The Georgia Bureau of Investigations said that it had not completed its investigation into the death of Rayshard Brooks before the officer involved in the shooting was charged with felony murder.
The bureau said the Atlanta Police Department requested a complete investigation into the attempted arrest and fatal shooting of Brooks, but that the district attorney announced charges without consulting the group.
“The Georgia Bureau of Investigations was requested by the Atlanta Police Department on Friday night, June 12, to investigate an officer involved shooting at a Wendy’s Restaurant on University Avenue. We are in the process of conducting this investigation,” the bureau wrote in a Wednesday post to Facebook.
“Although we have made significant progress in the case, we have not completed our work. Our goal in every officer involved shooting case we are requested to review, is to complete a thorough, impartial investigation before we submit the file to the respective District Attorney’s Office,” it added.
District Attorney Paul Howard Jr. announced on Wednesday that Garrett Rolfe was charged with felony murder after firing his weapon three times to shoot at Brooks, who was fleeing the scene of a DUI arrest after stealing the officer’s taser. Howard also charged Devin Brosnan, another responding officer, with aggravated assault. The Georgia Bureau of Investigations said it was not notified of Howard’s plan to announce charges during a press conference.
“The GBI was not aware of today’s press conference before it was conducted,” the bureau wrote. “We were not consulted on the charges filed by the District Attorney. Despite today’s occurrence, the GBI will complete its mission of completing an impartial and thorough investigation of this incident and we will submit the file, once completed, to the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office.”
Brooks, a 27-year-old black man, was shot and killed during an arrest after officers had been called to the scene because he appeared to be intoxicated in a vehicle at a Wendy’s in Atlanta. After conducting a sobriety test, which Brooks failed, the officers attempted to handcuff Brooks. During the arrest, Brooks stole Bronsnan’s taser and started running from officers. Video from the incident showed that Brooks turned back and pointed the taser at the officers before Rolfe fired his weapon.
Brooks’s death added fuel to weeks worth of protests throughout the nation following the death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man who died after a white officer knelt on his neck for several minutes during an arrest in Minneapolis. Protesters have been calling for an end to police brutality and racial injustice.
