Producer and actor Tyler Perry has offered to pay all funeral expenses for Rayshard Brooks, family attorney Chris Stewart said per CNN.
Yesterday, singer Justin Timberlake took to Instagram to pay tribute to Brooks. Timberlake wrote;
"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".
CNN reports that Brooks was fatally shot on Friday after officers responded to a call about a man sleeping in a car at a Wendy's drive-thru.
A medical examiner has since declared Brooks' death to be a homicide, the BBC reports. His death has sparked protests in Atlanta, just weeks after George Floyd was killed in custody in Minneapolis.
Per Deadline, attorney L. Chris Stewart, representing Brooks' family, said;
“We want to thank and acknowledge Tyler Perry, who we spoke with, who will be taking care of the funeral for the family.
It’s support like that and it’s people who are actually in this community — that love the community, that want healing and families like this to never have to go through something like this — to step forward.”
As CNN notes, Perry has previously made generous offers in times of tragedy. In 2016, it was reported that he had offered to pay for the funeral of 15-month-old twins Ariel Roxanne North and Alaynah Maryanne North, who died after being left in a hot car.
And last year, Perry paid expenses for the family of Tynesha Evans, after her boyfriend allegedly shot and killed her at a bank.
