Black Lives Matter protests: Ex-Atlanta officer charged with murder in Rayshard Brooks’ death

Protests over racism and police violence continue nationwide, sparked by outrage over the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who was killed last month while in the custody of Minneapolis police.

Live updates for Wednesday, June 17, continue below:

Washington State Patrol will lead probe into Manuel Ellis death

Update 11:49 p.m. EDT June 17: Gov. Jay Inslee announced that the Washington State Patrol will lead an independent investigation into the death of Manuel Ellis, KIRO-TV reported.

Ellis, 33, was being restrained by four Tacoma police officers on March 3 after investigators say he charged at them and began fighting with officers. Cellphone video shot by eyewitnesses at the scene showed the officers in a struggle with Ellis, the television station reported.

A report by the Pierce County Medical Examiner showed Ellis was handcuffed, his feet hobbled with a belt and a spit mask was placed over his head. Ellis was heard crying out that he was unable to breathe, KIRO reported.

Inslee called for the state to assume jurisdiction of the case after it was revealed that a Pierce County sheriff’s deputy arrived at the scene at some point.

House Democrats advance policing reform bill

Update 11:39 p.m. EDT June 17: Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee pushed through a policing reform package that would ban chokeholds and end the qualified immunity doctrine.

The bill now goes to the full House for a vote, possibly as soon as next week, CNN reported.

Democrats also approved an amendment naming the bill after George Floyd, the Minneapolis man who died May 25 when a police officer pinned his knee to the man’s neck for nearly nine minutes.

Louisville councilman criticized for tweet about protester hit by car

Update 11:27 p.m. EDT June 17: A city council member in Louisville, Kentucky, was criticized for his comments on social media that criticized a protester who was hit by a car Wednesday morning.

Councilman Anthony Piagentini reacted to a tweet about a video of the driver hitting the protester, criticizing the group for being in the middle of the road and blocking roads, the Louisville Courier-Journal reported.

A group of protesters had confronted the driver of the car, who drove forward and flipped one person over the hood of his vehicle and onto the street.

“Public service announcement: If you don’t break the law and stand in the middle of the street, you don’t get run over,” Piagentini tweeted. “Thank you for your time. Please share.”

Louisville activist Hannah Drake tweeted she was “embarrassed (Piagentini) is an elected official in my city.”

Piagentini later responded with a follow-up tweet, follow-up tweet, saying the police video “clearly shows” the driver “was surrounded, attacked, and had a gun pulled on them.”

Atlanta mayor says city has enough police

Update 9:51 p.m. EDT June 17: Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said during an interview Wednesday night that the city has enough police officers to maintain order. Bottoms told CNN she did not know how many officers had called out, but stressed safety was not an issue in the aftermath of unrest following the shooting of Rayshard Brooks.

”We don’t have a count yet because we were in the midst of a shift change but what I do know is that we do have enough officers to cover us through the night,” Bottoms told CNN. “Our streets won’t be any less safe because of the number of officers who called out. But it is just my hope again that our officers will remember the commitment that they made when they held up their hand and they were sworn in as police officers.”

Bottoms said morale is low nationwide among police departments.

“I think ours is down tenfold,” Bottoms said. “This has been a very tough few weeks in Atlanta.”

Atlanta police: Reports of walkout ‘inaccurate’

Update 9:21 p.m. EDT June 17: Officials from the Atlanta Police Department tweeted that reports of multiple officers walking off the job in the wake of felony charges filed against Garrett Rolfe in the death of Rayshard Brooks were “inaccurate.”

“The department is experiencing a higher than usual number of call-outs with the incoming shift, the department tweeted. We have enough resources to maintain operations and remain able to respond to incidents.”

Massachusetts transit police: Officers must intervene if they see excessive force

Update 8:33 p.m. EDT June 17: The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Transit Police tweeted that officers must intervene if they see another officer using excessive force, and must report that incident “without delay.”

The department also added to its use-of-force policy that prohibits chokeholds, strangleholds and neck restraints, including carotid restraints, according to a tweet.

“We are committed to serving ALL citizens with compassion and respect,” the MBTA said. 

Public viewing for Rayshard Brooks will be in Atlanta church on Monday

Update 8:20 p.m. EDT June 17: A public viewing for Rayshard Brooks will be held from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. EDT Monday at Atlanta’s historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, according to his online obituary posted by the Willie A. Watkins Funeral Home. 

A celebration of life service will be at 1 p.m. EDT Tuesday at the church, the obituary said.

Ebenezer Baptist Church was the church where Martin Luther King, Jr. was co-pastor until his assassination in April 1968.

Oakland officials remove ropes found in trees

Update 8:09 p.m. EDT June 17:  City officials in Oakland, California, said swift action would be taken after social-media users described ropes hanging from trees at an area park as nooses, the East Bay Tribune reported.

The Oakland Police Department initially said in a statement that “several community members reported the ropes were used for exercise equipment; one community member claimed ownership of the ropes and stated that he intentionally placed the ropes on the tree limbs for exercise and games several months ago.”

On Wednesday, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf tweeted about the nooses, saying that several nooses had been removed from trees around the lake and that they would be investigated as hate crimes.

“Symbols of racial violence have no place in Oakland and will not be tolerated,” Schaaf said.

Chicago Bears will close offices to honor Juneteenth

Update 7:28 p.m. EDT June 17: The Chicago Bears announced they would close thier offices Friday in observance of Juneteenth.

“Join us in learning more about the holiday, celebrating it, and participating in the fight for equality,” the team said in a statement.

The Bears joined the Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions, Arizona Cardinals, Green Bay Packers and Baltimore Ravens, who all announced this week that they would permanently recognize Juneteenth.

Juneteenth is the anniversary of June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers landed in Galveston, Texas, and proclaimed that slavery in the United States had ended and the Civil War was over.

Rolfe’s attorneys say Brooks’ shooting was justified

Update 7:05 p.m. EDT June 17: The attorneys representing former Atlanta police Officer Garrett Rolfe said his actions were “justified” when he fatally shot Rayshard Brooks outside a Wendy’s restaurant Friday night, WSB-TV reported. Rolfe faces 11 charges, including felony murder and aggravated assault.

The attorneys said in a statement that “the loss of life in any instance is tragic,” but “Officer Rolfe’s actions were justified.”

“A peace officer may use deadly force to 1. arrest a suspected felon when he reasonably believes that the suspect poses an immediate threat of physical violence to the officer or others, 2. to protect himself and others from a life-threatening injury, and 3. to prevent the commission of a forcible felony,” the statement said. “Mr. Brooks violently attacked two officers and disarmed one of them. When Mr. Brooks turned and pointed an object at Officer Rolfe, any officer would have reasonably believed that he intended to disarm, disable, or seriously injure him.”

Brosnan’s attorney: Client ‘not a state’s witness’

Update 6:28 p.m. EDT June 17: Don Samuel and Amanda Clark Palmer, the attorneys representing Atlanta police Officer Devin Brosnan, said in a statement that their client has not agreed to testify aa a state witness in the case against fellow officer Garrett Rolfe, who is facing 11 charges including felony murder and aggravated assault in the death of Rayshard Brooks.

That contradicts an earlier staement by Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard.

”He will continue to tell the DA or the GBI (Georgia Bureau of Investigation), or any other investigator what happened. But he is absolutely not guilty of any crime and will not plead guilty and has not agreed to be a ‘state’s witness,’” the statement said.

Brosnan is being charged with aggravated assault and two violations of oath of office, according to the district attorney’s office.

Brooks’ widow ‘appalled’ after learning details of husband’s death

Update 5:51 p.m. EDT June 17: The widow of Rayshard Brooks said she was “appalled” after learning the details about the Atlanta police officers’ actions on the night of her husband’s death.

”I was very hurt,” Tomika Miller said at a news conference. “I couldn’t imagine being there because I don’t know what I would have done if I would have seen that for myself. But I felt everything that he felt just by hearing what he went through. And it hurts. It hurt really bad.”

Miller added she grateful that the second officer at the scene, Devin Brosnan, is “coming forth with the truth.”

‘This isn’t a celebration,’ Brooks’ family attorney says

Update 5:33 p.m. EDT June 17: An attorney for the family of Rayhsard Brooks said that while they appreciate the charges against former Atlanta police Officer Garrett Rolfe, it is not a cause for celebration.

“This isn’t like a celebration,” attorney L. Chris Stewart said at a news conference Wednesday. “We shouldn’t have to be celebrating when we get a piece of justice.”

Stewart said there was cause for optimism after hearing that Office Devin Brosnan is cooperating with the district attorney’s office.

“I saw a lot of hope today,” Stewart said. “As the district attorney said, this is the first time another officer has decided to be a government witness and testify against another officer. That’s what policing is.

“That’s the kind of officers that make these streets safe that, stop instances like this from happening. When you’re willing to step up and say that was wrong,” Stewart said. “Even if that’s going to risk my career, even if people won’t like me and other officers will be angry. That’s the reason that every not officer is out there trying to kill everybody.”“That is what policing is all about.”

Justin Miller, another attorney representing Brooks’ family, commended the district attorney’s office but said it was only the first step.

“I want everybody to know that we want you to stay focused. This is not the finish line. This is the starting point. Yes, we appreciate and we commend the DA’s office for charging these officers appropriately. But that’s just step one. Step two is convictions on all charges,” Miller said.

Protesters gather outside Wendy’s shooting site in Atlanta

Update 5:17 p.m. EDT June 17: Protesters have started to gather outside the Wendy’s in southwest Atlanta where Rayshard Brooks was killed, WSB reported.

‘Racists not welcome at Texas A&M,’ chancellor says

Update 4:58 p.m. EDT June 17: Texas A&M University Chancellor John Sharp and President Michael K. Young have formed a task force to explore ideas on how to address racism and ways to review statues, buildings, and monuments on campus.

In a statement released to KBTX, President Michael K. Young said he and Sharp discussed the presence of the Lawrence Sullivan Ross statue and “how we address the historical context of its presence and its symbolism to the entire campus community.”

Each group would include former students, faculty, staff and relevant subject matter experts, according to the statement.  

Racists are not welcome at Texas A&M. If we have to challenge them and call them out publicly, we will,” Sharp said. “We are Aggies -- brothers and sisters -- and we ask anyone who cannot abide by our Core Values to stay away.”

Ex-Atlanta police officer charged with murder, another charged with assault in Rayshard Brooks killing

Update 4:10 p.m. EDT June 17: Fulton County, Georgia District Attorney Paul Howard announced Wednesday that the former Atlanta police officers involved in the shooting death of Rayshard Brooks last week will face aggravated assault and other charges.

Officer Garrett Rolfe is being charged with 11 counts, including felony murder, criminal damage to property and violations to his oath of office, WSB-TV reported. Officer Devin Brosnan is being charged with aggravated assault and two violations of oath of office, according to the news station.

Howard said that after Rolfe shot Brooks, neither Rolfe nor Brosnan rendered aid to him for 2 minutes and 12 seconds.

During that time, Howard said, “Officer Rolfe actually kicked Mr. Brooks as he laid on the ground, while he was there fighting for his life. ... Officer Brosnan actually stood on Mr. Brooks shoulder.”

Howard said his office concluded that Brooks didn’t pose a threat to the officers at the time of his death. Officials determined that Brooks was running away when Rolfe shot him in the back twice, WSB-TV reported.

“We have also concluded that Rolfe was aware that the Taser in Brooks’ possession, it was fired twice, and once (it was) fired twice, it presented no danger to him or to any other persons,” Howard said.

The district attorney added that Rolfe was heard saying, “I got him,” after the shooting, WSB-TV reported.

Howard said Brosnan has agreed to testify for the state and admitted that he was standing on Brooks after his death. Howard said Brosnan believed he was standing on Brooks’ arm, though video showed he was standing on the 27-year-old’s back.

However, Brosnan’s attorney said that while his client is cooperating with the district attorney, he has not agreed to be a state witness or testify, WSB reported.

>> Read more on WSBTV.com

Former Atlanta police officer charged with felony murder in killing of Rayshard Brooks

Update 4 p.m. EDT June 17: The former Atlanta police officer who shot and killed Rayshard Brooks on Friday night after responding to a call at a Wendy’s restaurant has been charged with felony murder and 10 other charges, Fulton County, Georgia District Attorney Paul Howard announced Wednesday.

Howard noted that officers spoke with Brooks for more than 41 minutes without incident before Officer Garrett Rolfe attempted to arrest Rolfe. Howard said that despite the fact that Brooks was able to grab Rolfe’s Taser, he “never presented himself as a threat.”

Rolfe, who opened fire on Brooks and killed him Friday night, is facing 11 charges.

Howard said the charging decision was based heavily on the way Rolfe and Officer Devin Brosnan acted after Brooks was shot. Howard said video showed Rolfe kicking Brooks as he lay on the ground bleeding. For just over two minutes, no medical attention was offered to Brooks.

Howard has also been charged with three counts, including aggravated assault.

Warrants issued in killing of Rayshard Brooks

Update 3:45 p.m. EDT June 17: Fulton County, Georgia District Attorney Paul Howard announced Wednesday that criminal warrants have been issued against at least one of the police officers involved in the fatal shooting of Rayshard Brooks.

Brooks, 27, was shot by then Atlanta police Officer Garrett Rolfe on Friday after body camera footage showed he grabbed an officer’s Taser and pointed it at officers, WSB-TV reported. Police had been called because Brooks fell asleep in the drive-thru of a Wendy’s restaurant in southwest Atlanta.

"We've concluded (that) at the time Mr. Brooks was shot ... he did not pose an immediate threat of death or serious physical injury to the officer or officers," Howard said Wednesday.

Police fired Rolfe, who had joined the Atlanta Police Department in 2013, after the situation, WSB-TV reported. Another officer involved in the incident, identified as Devin Brosnan, has been placed on administrative duty, according to the news station.

District Attorney to announce charging decision in death of Rayshard Brooks

Update 3 p.m. EDT June 17: During a news conference Wednesday afternoon, the district attorney in Fulton County, Georgia, is expected to announce whether charges will be filed against police officers involved in the shooting of Rayshard Brooks.

Brooks died Friday after he was found sleeping in his car in the drive-thru of a Wendy’s restaurant in southwest Atlanta, WSB-TV reported. Video from body cameras worn by officers showed Brooks struggled as an officer tried to handcuff him and managed to grab a Taser. When he pointed the Taser toward officers, Officer Garrett Rolfe fired three shots at him, killing the 27-year-old father of three, WSB-TV reported.

Police have since fired Rolfe. Another officer involved in the situation, identified as Devin Brosnan, has been placed on administrative duty, according to WSB-TV.

‘Hey Reb!' statue removed from University of Nevada, Las Vegas campus

Update 2:30 p.m. EDT June 17: The University of Nevada, Las Vegas has removed a statue of its “Hey Reb!” mascot from in front of its alumni center following an outcry from student groups, including the Native American Student Association.

The decision to remove the bronze statue, which was criticized for its relationship to the Confederacy, came weeks after the death of George Floyd while in police custody in Minneapolis.

University President Marta Meana said she has had conversations with individuals and stakeholders about how the university can move forward in light of recent events.

The statue is expected to be returned to its donors.

Ohio county declares racism a national public health crisis

Update 2:05 p.m. EDT June 17: Commissioners in Montgomery County, Ohio passed a resolution Tuesday declaring racism as a public health crisis, according to WHIO-TV.

“Montgomery County identifies racism as a root cause of poverty, negative social determinants of health and overall poor health outcomes,” commissioners said in a news release obtained by WHIO-TV. “It causes persistent discrimination and disparate outcomes in many areas of life, including housing, economic opportunity, infant mortality, employment, food access and criminal justice.”

>> Read more on WHIO.com

Statue of black athlete vandalized with ‘White Lives Matter’ slogan in Virginia

Update 1:25 p.m. EDT June 17: Police in Richmond, Virginia are investigating after someone vandalized a statue to honor a black athlete with the words “White Lives Matter,” according to multiple reports.

The statue of tennis great and Richmond native Arthur Ashe is the only one on the city’s Monument Avenue to feature an African American, according to WWBT. It stands on the same road where demonstrators have so far torn down three Confederate monuments in the last two weeks.

A woman told WRIC-TV that she saw a man spray-painting the initials “WLM” onto the monument for Ashe on Wednesday afternoon. Later, someone covered the tags with “BLM,” which stands for “Black Lives Matter,” WWBT reported.

Ashe was the first black man to win the U.S. Open and Wimbledon titles, according to WTVR. The monument honoring him was dedicated in 1996, three years after his death, the news station reported.

George Floyd’s brother speaks to UN council

Update 12:40 p.m. EDT June 17: The brother of George Floyd made a heartfelt plea to the United Nation‘s top human rights body to launch intense international scrutiny of systemic racism and the killing of unarmed blacks by police.

Philonese Floyd’s message by video to the Human Rights Council came as it contemplates an unprecedented bid sought by the Africa Group to create a Commission of Inquiry — the council’s most powerful tool of scrutiny — to examine and report on racism and violence against protesters by police in the United States.

“I am my brother’s keeper. You in the United Nations are your brothers and sisters’ keepers in America — and you have the power to help us get justice for my brother George Floyd,” Floyd said. “I am asking you to help him. I am asking you to help me. I am asking you to help us: Black people in America.”

Michigan governor declares June 19 as Juneteenth Celebration Day

Update 12:30 p.m. EDT June 17: Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced Wednesday that she’s issued a proclamation declaring June 19 as Juneteenth Celebration Day in the state.

“Juneteenth is a crucial day in our nation’s history to remember how far we have come and recognize how far we still have to go,” Whitmer said in a statement.

“During a time when communities of color are disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, and when the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery have shone a light on the systemic racism Black Americans face every day, we must work together to build a more equitable and just Michigan.”

Juneteenth celebrates the emancipation of slaves in the U.S. on June 19, 1865. Other state governors, including Virginia’s Ralph Northam and New York’s Andrew Cuomo, have announced plans to push to recognize the date as a state holiday.

New York governor to make Juneteenth a holiday for state employees

Update 12:05 p.m. EDT June 17: New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Wednesday that he plans to sign an executive order designating Juneteenth a holiday for state employees.

Juneteenth is Friday. The holiday celebrates the emancipation of slaves in the United States.

“It is a day that we should all reflect upon,” Cuomo said. “It’s a day that’s especially relevant in this moment in history.”

The governor said he also plans to “propose legislation next year to make it an official state holiday.”

Officials to announce charging decision in Rayshard Brooks case

Update 11:15 a.m. EDT June 17: Fulton County, Georgia District Attorney Paul Howard is expected to announce Wednesday afternoon whether charges will be filed against the Atlanta police officer who shot and killed Rayshard Brooks, 27, last week.

In a news release obtained by WSB-TV, officials said Howard plans to announce his decision at 3 p.m. local time Wednesday.

Brooks died during a confrontation with police during a sobriety check Friday. Officers were called after someone spotted Brooks sleeping in a car in the drive-thru of a southwest Atlanta Wendy’s, WSB-TV reported.

Body camera footage released by police showed Brooks was able to get an officer’s Taser as the officer was trying to arrest him. When he pointed the Taser toward officers, one of them opened fire, killing the father of three, WSB-TV reported.

The incident sparked renewed protests against police violence and racism in Atlanta.

Tenants in Seattle protest zone ask police to resume response to crimes

Update 10:40 a.m. EDT June 17: Some residents living in what’s been dubbed the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest Zone in Seattle told KIRO-TV that they no longer know who to call when they witness crimes in the area.

Matthew Ploszaj, who has lived for the past eight years in an apartment now in CHOP, told KIRO-TV that a 911 dispatcher told him there was nothing authorities could do when he called to report seeing a burglar grabbing items from his courtyard.

“The dispatcher told me, ‘We are not going in there, there is nothing we can do. We can come meet you on the outside, but if it’s not life-threatening, there’s nothing we can do,'" Ploszaj said.

He told KIRO-TV he had a similar experience a few days later, when he called 911 after spotting the person he’d seen breaking into the courtyard.

“We are just sitting ducks all day,” Ploszaj said. “Now every criminal in the city knows they can come into this area and they can do anything they want as long as it isn’t life-threatening, and the police won’t come in to do anything about it.”

>> Read more on KIRO7.com

Police officer seen on camera holding group of teens at gunpoint in Georgia

Update 10:25 a.m. EDT June 17: A video of a Clayton County, Georgia police officer holding a group of teen boys at gunpoint Monday night has quickly gone viral and prompted calls for an investigation, WSB-TV reported.

“What they did to us was wrong," Karmari Moore, 13, told WSB-TV. “They should have never did that. ... I thought I was going to die.”

The news station reported an officer held the boys at gunpoint after a clerk at a nearby store called 911 around 7 p.m. to report that one of the boys had a gun. The weapon was later identified as a BB gun, according to WSB-TV.

>> Read more on WSBTV.com

Senate to hold vote next week on GOP police reform bill

Update 10:05 a.m. EDT June 17: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell confirmed Wednesday that a vote will be held next week on Sen. Tim Scott’s police reform bill.

At a news conference to announce the Justice Act, McConnell said the bill will be brought to the Senate floor next week for a vote following hearings on a pair of circuit court judges.

“We’re serious about making a law here,” McConnell said. “This is about coming together and getting an outcome.”

The GOP legislation would beef up requirements for law enforcement to compile use of force reports under a new George Floyd and Walter Scott Notification Act, named for the Minnesota father whose May 25 death sparked worldwide protests over police violence, and Scott, the South Carolina man shot by police after a traffic stop in 2015, no relation to the senator.

It would also establish the Breonna Taylor Notification Act to track “no-knock” warrants. Such warrants used to be rare, but the 26-year-old was killed after police in Kentucky used a no-knock warrant to enter her Louisville home.

To focus on ending chokeholds, it encourages agencies to do away with the practice or risk losing federal funds. Many big city departments have long stopped their use. It also provides funding for training to “de-escalate” situations and establish a “duty to intervene” protocol to prevent excessive force.

Senate Republicans to reveal police reform bill

Update 9:30 a.m. EDT June 17: Senate Republicans are set to reveal their proposed police reform plan Wednesday morning.

Dubbed the Justice Act, the legislation is focused on police reform, accountability and transparency, according to Sen. Tim Scott, R-SC, who led the creation of the proposal.

Protesters call for officials to reopen cases of men killed by Boston police

Update 9:10 a.m. EDT June 17: More than 100 demonstrators marched Tuesday through Boston, calling on the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office to reopen cases of men who were killed by police, WFXT reported.

Protester Hope Coleman told WFXT her son, Terrence Coleman, was shot and killed by police in 2016 after she called 911 to get medical help for him.

“I should have never had called 911 because look at me now," she told the news station. "I don’t have my child.”

Demonstrators were also pushing to reopen investigations into the 2012 death of Burrell Ramsey-White and the 2015 death of Usaamah Rahim, according to WFXT.

>> Read more on Boston25News.com

Demonstrators pull down 3rd Confederate statue in Richmond, Virginia

Update 8:45 a.m. EDT June 17: Protesters gathered Tuesday night in Richmond, Virginia tore down a third Confederate statue as demonstrations against racism and police brutality continue nationwide, according to multiple reports.

Protesters pulled the statue from the Richmond Howitzer Monument, which was erected to commemorate an artillery unit that served in the Civil War, around 11:30 p.m., according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

The monument near Virginia Commonwealth University had been unveiled in 1892, according to The Washington Post.

Protesters previously pulled down two other Confederate statues in the city in the last two weeks: a statue of Confederate president Jefferson Davis and a statue of Confederate Gen. Williams Carter Wickham.

DA expected to make announcement on possible charges in Rayshard Brooks shooting

Update 7:49 a.m. EDT June 17: The district attorney for Fulton County, Georgia, could announce charges in the Rayshard Brooks shooting as early as today.

According to WSB-TV, District Attorney Paul Howard said last weekend that he anticipates an announcement on criminal charges “midweek.”

The investigation stems from the Friday police shooting that killed Brooks, who was found sleeping in a car in the drive-thru of a southwest Atlanta Wendy’s.

According to the officers’ body camera footage, one of the officers tried to put Brooks in handcuffs, but Brooks struggled, grabbed one of the officers’ Tasers and ran away.

Brooks then pointed that Taser back at the officers. That’s when the video showed one of the officers firing three shots at Brooks, killing the father of three.

Since Saturday’s shooting, Howard said he’s reviewing ballistic evidence before he makes a final decision.

The officer who fired the deadly shot, Garrett Rolfe, was fired from the Atlanta Police Department. The other officer, Devin Brosnan, has been placed on administrative duty.

Read more here.

Oregon driver accused of striking several protesters in Portland; 3 injured

Update 7:38 a.m. EDT June 17: Authorities in Portland, Oregon, have arrested a man suspected of driving into protesters early Wednesday.

According to the Portland Police Bureau, Anthony Eaglehorse-Lassandro, 27, was charged with three counts of felony hit-and-run, reckless driving and possession of hash after witnesses said he struck several protesters with his vehicle near Southwest Third Avenue and Alder Street shortly after 1 a.m. PDT. He also struck a barrier and another vehicle in the area, police said.

Three people suffered injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening, authorities said. Two were taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital, while another "was taken by personal vehicle for treatment," police said in an overnight news release.

After the vehicle left the scene, Portland police’s Air Support Unit tracked the driver until he “stopped and fled on foot” near Southeast Clinton Street and 100th Avenue. Police then arrested him and brought him to the Multnomah County Detention Center, according to the news release.

Anyone who has information about the incident is asked to email Portland police Sgt. Erin Smith at erin.smith@portlandoregon.gov.

Read more here.

New photos released of woman sought in connection with Atlanta Wendy’s fire

Update 6:29 a.m. EDT June 17: The Atlanta Fire Department has released new images from its investigation into a Wendy’s fire during protests Saturday night.

According to WSB-TV, the fire destroyed the fast-food restaurant off University Avenue, where 27-year-old Rayshard Brooks was shot and killed by an Atlanta officer. The investigation into his death is ongoing.

Atlanta police previously released photos of two women sought in connected to the fire. On Tuesday, fire officials released clearer photos of one of the women.

Chief Fire Investigator James Oliver said the fire was started in multiple locations using everything from homemade blow torches to fireworks.

There are multiple suspects, but quality photos are only available of two of them, according to Oliver.

Atlanta Fire Chief Randall Slaughter said peaceful protests don’t need to be overshadowed by a crime like this.

“Solving this arson crime has become a top priority for me,” he said. “The setting of fires is a distraction from the message that the demonstrators and protesters are trying to put forward.”

Read more here.

I-5 through Seattle reopens after closure due to protesters

Update 3:26 a.m. EDT June 17: The Washington State Patrol closed both directions of Interstate 5 through Seattle on Tuesday evening due to protesters, KIRO-TV is reporting.

The closure was between Interstate 90 and state Route 520.

Both directions of the freeway reopened just before 8 p.m. PDT.

All lanes of northbound and southbound I-5 were closed again between SR 520 and I-90 before 9 p.m. PDT due to an “incident blocking all lanes." The freeway reopened after 9:30 p.m. PDT.

Demonstrators started marching on Virginia Street on Ninth Avenue in downtown Seattle at about 7 p.m. PDT. A group of protesters later made their to the freeway.

Read more here.

Rayshard Brooks’ father calls for justice in son’s killing

Update 1:24 a.m. EDT June 17: For a fourth straight day Tuesday, demonstrators gathered outside the Atlanta Wendy’s restaurant where Rayshard Brooks, 27, was shot and killed by a police officer Friday.

Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard’s office said any possible charges in the case could come midweek.

WSB-TV reporter Justin Gray spoke with Brooks’ father, Larry Barbine, from his home in Toledo, Ohio, where Brooks lived with him throughout 2019.

“They shot him down like a dog. It’s not right,” Barbine said.

The father said he had no relationship with Brooks as he grew up, but they built a relationship as adults last year.

“I took him on his first sleigh ride, took him fishing for the first time,” Barbine said.

As the district attorney weighs charges against the officers involved in Brooks’ death, Gray took a look at the disciplinary records for officers Garrett Rolfe and Devin Brosnan.

Rolfe’s file shows a dozen incidents. He was cleared on nine of them. In 2017, he was reprimanded for a use-of-force complaint involving a firearm.

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said the reason she immediately issued a new executive order Monday changing use-of-force policy is because she says Brooks’ running should not have led to his death.

“It didn’t have to end that way,” Bottoms said.

“He needs to pay for what he done. He murdered my son. He outright murdered my son,” Barbine said.

According to records that Gray obtained, both officers had recently gone through use-of-force and de-escalation training programs, which are designed to prevent these kinds of tragedies.

Brooks leaves behind three young daughters and a 13-year-old stepson.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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