Atlanta awaited a decision from prosecutors Wednesday on whether to bring charges against two white police officers in the killing of Rayshard Brooks, who was shot in the back in a case that has unfolded as the U.S. grapples with widespread protests over the treatment of black people.
Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard scheduled an afternoon news conference to announce his decision.
Garrett Rolfe, the officer who shot the 27-year-old Brooks on Friday night at a fast-food restaurant, was fired after the killing. Another officer, Devin Brosnan, was put on desk duty.
The shooting sparked new demonstrations in Georgia’s capital after the sometimes turbulent protests that erupted in Atlanta and across the U.S. in response to George Floyd’s death May 25 in Minneapolis. The Wendy’s where Brooks was shot was burned down after his killing.
Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields resigned less than 24 hours after Brooks died.
Police were called to the restaurant over complaints of a car blocking the drive-thru lane. An officer found Brooks asleep behind the wheel of the car, and a breath test found he was intoxicated.
When police to handcuff him, Brooks wrestled with officers, snatched one of their stun guns and pointed it at one of them as he ran through the parking lot.
An autopsy found that Brooks was shot twice in the back.
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