Donald Trump calls shooting of Rayshard Brooks outside an Atlanta Wendy's 'disturbing' and a 'terrible situation' as thousands take to the streets in protest and his family calls for the cops to be charged with murder
Donald Trump on Monday called the police shooting of black man Rayshard Brooks 'disturbing' and a 'terrible situation'.
The president was speaking at a roundtable event at the White House when he made the comment, indicating he had seen the video of the black man being shot in the back by a white police officer outside an Atlanta Wendy's on Friday.
Officer Garrett Rolfe, who pulled the trigger, was fired but has not been charged. The other officer at the scene, Devin Brosnan, was put on desk duty. Police Chief Erika Shields resigned a day after the shooting.
Trump said Monday: 'I thought it was a terrible situation. To me it was very disturbing.' The killing sparked protests at the Georgia Capitol Monday.
Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard said he hopes to decide by midweek whether to charge the officers involved. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation was took over the investigation.
About 20 of Brooks' children, siblings, cousins and other family members sobbed at a news conference Monday as more than 1,000 people gathered not far away at an NAACP-led protest outside the Georgia Capitol.
Donald Trump on Monday called the police shooting of black man Rayshard Brooks 'disturbing' and a 'terrible situation'. The president was speaking at a roundtable event, pictured, at the White House when he made the comment
Demonstrators march during a protest against racial inequality and the death of Rayshard Brooks in Atlanta, Georgia on Monday
Brooks was shot in the back by a white cop outside an Atlanta Wendy's on Friday
Brooks' family have demanded changes in the criminal justice system and called on protesters to refrain from violence amid heightened tensions across the U.S. three weeks after George Floyd's death in Minneapolis.
An autopsy found that 27-year-old Brooks was shot twice in the back late Friday by a white officer who was trying to arrest him at a fast food restaurant for being intoxicated behind the wheel of his car.
Brooks tried to flee after wrestling with officers and grabbing a stun gun from one of them.
Police had been called to the fast food restaurant because of complaints that a car was blocking the drive-thru lane. An officer found Brooks asleep in the car.
Video from officers showed Brooks cooperating with the officers for more than 40 minutes until a breath test determined his blood-alcohol level was over the legal limit.
When one of the officers moved to handcuff him, Brooks tried to run and the officers took him to the ground.
Brooks broke free and took off with a stun gun but was shot. Rolfe told authorities that Brooks had fired the stun gun at him.
Family members of Rayshard Brooks attend a news conference on Monday
Blessen, 8, left, and her sister, Memory, are seen at a news conference held by members of Rayshard Brooks' family on Monday
Asked why Brooks ran, family attorney L. Chris Stewart suggested that he may have feared for his life.
'They put George Floyd in handcuffs and he was subsequently killed,' Stewart said. 'So just getting put in handcuffs if you're African American doesn't mean, oh, you're going to get nicely taken to the back of a police car.'
Chassidy Evans, Brooks' niece, said Monday: 'Not only are we hurt, we are angry. When does it stop? We're not only pleading for justice. We're pleading for change.'
Brooks wife Tomika Miller had earlier told CBS: 'It was murder. That was not justified. Because he was shot and he wasn't armed. He wasn't dangerous.'
She said Monday: 'I want them to go to jail. I want them to deal with the same thing as if it was my husband who killed someone else.'
Floyd's death May 25 after a white Minneapolis officer pressed his knee into the black man's neck touched off demonstrations and scattered violence across the U.S., and Brooks' killing rekindled those protests in Atlanta.
The Wendy's restaurant where Brooks was shot was burned down over the weekend.
Officer Garrett Rolfe, left, who pulled the trigger, was fired but has not been charged. The other officer at the scene, Devin Brosnan, right, was put on desk duty
Brooks, who was the father of three daughters and had a stepson, was killed 12 June 2020, during a confrontation with two APD officers in the parking lot of a Wendy's restaurant
Evans said there was no reason for her uncle 'to be shot and killed like trash in the street for falling asleep in a drive-thru.'
'Rayshard has a family who loves him who would have gladly come and got him so he would be here with us today,' she said.
Relatives described Brooks as a loving father of three daughters and a stepson who had a bright smile and a big heart and loved to dance.
His oldest daughter learned her father was slain while celebrating her eighth birthday with cupcakes and friends, wearing a special dress as she waited for Brooks to take her skating, said Justin Miller, an attorney for the family.
'There's no justice that can ever make me feel happy about what's been done,' said Tomika Miller, Brooks' widow. 'I can never get my husband back. ... I can never tell my daughter he's coming to take you skating or for swimming lessons.'
She asked those demonstrating to 'keep the protesting peaceful,' saying: 'We want to keep his name positive and great.'
Tomika Miller, the wife of Rayshard Brooks, holds their daughter Memory, two, while attorney Chris Stewart speaks during the family press conference on Monday
Demonstrators march during a protest against racial inequality and the death of Rayshard Brooks in Atlanta, Georgia on Monday
Atlanta rapper Jeezy (C) takes part in a protest march with civil rights group National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) on June 15, 2020 in Atlanta
Trump said Monday that he will present 'solutions' in a police reform executive order he will unveil on Tuesday, as reports reveal it will address systemic racism rooted in law enforcement.
The president said Monday he had spoken with several groups, including sheriffs and families who have been affected by police brutality, when drafting an executive order.
'We can get it done, and will get it done,' Trump continued. 'We will get it passed, and it's got to be passed by one person. And that person's me.'
The president didn't seem too optimistic about Congress passing anything on the matter, despite Democrats presenting a sweeping police reform bill last week.
Civil Rights lawyer Lee Merritt said that Trump's plan will 'acknowledge systemic racism in policing.'
But a White House official told DailyMail.com that saying it addresses 'systemic racism' is Merritt's opinion, asserting that neither the word 'systemic' or 'racism' is included in the text of the order.
'Having seen the text, it in no place uses the word systemic or racism,' the official said.
A Wendys restaurant burns after protesters allegedly set it on fire on June 13
Fresh protests rose up after an Atlanta police officer shot and killed Rayshard Brooks, an unarmed African American man outside the restaurant
'The main thing important to us is to address the public's concern about aggressive policing, but not tie the hands of officers in the field keeping communities safe,' a White House official told DailyMail.com.
Trump told reporters during a roundtable on 'Fighting for America's Seniors' that he would 'save' revealing all the details of the executive order for a Rose Garden event on Tuesday where he will be joined by Attorney General Bill Barr.
'We're going to have some solutions,' he said, adding: 'We need some great people in our police department.'
'We will do better, even better,' Trump said. 'And we're going to try and do it fast. So we're going to have a meeting tomorrow, we're going to have a news conference tomorrow.'
Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard said he hopes to decide by midweek whether to charge the officers involved. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation was took over the investigation.
People gather for a civil rights National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) protest march on June 15
Officials nationwide are responding to calls for reform while protests persist.
In Chicago, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said a panel of residents, activists and one police official will review the Police Department's policy on when officers can use force.
Albuquerque, New Mexico, Mayor Tim Keller said he wants a new department of social workers and civilian professionals to provide another option when someone calls 911.
And New Jersey's attorney general ordered police in the state to begin publicly divulging names of officers who commit serious disciplinary violations.
In Seattle, an 'autonomous zone' set up by protesters pushing for change again drew scorn from President Donald Trump, who said similar protests could spread to other cities.
Donald Trump calls shooting of Rayshard Brooks outside an Atlanta Wendy's 'disturbing' and a 'terrible situation' as thousands take to the streets in protest and his family calls for the cops to be charged with murder
![Donald Trump calls shooting of Rayshard Brooks outside an Atlanta Wendy's 'disturbing' and a 'terrible situation' as thousands take to the streets in protest and his family calls for the cops to be charged with murder]()
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