Rayshard Brooks says justice system sees criminals as 'animals' in unearthed interview

An interview with Rayshard Brooks discussing criminal justice in the US has been unearthed, in which he says he wished the system didn't treat people "like animals".

The interview was recorded back in February with a company called Reconnect, which focuses on fighting "recidivism, incarceration, and addiction", per their website.

Just months later, Brooks - a father-of-four - was fatally shot by a now-fired cop after attempting to flee an arrest by Atlanta police officers in a Wendy's parking lot on June 12.

In the interview, Brooks discusses the inequities within the criminal justice system, explaining that "some people, they get a tap on the wrist" from authorities, "but some people don't."

The purpose of Reconnect's interview was an attempt to speak to individuals on probation or parole about their personal experiences.

Brooks opened up about the struggle people with a criminal record face when attempting to get back on their feet, as well as the emotional toll of being a part of the system. He said:

"You get treated like an animal. Some of the system could look at us as individuals; we do have lives, you know."

Speaking of people with a criminal history, Brooks said: "We can’t get the time back … but we can make up for it."

He added: "I'm trying, I'm not the type of person to give up. I'm going to keep going 'til I make it to where I want to be."

When speaking about being denied employment due to his criminal record, Brooks said that it is a "hard feeling to stomach" when he was just trying to support his family.

Brooks added that "there could be a way to erase some of these things" - referring to the criminal records that people are forced to declare in job applications that ask prospective employees if they've ever been arrested or incarcerated.

"It breaks your heart," Brooks said. "That puts us down."

Revealing why he released the footage, Sam Hotchkiss, the founder and CEO of Reconnect, wrote on their website:

"As a privileged white man, it didn’t feel right for me to make the decisions about how and where to share this footage and start this conversation. [...]

"Thank you Rayshard for sharing your words with us. Black lives matter. They always have, and they always will."

On Wednesday, a prosecutor confirmed that former Atlanta cop Garrett Rolfe had been charged with felony murder following Brooks' death.

Per an official press release from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, APD officers Rolfe and Devin Bronsan were responding to a complaint that Brooks has fallen asleep in his vehicle in a Wendy's drive-thru, "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."

Per The Guardian, Brooks was 18ft 3" away when Rolfe opened fire.

Last week, 27-year-old Rolfe - who unloaded the fatal shots - was fired from the Atlanta Police Department over the incident. Per WSB-TV of Atlanta, Rolfe had worked in the department since 2013.

On June 14, an autopsy listed Brooks' cause of death as gunshot wounds to the back and the manner of death has been listed as homicide.

The report added that Brooks died from organ damage and blood loss from the two gunshot wounds, CNN reports.

The Guardian also reports that the Rolfe kicked Brooks when he was on the ground and offered no medical treatment as he lay dying.

In total, Rolfe is facing 11 charges, after prosecutors announced that Brooks posed no threat when he was gunned down. If he is convicted of murder, Rolfe could face life in prison or the death penalty.

Rolfe's charges were announced by District Attorney Paul Howard, who announced at the eagerly-awaited press conference:

"We have concluded at the time Mr Brooks was shot that he did not pose an immediate threat of death or serious physical injury to the officer or officers."

Of Rolfe's 11 charges, six relate specifically to his interactions with Brooks. Per CNN, they are listed as follows:

• Aggravated assault with a deadly weapon linked to Brooks' death. The offense carries a possible sentence of 1 to 20 years.
• Aggravated assault for kicking Brooks. Rolfe was wearing a shoe "which, when used offensively against a person, is likely to or actually does result in serious bodily injury," an arrest warrant said. The offense carries a sentence of 1 to 20 years.
• Four counts of violation of oath by a public officer - a felony offense under Georgia law. Each offense carries a sentence of 1 to 5 years.

Rolfe's additional charges are linked to the third missed shot he fired at Brooks, of which the bullet hit an occupied vehicle in the Wendy's parking lot. They are as follows:

• Three aggravated assault charges related to the three people who were inside the vehicle.
• One count of criminal damage of property in the first degree for damaging the vehicle "in a manner so as to endanger human life by shooting it with a handgun".

The other officer at the scene, Devin Bronsan, has been reassigned following the shooting.

Bronsan, 26, is also facing several charges against him for his actions during the incident.

Prosecutors have said that Bronsan - who has been with the department since 2018 - is facing an aggravated assault charge for standing or stepping on Brooks' shoulder while he was lying on the ground, which carries a sentence of 1 to 20 years.

Brosnan was also charged with two violations of oath of office, prosecutors said.

DA Howard announced that Bronsan violated the police department policy when he stood on Brooks after the victim was shot, stating that it was an "unauthorized weaponless control technique which the city of Atlanta prohibits."

The other violation is in regard to failing to render timely medical aid to Brooks.

Following the charges, Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said that morale within the police department had been "down ten-fold".

In an interview with CNN on Wednesday night, Bottoms said: "We expect our officers will keep their commitment to our communities" amid reports that officers had been calling in sick