ATLANTA, GA – On Tuesday, it was announced by the special prosecutor in charge that the officers involved in the Rayshard Brooks shooting were no longer being criminally charged in his death.

The officers, Garrett Rolfe and Devin Brosnan have been through two years of their own personal hell after they were forced to shoot 27-year-old Brooks outside of an Atlanta Wendy’s after Brooks fought police and took one of the officer’s tasers, which video footage shows he attempted to use against one of the officers.

**Let’s Connect!  Join Our Community**

Close

The shooting took place just a few weeks after the George Floyd incident that sparked angry riots around the nation. Unfortunately for the officers, Brooks was also black, which made the media and politicians turn against the officers.

More riots broke out following the Brooks shooting, including people even starting the Wendy’s location, which had the audacity to exist while police dealt with Brooks, on fire.

At the time, the Fulton County District Attorney was Paul Howard, who had been trying to make a name for himself as being tough on police and soft on crime. Five days after the shooting with little evidence other than the video showing Brooks attempting to fire a taser- a potentially deadly weapon, especially when used against police, due to the fact that people don’t use tasers on police unless they have the intent to harm or kill them- at the officer, Howard announced charges against the officers.

There were 11 charges against Officer Rolfe, including felony murder, aggravated assault, violations of oath of office, and criminal damage to property. Officer Brosnan was charged with aggravated assault and violating his oath.

Howard ended up losing his reelection (which was not surprising, despite the media attempting to make him look like a hero). The new district attorney, Fani Willis, was recused from the case, and so the executive director of the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia, Peter Skandalakis, was put in charge.
During a Tuesday press conference, Skandalakis said, “Both acted as reasonable officers would under the facts and circumstances of the events of that night. Both acted in accordance with well-established law and were justified in the use of force regarding the situation.”
Skandalakis showed a video of the incident broken down frame by frame. He said he did not believe that Brooks’ shooting was racially motivated or that the officers acted with ill intent.
“Was it objectively reasonable that (Rolfe) can use deadly force? We determined it was,” Skandalakis said. “Black lives do matter. I understand that the encounters between police and the African American community at times are very volatile. But I would ask them to look at the facts of this case, and this isn’t one of those cases. This is a case in which the officers were willing to give Mr. Brooks every benefit of the doubt, and unfortunately, by his actions, this is what happened.”
The attorneys of both officers released statements following the announcement of the charges being dropped. Rolfe’s attorneys, Noah H. Pines, Bill Thomas, and Lance LoRusso, said, “Garrett Rolfe is relieved that the criminal charges filed against him by former Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard have finally been dismissed and that he has been exonerated for his actions on June 12, 2020.
One of Brosnan’s attorneys, Amanda Clark Palmer, said the decision was “the proper and only decision that could be reached based upon the evidence and Georgia law.” She continued, “More than two years after the incident that resulted in Rayshard Brooks’s death, the State of Georgia has finally arrived at the right decision: that Officer Brosnan’s arrest was never supported by any evidence. Officer Brosnan was assaulted and tased by Mr. Brooks and, as a result, suffered a concussion and required medical treatment…At no point did he assault or abuse Mr. Brooks.”

This piece was written by Leah Anaya on August 24, 2022. It originally appeared on RedVoiceMedia.com and is used with permission.

Read more at RedVoiceMedia.com:
Jabbed Pilots Are A Flying Risk To Passengers – Alan Dana With Jerm Warfare
Actor Gary Busey Charged With ‘Criminal Sexual Contact’ Following Convention Appearance 
Potential Mass Shooting Thwarted Outside Washington State Concert

The opinions expressed by contributors and/or content partners are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of LifeZette.