UNARMED MAN’S FINAL MOMENTS: Police video of shooting death released

WARNING: Distressing

Atlanta Police have released bodycam footage of the scuffle that led to an officer shooting dead unarmed black man Rayshard Brooks after the scene of the death was set on fire by protesters.

The 27-year-old man was sleeping in his car and reportedly blocking a Wendy’s drive through when police interviewed him and made him do a sobriety test.

The footage, supplied to CBS46 Atlanta, shows the two officers speaking with the man for 27 minutes before they attempt to handcuff him.

The conversation spirals out of control when towards the end of the conversation, Mr Brooks is questioned about why he was asleep and how many drinks he had consumed in the evening.

Brooks says he had a few drinks during his daughter’s birthday party but says that is all.

RELATED: Wendy’s set on fire after police kill black man

RELATED: Atlanta police involved in shooting named

The officer, who has been identified as Garrett Rolfe, asks the man: “You had about one-and-a-half drinks, but you don’t know what kind of drinks?

“I think you’ve had too much to drink to be driving.”

At this point, the officer attempts to handcuff Mr Brooks before a scuffle breaks out and the body cam falls to the ground and doesn’t capture the rest of the events that lead to the death.

It’s reported that Mr Brooks took a taser from the officer before being tasered by the other and then is struck by a short series of shots as he tried to run away.

Though the camera doesn’t capture this, the taser and gunshots can be heard as well as the officers repeatedly yelling “stop”.

Atlanta Police confirmed the officer, Mr Rolfe, has been sacked while the other policeman, Devin Brosnan, has been placed on administrative duty.

The city’s police chief Erika Shields had also resigned over the incident, announced by Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms who demanded the officer responsible for the death be fired.

“While there may be debate as to whether this was an appropriate use of deadly force, I firmly believe that there is a clear distinction between what you can do and what you should do,” Ms Bottoms told reporters.

“I do not believe that this was a justified use of deadly force.

“What has become abundantly clear over the last couple of weeks in Atlanta is that while we have a police force full of men and women who work alongside our communities with honour, respect and dignity, there has been a disconnect with what our expectations are and should be as it relates to interactions with our officers and the communities in which they are entrusted to protect.”

Rewad More (...)