June 12 incident cops responded to the Wendy's parking lot in Atlanta following a report of a man asleep behind the wheel in the drive-thru. 

Officers Garrett Rolfe and Devin Brosnan found Brooks, a 27-year-old father-of-four, sleeping behind the wheel. He completed a Breathalyzer test, which he failed. 

Bodycamera footage shows Rolfe and Brosnan having a respectful and calm conversation with Brooks for more than 40 minutes, before things turned violent. 

When officers told him he'd had too much to drink to be driving and tried to handcuff him, Brooks resisted. A struggle was caught on dash camera video. 

Brooks grabbed one of their Tasers and fled, firing the Taser at Rolfe as he ran away. After he fired back at the cop, Rolfe raised his gun and shot Brooks twice.

An autopsy found Brooks was shot twice in the back.

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This screen grab taken from body camera video provided by the Atlanta Police Department shows Rayshard Brooks speaking with Officer Garrett Rolfe, left, in the parking lot of a Wendy's restaurant on June 12 before he was fatally shot

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Brooks pictured with his wife and three daughter in this undated photograph

Prior to the judge's bond ruling on Tuesday, one of Rolfe's attorneys, Noah Pines, denied the district attorney's accusations that Rolfe kicked Brooks after shooting him and shouted 'I got him!'

Pines called on Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard to release video of the alleged kick.

Executive Assistant District Attorney Clint Rucker said video footage shows Rolfe's kick and a witness has confirmed that it happened.

Rolfe was fired shortly after the shooting and the other officer, Devin Brosnan, was placed on desk duty. The police chief stepped down less than 24 hours after the shooting.

Rolfe, 27, now faces 11 charges in all. Felony murder is punishable by a minimum sentence of life in prison. Brosnan, 26, is charged with aggravated assault and violating his oath.

Lawyers for both men have said their actions were justified.

The arrest of the two officers triggered swathes of Atlanta cops to call out sick from work.