Over the weekend, the US has been rocked by the death of 27-year-old Rayshard Brooks, who was killed after being shot by police officers in Atlanta while attempting to flee an arrest.
Now, singer and actor Justin Timberlake has taken to social media to pay his respects to Brooks, along with Riah Milton, Dominique Fells, and Robert Fuller - three black individuals who also died in the last week.
Sharing an image of Brooks holding his infant daughter, the 'Sexyback' chart-topper wrote to his 59 million Instagram followers a heartfelt tribute to the late father:
"As a dad, this photo hurts. #RayshardBrooks was a father of three girls...1, 2, and 8 years old. He should not be dead. ⠀
"Neither should #RiahMilton, #DominiqueFells, and #RobertFuller. This week, these four innocent people became victims of racism, violence, and intolerance. And we’re still waiting for Justice for #BreonnaTaylor. I’m heartbroken for their families and for this country.⠀
"The system needs to change... it has repeatedly shown us that Black people in America are not safe. I’ll follow up with more resources and ways to help. Continue to SAY THEIR NAMES. #BlackLivesMatter".
Riah Milton and Dominique Fells were two Black transgender women who, according to Elle, died within a 24-hour period of one another.
Riah Milton of Liberty Township, Ohio, was shot several times during a robbery attempt on Tuesday, and Dominique "Rem'mie" Fells' remains were found alongside the Schuylkill River in the Bartram's Garden area of Philadelphia on Monday night.
Robert Fuller's body was found hanging from a tree in Palmdale, California, last Monday. According to CNN, Palmdale city have described it as "an alleged death by suicide", but dozens of community members gathered at the city's council chambers on Friday looking for further answers.
Rayshard Brooks died on Friday (June 12) after being shot by an Atlanta police officer.
Per an official press release from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation:
"Preliminary information indicates that at approximately 10:33 pm, APD was dispatched to the Wendy’s located at 125 University Ave, Atlanta, GA. Officers were responding to a complaint of a male in a vehicle parked in the drive-thru asleep, causing other customers to drive around the vehicle."
It is then reported that after Brooks failed a field sobriety test, the officers "attempted to place the male subject into custody". However, Brooks resisted and attempted to flee. A struggle between the three individuals then ensued.
The GBI states that, during the struggle, "Brooks obtained one of the officer's Tasers and began to flee from the scene.
"Officers pursued Brooks on foot and during the chase, Brooks turned and pointed the Taser at the officer. The officer fired his weapon, striking Brooks."
Bodycam footage of Brooks' arrest can be seen below (Warning - some people will find the video distressing):After being shot, Brooks was transported to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly after surgery.
Now, an official report for Brook's autopsy - which took place on Sunday - lists Brooks' cause of death as gunshot wounds to the back and the manner of death has been listed as homicide.
The report adds that Brooks died from organ damage and blood loss from the two gunshot wounds, CNN reports.
Yesterday, it was revealed that one APD officer had been fired and another has been reassigned following the shooting.
The fired officer under investigation has been identified as Garrett Rolfe, who had been with the Atlanta Police Department since 2013, WSB-TV of Atlanta reports.
The Daily Mail states that Rolfe is the officer that opened fire and fatally shot Brooks.
A police spokesperson has also identified the second officer as Devin Bronsan, who has since been placed on administrative duty. The Associated Press states that Bronsan has been with the department since 2018.
CNN reports that the Fulton County District Attorney has criticized the officers' handling of Brooks' fatal shooting and said that a decision on whether to bring charges should come around Wednesday.
"[Brooks] did not seem to present any kind of threat to anyone, and so the fact that it would escalate to his death just seems unreasonable," DA Paul Howard told CNN's Fredricka Whitfield on Sunday. He added:
"It just seems like this is not the kind of conversation and incident that should have led to someone's death."
Brooks' death has resulted in fresh outbreaks of protests and violence in the Atlanta area.
On Saturday night, the Wendy's restaurant where the shooting took place was torched by protesters.
Footage of the engulfed Wendy's can be seen below:Rayshard Brooks' sister-in-law, Crystal Brooks, was one of those gathered outside the Wendy's restaurant on Saturday night. She told local news crews:
"He wasn’t causing anyone any harm. The police went up to the car and even though the car was parked they pulled him out of the car and started tussling with him."
Per Fox News, L. Chris Stewart, the attorney for Brooks' family, has said that the officer who shot the 27-year-old should be charged for "an unjustified use of deadly force, which equals murder". Stewart added:
"You can’t have it both ways in law enforcement. You can’t say a Taser is a nonlethal weapon [...] but when an African American grabs it and runs with it, now it’s some kind of deadly, lethal weapon that calls for you to unload on somebody."
On Saturday, Atlanta police chief Erika Shields handed in her resignation as a result of the incident, BBC News reports.
Sheild's resignation was announced by Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms.
Bottoms said in a statement:
"Because of her desire that Atlanta be a model of what meaningful reform should look like across this country, Chief Shields has offered to immediately step aside as police chief so that the city may move forward with urgency and rebuilding the trust so desperately needed throughout our communities."
Shields was appointed the Atlanta police chief in December of 2016. Prior to this, she had served a long career in the force.
Interim Corrections Chief Rodney Bryant will be serving as interim police chief until a permanent replacement is appointed.
