The Atlanta police officer who was fired after fatally shooting Rayshard Brooks during an attempted DUI arrest last year has been reinstated after an independent review by the city’s Civil Service Board.
What’s the background?
Rolfe and his former partner, Devin Brosnan, responded to a call on June 12, 2020, about an allegedly intoxicated person asleep at the wheel in a Wendy’s drive-through.
Upon arrival, they found Brooks, who was seen on video footage battling with the officers when they attempted to arrest him, stealing Brosnan’s Taser, and attempting to fire the device at Rolfe. Rolfe then fired his service weapon at Brooks, striking him twice in the back and killing him.
The next day, Rolfe was terminated amid outcry. The next week, he was charged with felony murder and ten other charges by then-Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard, who has since been ousted from office.
Rolfe filed a lawsuit against Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lane Bottoms (D) and interim Police Chief Rodney Bryant in the aftermath, with the officer claiming he had acted within the scope of his position during his interaction with Brooks and that his termination was done illegally.
What now?
The City of Atlanta’s Civil Service Board determined that “due to the city’s failure to comply with several provisions of the Code and the information received during witnesses’ testimony,” Rolfe “was not afforded his right to due process.” The panel granted the fired officer’s appeal and revoked his dismissal as an employee of the Atlanta Police Department.
But while Rolfe might be back in uniform, the charges against him still remain — and the Civil Service Board emphasized that it “is not charged with determining if the Appellant’s actions were criminal in nature nor will it make any reference thereto.”
Fox News reported that Howard’s successor, Fani Willis, “has twice asked Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr to reassign the case [against Rolfe], saying actions by Howard made it inappropriate for her office to continue handling the case,” but “Carr has refused, saying the potential problems she cited were specific to Howard, so the responsibility for the case remained with her office.”
Meanwhile, Mayor Bottoms stands by her original decision to terminate Rolfe in the incident that occurred shortly after the death of George Floyd, saying in a statement on Wednesday, “Given the volatile state of our city and nation last summer, the decision to terminate this officer, after he fatally shot Mr. Brooks in the back, was the right thing to do.”
She added, “Had immediate action not been taken, I firmly believe that the public safety crisis we experienced during that time would have been significantly worse.”
Great news! Being fired for doing your job is ridiculous & illegal. Almost all of these tragedies have one thing in common. Noncompliance or resistance to an officer’s orders. If you’re too stupid or bullheaded to obey the officer, then you get what you deserve. You made the choice, you pay the consequences. Period.
Exactly! They are called law enforcement officers because their job is to enforce the law, I know it’s really difficult for some to comprehend.
AMEN!!! Trueer words were never spoken!
Well put. Why is it that most of those shot by police were or had committed a crime and were caught? Blame the police for protecting themselves. This is what happens when idiots are in political office.
Where’s the justice in putting these cops to enforcing the laws and exposing them to violence on a continual basis and then prosecuting them when they act in the manner they were trained?
Why not a microscopic examination of the now deceased perp to evaluate his motives and mind during the conflict that ended his life? Could it be that he would have lived if he had not RESISTED ARREST with violence and stolen the taser of the officer who shot him?
In every one of these incidents where some criminal meets his demise, there has been some kind of physical altercation. Even as far back as the rodney king incident, those passengers in his car complied with the police and suffered no injury, but king had to fight the arrest.
Sure he is reinstated with back pay, since he should have never been fired in the first place
Sure hope, that is
Looks to Me…..from the Details of what happened and occurred to “Mr. Stupid”….(Rayshard Brooks)….Again – Like Always.!! Individuals just don’t cooperate with a Police Officer and get out of hand and then it turns into a threatening situation and I would support any officer, who has to fire his weapon in a response for his or her safety, along with any partners that might be involved, also. Good for Officer Rolfe….in performing his duties and within the law and within his determined responsibility that dealt with the situation as needed.
So, let me get this right. Because Mayor Bottoms was afraid of what the thugs and rioters might do, evidencing that she would be unable or unwilling to protect the citizens of Atlanta from the anarchists, DUE PROCESS was denied to a OFFICER of the LAW?
This means THERE IS NO LAW in ATLANTA.
I’m surprised that the sleepy DOJ hasn’t filed a number of civil right charges against him. They could then bankrupt the officer in defending himself. Let’s defund the democrat communists so that the trash can be removed.
Meanwhile, Mayor Bottoms stands by her original decision to terminate Rolfe in the incident that occurred shortly after the death of George Floyd, saying in a statement on Wednesday, “Given the volatile state of our city and nation last summer, the decision to terminate this officer, after he fatally shot Mr. Brooks in the back, was the right thing to do.”
She added, “Had immediate action not been taken, I firmly believe that the public safety crisis we experienced during that time would have been significantly worse.”
If this was her reasoning behind firing this officer, she should be removed from office for giving in to Mob Violence. She could have stopped the violence anytime she wanted to by asking the Governor for National Guard troops. That is the only way this stupidity will be stopped.
The decision to fire was not based on logic, but on appeasement of the mob. This has never worked well in history. It is terrorism/blackmail.
That’s great! Police need the able to take out the scum of the earth when needed. Democrats are such funny people, tie the handa of the police, defund the police, and as soon as something happens to them…911. Just like that ugly creature rrom seattle thst called just because a Lyft driver had windows down, as he was required to!
Another murdering scum cop getting his job back because of an incompetent city employee that should be fired.
YES! Lance Bottom and about 10 other city employees should be fired. Now.
@andrea(y)
FOAD you idiot lefty!
Anger management, Andy. Anger management. Look into it..,
Anger management, Andy. Anger management. Might do some good…
Ought’a check out Anger Management, Andy. I suspect you might benefit…
Andy, just stop. Or better yet, tell me what you would have done to improve that situation? How would you have prevented the death of that particular criminal? Also, try to create a scenario that answers what he would have done after fleeing the scene? Your insight is much appreciated!
“Mayor Bottoms stands by her original decision to terminate Rolfe in the incident that occurred shortly after the death of George Floyd, saying in a statement on Wednesday, “Given the volatile state of our city and nation last summer, the decision to terminate this officer, after he fatally shot Mr. Brooks in the back, was the right thing to do.”
My fellow Americans, We all better wake up or this will be us. When you have a Politian’s deciding who is guilty or not based on public opinion and not by the rule of law. We as nation of laws will be no more. So be careful who you piss off. It might just land you at the hanging tree!!!!!
It is not up to people who were not directly there and you have no idea what you would have done in the same case if you had to make a choice. The officers are trained and you are not. The officers also gave orders to the offender to do certain things , which is their job. The officers are men and women just as you are and they have put their lives on the line every day to protect honest citizens of this country. They have the right to go home to their families after their shifts ,just as you do. Obey what the officers request and do not put them or yourselves in danger then all can eventually go home to your loved ones too.
Mayor Bottoms is A Dumb Racist.
Democrat “leaders” need to stop making decisions based on emotion. Wolfe was terminated for a very ignorant reason on the Mayor’s part. I’m glad he sued, he should sue every person and agency involved. You cannot illegally charge/fire/terminate someone because you “fear the consequences from the public”. We have rule of law, enforce it every time and do not allow the rioting to start.
So now the cop that made a good ni66er is back on the force. GOOD! Keep up the good work!
I am a former cop. During the scuffle with Brooks, when Officer Rolfe’s Taser was taken, it would have been justified, in my opinion, to defend himself, and to protect other’s, with the use of lethal force. After Brooks was fleeing, to shoot him in the back, in my opinion, is questionable.
The only thing that comes to my mind, was after the eminent threat of danger was gone, Brooks was a fleeing suspect. They had his car, they would have found him eventually. However, I am not Officer Rolfe, nor was I there. So I can’t say how I would have reacted.
Sadly it is how he reacted that only the public see’s, and not why. Anyone other then a qualified analyst, is armchair quarter backing the event. And without the training or experience in the field, all they have is public opinion. And given the national temperament during the summer of 2020, of course the armchair’s will find the cop at fault.
Politicians however will always bow down to public outcry, if they want to keep their jobs.
To terminate the Officer however, in my opinion, was wrong. Suspension, or assigned desk duty pending the outcome of an investigation would have been more appropriate.
@Bruce Jolly I agree with everything you just said. The one thing I saw in the video when Brooks was fleeing he turned and pointed the taser at the officer. I believe that is when the officer fired his service weapon hitting Brooks in the back.
Like you said I was not there, I do not know what I would do in that situation and a lot of people seem to know how they would have reacted.
I think there should have been a suspension and investigation into the incident. A direct termination to prevent public violence is wrong and against everything our nation stands for.