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Sunday, June 14, 2020
Saturday, June 13, 2020
Atlanta police officer who fatally shot Rayshard Brooks is fired
The Atlanta police officer who fatally shot Rayshard Brooks at a Wendy’s parking lot on Friday night is reportedly out of a job 24 hours later.
The officer, who has not yet been identified, has been terminated from his job, Atlanta police spokesperson Carlos Campos confirmed on Saturday night, according to CNN. The second officer involved in the shooting has been placed on administrative duty.
READ MORE: Atlanta police chief resigns after fatal shooting of Rayshard Brooks
Brooks, 27, was shot in the back as ran from the two officers following a physical encounter that was all caught on camera.
One video recorded on a camera phone by a witness was initially obtained and subsequently published by TMZ, while a second surveillance video shows the actual shooting more clearly was released by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
GBI released video that shows the moment Rayshard Brooks was shot and killed by an Atlanta Police officer at a Wendys on University Ave last night. Police say Brooks had taken an officer's taser and pointed it at the officer as he ran. pic.twitter.com/1G8fn03gFV
— Matt Johnson (@MattWSB) June 13, 2020
As theGrio previously reported, the officers had approached Brooks while sleeping in his vehicle after someone reported him to authorities. Footage shows Brooks running with a Taser in his hand for a few seconds before he falls to the ground.
Brooks’ death has led to massive protests in the city of Atlanta, which is over 51 percent African American. The Wendy’s where the shooting took place was torched on Saturday night.
According to reporter Courtney Bryant, the fire started after demonstrators broke windows and set fireworks off inside the establishment. As of publishing, there have been no reported arrests.
READ MORE: Cousin of Rayshard Brooks says he thought Atlanta was better than this
According to 11 Alive, firefighters were challenged when called to respond to the fire as protesters blocked their way to the scene, however once able to come in they have worked to contain the blaze.
Atlanta has again engaged in civil unrest. After weeks of protesting the police-involved death of George Floyd in Minneapolis and the outrage provoked by the assault by officers on two Atlanta University Students, the city is up in arms again. This time the protest is in response to the killing of Brooks on Friday and the footage of his death going viral on social media.
theGrio’s Stephanie Guerilus contributed to this report.
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Ice Cube offers to pay Walmart $100K if looters are not charged
Ice Cube is offering to pay $100K to the retail giant Walmart.
The rapper is hoping to pay the amount of money that looters are alleged to have stolen from one of their Florida stores, in hopes that the city will not press charges on those who participated in stealing from the store.
READ MORE: Ice Cube cancels ‘GMA’ appearance due to George Floyd: ‘I’m in no mood’
Fox 13 reported that The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office asked the public for its help in identifying hundreds who stole merchandise at a Walmart late last month.
HCSO released footage of looters who broke into the department store which had been closed due to protests centered on police brutality after the death of George Floyd. Hammers and other blunt objects were used to gain entry on May 30.
Computers, TVs, and other electronic appliances were seen being stolen. Detectives declared that 200 people took part in the theft and that there was an estimated $116,000 worth of damages.
“Not only is this violence completely unacceptable, it was disrespectful to the protesters who were out there that night trying to express their message in an impactful way,” said Sheriff Chad Chronister. “We are actively working to identify each and every one of these suspects and ask the public to provide any information they may have.”
CBS amplified the message by tweeting the surveillance video.
The legendary N.W.A. rapper, born O’Shea Jackson, offered to cover the cost in exchange for no legal repercussions for those in the video.
READ MORE: Reese Witherspooon wants Ice Cube cast in ‘Big Little Lies’ if there’s a season 3
No arrest and I’ll cover the $100k. Deal? https://t.co/UCo3InOTKs
— Ice Cube (@icecube) June 13, 2020
“No arrest and I’ll cover the $100k. Deal?” he tweeted Friday.
Not everyone thinks is riding along with Cube on this one. But despite backlash, he is steadfast on his decision to pay the damages. He responded to one critic who didn’t think it was fair for him to get involved.
Law Enforcement’s slow responses to arresting the THUG COPS that murdered Mr. Floyd cause this uprising and all damages from steaming from it. Law Enforcement should be liberal for all the damages cause by their senseless delays. https://t.co/jtTuh4X2tR
— Ice Cube (@icecube) June 13, 2020
“Law Enforcement’s slow responses to arresting the THUG COPS that murdered Mr. Floyd cause this uprising and all damages from steaming from it. Law Enforcement should be liberal for all the damages cause by their senseless delays,” Cube responded in a tweet.
Walmart has not yet taken Cube up on his offer.
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New York City Council Pushes for $1 Billion Cut From NYPD Budget
In wake of nationwide protests against police brutality and calls to defund the police, the New York City Council is pushing to slash $1 billion from the New York Police Department (NYPD).
The council released a proposal Friday calling to cut spending from the NYPD in the fiscal 2021 budget. In a statement, the council acknowledged that the “unprecedented” cut would be an “ambitious goal.”
“We believe that we can and should work to get to $1 billion in cuts to New York City’s police spending in the Fiscal 2021 budget, an unprecedented reduction that would not only limit the scope of the NYPD, but also show our commitment towards moving away from the failed policing policies of the past,” reads the statement.
“There is no doubt that this is an ambitious goal, but it is one that the time we are in calls for–both here in New York City and nationwide.”
The statement also identifies areas where the budget could be cut, which includes reducing uniform headcount, cutting overtime, and shifting responsibilities away from the NYPD. That money would then be redirected towards community initiatives.
“As we do this, we must prioritize the most impacted communities and hear their demands and needs across all areas during this budget process,” reads the statement.
According to CBS New York, the Police Benevolent Association criticized the move, saying: “For decades, every time a city agency failed at its task, the city’s answer was to take the job away and give it to the NYPD. If the City Council wants to give responsibilities back to those failing agencies, that’s their choice. But they will bear the blame for every new victim, for every New Yorker in need of help who falls through the cracks. They won’t be able to throw cops under the bus anymore.”
The move comes as protesters continue to flood the streets, demanding police reform following the death of George Floyd by the hands of Minneapolis police. In response, the city councils in Minneapolis and San Francisco are also pushing to slash police budgets.
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From delayed deceleration to Zooming
On Nov. 21, 2019, the sun had set just a couple of hours before on an unseasonably warm day, and Jacqueline Thomas PhD ’20 found herself sitting on the edge of her seat in a typical meeting room in the William J. Hughes Technical Center, part of the Federal Aviation Administration, in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Thomas, a graduate student in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AeroAstro) at MIT, focused intently in front of a small monitor, her eyes fixed on the black screen illuminated by a white outline of the U.S. East Coast and the small, neon green dot that showed the Boeing 777 commercial airplane, which had flown nearly nine hours from Frankfurt, Germany, and was just about to land at Atlantic City International Airport. The last three minutes of this flight were crucial, and it was exactly the moment Thomas had been waiting for.
Accompanied by her advisor, R. John Hansman, professor of aeronautics and director of the MIT International Center for Air Transportation, Thomas felt her heart pounding as she monitored the data the plane generated as it landed in real time, which she checked simultaneously against her predicted outcomes based on her computational model. These final moments of this particular aircraft’s journey would determine if the model that formed a significant portion of her graduate thesis worked in the real world. And it did.
“We waited all day for these final three minutes, and as we watched the plane land through the monitor, my advisor John kept asking if the plane was doing what I expected it to, and it was! Even though I predicted it, it was still surprising,” says Thomas. “I knew the science was sound, I knew the math was sound, but even when everything is going as planned and you are actually seeing it happening with your own eyes, it’s still surreal.”
Just a few short months earlier, Thomas proposed her idea for a “delayed deceleration approach” to Boeing under their ecoDemonstrator (ecoD) program. Essentially, the Boeing ecoD acts as a “bench-to-bedside” innovation accelerator, inviting researchers to pitch novel concepts to improve aviation safety and efficiency that solve real-world challenges for aviation and the environment, where they are tested in real aircraft to demonstrate feasibility. Thomas’ proposal outlined a new flight procedure for pilots to follow while landing that improves aircraft performance around two major challenges the airline is currently facing: carbon emissions and noise pollution.
According to a report released in October 2019 by the Environmental Protection Agency, air travel currently accounts for nearly 2.5 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions, and it is increasing at a much faster rate than initially anticipated. In addition to the negative environmental impact, the increase in the number of commercial flights has increased the number of noise complaints from citizens who live along flight trajectories beyond the jurisdiction of noise regulations, which are typically localized to the areas immediately surrounding airports. The pressure is on for airline companies to work quickly to address these issues, and Thomas proposed a concept that decreased the noise and emissions of existing aircraft without having to modify the aircraft itself, which could be a cost-effective way for airlines to mitigate these issues.
“As soon as a plane is built, it’s hard to change its function. It will generate noise no matter what state it’s in,” says Thomas. “I chose to approach the problem like an integrated system — if you can change the input, you can change the output. In other words, if you can’t change the aircraft itself (the function), you can change how it’s flown (the inputs).”
Using this idea, Thomas built a computational framework to analyze aircraft noise and measure the impact of making changes to the operational flight procedure. For her analysis, the inputs included how all of the aircraft components move and interact to generate noise, as well as flight performance data, which accounts for how the aircraft generates noise at different points as it moves through its environment, such as when it accelerates or slows down. The output from this framework was a full-scope overflight noise model, which was then analyzed against community data to paint a clear picture of how making tweaks to the inputs would impact the noise pollution in surrounding communities.
“What resulted from this framework was my concept for the delayed deceleration approach, a new flight procedure where the aircraft remains cleanly configured for as long as possible during approach, meaning the flaps, slats, and landing gear remain upright for as long as possible,” says Thomas. “When the aircraft has a clean configuration, it is more aerodynamic, creating less drag and allowing it to maintain engines at a lower power setting for longer duration in the flight. As a result, the plane burns less fuel, decreasing carbon emissions, and generates less noise for the community on the ground.”
Under the ecoD program, Thomas handed her procedure over to Boeing engineers in Seattle, Washington, who communicated it to the crew throughout the flight via a chat feed that Thomas and Hansman could see on the monitor, along with the plane’s location. Immediately following the landing, the all-women flight crew joined Thomas, Hansman, and the group of Boeing engineers and administrators from the ecoD program for a debrief.
“The pilots reported they felt very comfortable with the procedure, and didn’t experience any flyability issues. When the models say that it works and has all of these benefits, and the pilots say ‘yes, we can fly this,’ and a commercial plane actually flies the procedure and matches the predictions from the models, then it really shows that we can do this, and we should because it’s a win-win for everyone,” says Thomas. “My goal for the future is to make this a standard flight procedure, which means I need to keep working on refining this process so we can scale it up in a way that makes sense to implement in real airlines operating today.”
After nearly six years and countless hours spent at the computer in the lab, this was an extraordinary opportunity for a graduate student; it can take years to put together a flight test, and thanks to the Boeing ecoD program, this test came together in a matter of a few months. It was the perfect way to begin winding down her final year at MIT.
With the excitement of the ecoDemonstrator behind her, Thomas set her sights on preparing for one of the biggest milestones in a graduate student’s career: the thesis defense. Typically, this rite of passage is a celebratory one that comes after months of coordinating busy thesis committee schedules and practicing presentations backward and forward. Thomas was also in the process of job hunting, interviewing for academic positions in between putting the finishing touches on her thesis presentation. And then the coronavirus hit. As the pandemic and MIT’s response to it rapidly unfolded, campus closures, travel restrictions, and stay-at-home orders snapped the public health crisis into focus. Everything became a scramble as Thomas watched months of planning go out the window, and she knew she would have to improvise quickly.
“I had to move my defense online, and my internet at home is really sketchy, so I was terrified,” says Thomas. “It was weird not worrying about the typical things you would normally worry about before a thesis defense, like wondering if my presentation was good enough. I was more nervous about needing to defend my thesis by holding my phone up to my face.”
Thomas submitted a formal request to MIT to use one of the few classrooms that remained open on campus by appointment only to defend her thesis. Instead of defending her thesis to a room full of people, she was in an empty room on a Zoom call, where she could only see five attendees at any given time. When she finished her presentation and answered all of the questions from her thesis committee, she was asked to log off of the Zoom call, where she sat in silence in the cavernous room, alone. Five minutes later, she received a congratulatory phone call, and just like that, she was a doctor.
“It was bizarre. Normally you are with other people to talk to and celebrate with, but I was just in a room by myself, and there was no one else at MIT,” says Thomas. “One of the cool things about holding my defense virtually was that my friend in Japan logged in to watch, even though it was 2 a.m. his time. But my fiancé, who is also studying aerospace as a grad student at Georgia Tech, wanted to come be with me for my defense, but we decided together that with the safety measures asking visitors from out-of-state to self-quarantine, it just wasn’t possible.”
Thomas, like many graduate students, lived in an off-campus apartment with a roommate, a postdoc at a neighboring university, who had only recently moved in. Since graduate students and postdocs spend so much time on campus, this is a typical living arrangement. Many graduate students attend school far from home, so the stay-at-home order can be particularly isolating, especially when you are living with a near-perfect stranger without work to focus on.
Since turning in her thesis, Thomas kept busy with early-morning runs around the Charles River, refreshing her Japanese and Spanish-speaking vocabulary, catching up on TV shows she'd fallen behind on while dealing with the demands of graduate school, and trying to maintain glimmers of normalcy, such as attending regular church services (albeit virtually). While exciting career opportunities are on the horizon, many other personal plans, like her wedding date, are at a standstill as we remain in the grip of uncertainty at the mercy of a global pandemic.
“It feels like I’m in a limbo state, because my work is pretty much done and I’m just waiting for the next chapter to start, which feels like it’s taking longer than usual because so much of it is spent alone,” says Thomas.
For Thomas, one of the more difficult aspects she is grappling with is the abrupt ending of her time at MIT. As a first-generation college student, Thomas’ family had set aside money for the major expense of traveling to experience MIT Commencement with her, and it was tough to watch her families’ travel plans, and the hard-earned money put toward them, evaporate.
“Grad school is hard, but looking back, you realize how much you grew throughout the experience, and I wanted to tip my hat to MIT when I left,” says Thomas. “This is my sixth year here, and it’s a long time to be involved at a place and then suddenly, it leaves you within three days. I think the hardest thing for me has been this lack of closure. It’s like a severed connection.”
Thomas is hopeful for the future. She will become a member of the faculty at her alma mater, the University of California at Irvine, where she will teach and continue her work on aircraft noise mitigation and pursue exciting new directions studying electric aircraft. She also hopes for future events that could bring the Class of 2020 back on campus to say a proper goodbye — once it is safe to do so.
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Wendy’s set on fire after police killing of Rayshard Brooks
The Wendy’s in Atlanta where Rayshard Brooks was shot and killed by police was set on fire Saturday evening.
Fox 5 Atlanta reported that as protests continued over the death of Brooks in the officer-involved shooting, the fast-food restaurant was set ablaze after 9:30 PM.
READ MORE: Black man dies after being shot in back by Atlanta police in Wendy’s parking lot on video
According to reporter Courtney Bryant, the fire started after demonstrators broke windows and set fireworks off inside the establishment. As of publishing, there have been no reported arrests.
Demonstrators have broken windows, set off a firework inside the Wendy’s where #RayshardBrooks was shot and killed by police. https://t.co/Gpji4sVuxd
— Courtney Bryant (@CourtneyDBryant) June 14, 2020
Alex Whittler, another journalist at Fox 5 Atlanta, was also at the scene. She described having to walk away from the incident to ensure her own safety.
“I had to step away for my own safety but here is a look at rioters right before they lit a firework in the Wendy’s where #atlantapolice shot and killed #RayshardBrooks,” she tweeted.
There goes @Wendys on University Ave.
I had to step away for my own safety but here is a look at rioters right before they lit a firework in the Wendy’s where #atlantapolice shot and killed #RayshardBrooks @FOX5Atlanta pic.twitter.com/rR0XdDkaBk
— Alex Whittler (@AlexWhittler) June 14, 2020
According to 11 Alive, firefighters were challenged when called to respond to the fire as protesters blocked their way to the scene, however once able to come in they have worked to contain the blaze.
Atlanta has again engaged in civil unrest. After weeks of protesting the police-involved death of George Floyd in Minneapolis and the outrage provoked by the assault by officers on two Atlanta University Students, the city is up in arms again. This time the protest is in response to the killing of Brooks on Friday and the footage of his death going viral on social media.
According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Brooks was shot after he ran away from two officers who attempted to detain him. The police were called on him after employees of the fast-food restaurant alleged that a man was asleep in the drive-thru, blocking other cars. After administering a sobriety test, the police proceeded to arrest the motorist after he failed.
READ MORE: New video shows moment Atlanta police fatally shot Rayshard Brooks
As seen in the video of the arrest, a skirmish between Brooks and officers took place for nearly half a minute. Brooks managed to break free from the officers and tried to run from the scene. One officer then Tased him. As Brooks continued to run away, three gunshots were fired into his back.
Brooks was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital but died during surgery. The video was captured by a citizen in a car of Wendy’s parking lot.
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced on Saturday that Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields resigned following Brooks’ death. Deputy Chief Rodney Bryant will now serve the interim chief. However, that has not been enough accountability for those who have protested the latest encounter between a Black man and the police.
Protestors blocked lanes on I-85 in Atlanta Saturday night. In response, police blocked ramps on I-85 to prevent protesters from getting onto the interstate.
#BREAKING Protesters have shut down I-85 near University ave, the highway that stretches over the Wendy’s where #RayshardBrooks was shot and killed @fox5atlanta pic.twitter.com/UxzLzpF5Ym
— Alex Whittler (@AlexWhittler) June 14, 2020
ATLANTA: We’ve taken over the ENTIRE interstate 75! No traffic is moving! What did you think we meant, when we said #NoJusticeNoPeace? We’re NOT done! ##RayshardBrooks #GeorgeFloyd #BreonnaTaylor #AmaudArbery & so many others! pic.twitter.com/LhddrgSik7
— Jerome Trammel (@MrJeromeTrammel) June 14, 2020
They were not swayed by the official accounts provided by Deputy Chief Timothy Peek. According to Peek, the officers’ use of the Tasers did not stop the escalation of aggression between them and Brooks.
“I guess he was trying to clear it up, it was just all the stories were conflicting, none of it made sense, it was like they were trying to cover up something,” one protestor described.
District 3 Councilman Antonio Brown asked the protestors and others to reserve judgment.
“What’s important is information is being properly disseminated about what has occurred,” Brown said. “There’s misinformation that’s given that sparks an outrage.”
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Tennessee Karen who blocked Black women from residential pool is on disciplinary leave
A Tennessee Karen apartment complex employee got “fired” after assuming a Black resident did not have permission to the swimming pool, The Atlanta Black Star reported.
On Tuesday at the Knox Ridge Apartments in Knoxville, a Black resident and two her friends were prohibited from using the swimming pool by a white employee who stood by the doorway.
Both of the Black residents and white employee names are not public, but one of the Black women filmed a series of herself arguing to a white employee whose face is visible.
READ MORE: White women say calling them ‘Karen’ is a slur, Black Twitter sounds off
Me and my friends were just racially profiled at KnoxRidge pool. Don’t go there. This woman automatically assumed that we didn’t live there and stopped us before we could go inside. But she continued to let in other white residents. pic.twitter.com/8IXBfOTR2i
— E 🦋 (@royaal_e) June 9, 2020
— E 🦋 (@royaal_e) June 9, 2020
When the tweet went viral, Knox Ridge Apartments respond by saying it has placed its “employee on disciplinary leave.”
Knox Ridge is aware of the incident that occurred [yesterday] involving a staff member and resident. We have placed the employee on disciplinary leave while we review this matter further. As a community, we have
— Knox Ridge (@KnoxRidge) June 10, 2020
“We are aware of this incident and we are reviewing the situation,” Knox Ridge tweeted. “We apologize to the community and the resident for the harm that this has caused.”
READ MORE: White woman who hit Black teens at pool gets fired after arrest goes viral
The Black woman filming the video stated she has been subleasing an apartment and paying rent since March, but Karen insisted that residents were not allowed to bring guests.
Although being on disciplinary leave, while the company is reviewing the matter, is not quite the same as getting fired, the video shows the Karen in question allowing a fellow white woman into the pool without hesitation.
When confronted why Karen did not stop the white woman from similarly entering the pool, she said, “I know everybody that lives here,” and that she knew the other white woman for two years.
When asked why Karen did not simply ask if the three Black women were residents as opposed to contending them as outsiders, the white employee remained silent.
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Here’s what to know about new interim Atlanta police chief Rodney Bryant
Atlanta police chief Erika Shields stepped down from her post as a 27-year-old Black man named Rayshard Brooks was murdered on her watch by one of her own officers.
READ MORE: New video shows moment Atlanta police fatally shot Rayshard Brooks
While her resignation was swift, as to signal the city’s commitment to police reform, her leadership position within the Atlanta police department will not be vacant. The mayor has announced that Deputy Chief Rodney Bryant will now serve the interim chief.
But many are wondering, “Who exactly is Atlanta’s new top cop?”
Bryant is a highly respected officer within the ranks, who has thus far, served his community well.
According to 11 Alive News, he joined the Atlanta Police Department in 1988 and held the title of Peace Officer. He remained in that job until going to college to advance his career.
A graduate of Georgia State University, he received his Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice. He followed up with a Master of Science in Administration from Central Michigan University.
According to Bryant’s LinkedIn, he became Police Deputy Chief for the city of Atlanta in 2015 and served in that capacity before advancing to Assistant Chief of Police in 2017. His official title before this most recent appointment, according to the social media site, is Police Executive Commander in the City of Atlanta.
He also headed up the department’s Community Service Division. According to Atlanta’s municipal website, this particular division is responsible for “coordinating and facilitating community-oriented policing principles, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport police functions, Special Operations, and Code Enforcement Section operations.”
READ MORE: Atlanta police chief resigns after shooting of Rayshard Brooks
While Bryant has invested in the Atlanta community, he’s also earned national acclaim.
In 2016, he was named Sergeant-at-Arms for the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE).
Bryant believed it to be a “distinct honor” to serve the nation’s most brave and devoted Black officers who serve on thousands of police forces across the country.
@atlanta_police officers and Assistant Chief Rodney Bryant joined @ArtForceFive and @NFLFilms along with @DalvinTomlinson, Kenyon Drake and our At-Promise youth this week to honor the first eight African-American officers of @CityofAtlanta. The painted tiles look incredible! pic.twitter.com/K3BRD2ugbZ
— Atlanta Police Fdn (@atlpolicefdn) January 31, 2019
He shared, “NOBLE is making a positive impact on the law enforcement community and I’m proud to be an active member of this great organization.”
Faith Abubéy, an award-winning journalist for NBC 11-Alive in Atlanta shares a little more about Bryant’s career in law enforcement in a tweet. She posts, “Here’s what we know about the new/interim police chief in Atlanta: Rodney Bryant, until today, he was in the corrections department. He was responsible for ‘the overall operation and direction of the Atlanta City Detention Center.’”
Here’s what we know about the new/interim police chief in Atlanta:
Rodney Bryant, until today, he was in the corrections department. He was responsible for “the overall operation and direction of the Atlanta City Detention Center.”— Faith Abubéy (@ReporterFaith) June 13, 2020
READ MORE: Prominent Atlanta leaders react to the police shooting of Rayshard Brooks
Bryant will serve as the interim chief while Mayor Lance Bottom and city officials engage in a nationwide search for a permanent hire.
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Prominent Atlanta leaders react to the police shooting of Rayshard Brooks
While companies like Bloomingdale’s and Cadillac are sharing notes on social media about how much Black lives matter to them, their words are falling on deaf ears as the reality of police-involved violence continues to plague African-Americans.
READ MORE: New video shows moment Atlanta police fatally shot Rayshard Brooks
This is especially true in Atlanta, as another Black man’s death at the hands of police has been caught on camera. Now, some of the city’s most prominent leaders are speaking out regarding his death.
On Friday, June 12, 27-year-old Rayshard Brooks was fatally shot in a Wendy’s parking lot by an Atlanta policeman.
According to reports, Brooks fell asleep in a Wendy’s drive-through and had difficulty passing a field sobriety test. While the information remains murky, he allegedly snatched the officer’s Taser and pointed it towards him as he ran away and at that point, Brooks was shot.
READ MORE: Cousin of Rayshard Brooks says he thought Atlanta was better than this
New video released by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation details the moments before Brooks’ death, giving the public a clearer view of exactly what happened.
The footage is graphic and heartbreaking and this latest police killing adds to the already tense spirit in the city. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, many of its leaders have responded in efforts to keep the peace and to express their condolences.
“There are no words strong enough to express how sincerely sorry I am for your loss.” Atlanta’s mayor, Keisha Lance Bottoms, said in a statement to the victim’s family.
“I do hope that you will find some comfort in the swift actions that have been taken today and the meaningful reforms that our city will implement on behalf of the countless men and women who have lost their lives across this country.”
Rev. James Woodall, the state’s NAACP president said, “There was nothing [that Brooks did] that was deserving of death. … Our message to the world right now, in this moment, is not only are we done dying but we will hold elected officials accountable for their actions and their silence.”
Woodall took to Twitter to directly call the mayor and the police chief out after the murder. In a series of tweets, he questioned if the city’s leadership was going to take action to eradicate police violence or was just paying lip service to it.
He tweeted, “The same leaders who rushed to call out young people for “tearing up Wakanda” have been ironically silent during the aftermath of #RayshardBrooks’ murder. #WeHearYou”
The same leaders who rushed to call out young people for “tearing up Wakanda” have been ironically silent during the aftermath of #RayshardBrooks’ murder. #WeHearYou
— James “Major” Woodall (@iMajorWish) June 13, 2020
“PS: Atlanta is not some magical city named Wakanda. Real people live here. The dehumanizing inequality, poverty, and police brutality is REAL.”
But Woodall also retweeted to his followers the subsequent update from the mayor’s office, after the police chief stepped down when the video was released.
BREAKING: @KeishaBottoms announces that now former @Atlanta_Police Chief Erika Shields has resigned and called for officers involved in #RayshardBrooks’ murder to be terminated. #GaPol
— Georgia NAACP (@Georgia_NAACP) June 13, 2020
The AJC also shared remarks from Georgia congresswoman, Rep. Lucy McBath, where she said, “[This] is a historical reckoning moment for America. … We must be fully committed, not fair-weathered.”
Rep. McBath has been vocal about gun violence and police-involved killings since her son, Jordan Davis, was murdered in 2012. A civilian, Micheal David Dunn, shot him at a Jacksonville, Florida gas station in a dispute over the volume of music playing in a car Davis was a passenger in.
McBath’s passion and advocacy around hate crimes and police violence helped her earn a seat in Congress in 2018.
Former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, said to be on the short list for Democratic nominee Joe Biden’s VP, spoke out on Brooks’ killing as well.
READ MORE: Atlanta police chief resigns after fatal shooting of Rayshard Brooks
In a tweet, she succinctly sums up what so many people have struggled to find words to express:
“The killing of #RayshardBrooks in Atlanta last night demands we severely restrict the use of deadly force. Yes, investigations must be called for – but so too should accountability. Sleeping in a drive-thru must not end in death.”
The killing of #RayshardBrooks in Atlanta last night demands we severely restrict the use of deadly force. Yes, investigations must be called for – but so too should accountability.
Sleeping in a drive-thru must not end in death. https://t.co/LKsiwA48Ll
— Stacey Abrams (@staceyabrams) June 13, 2020
Abrams also tweeted that: “A taser is not a deadly weapon. A gun is. Adrenaline and irritation are not the same as mortal fear. Running away should not be punishable by death. Public safety must mean the public is safe.”
A taser is not a deadly weapon. A gun is.
Adrenaline and irritation are not the same as mortal fear.
Running away should not be punishable by death.
Public safety must mean the public is safe. All of us.#BlackLivesMatter #AtlantaShooting #RayshardBrooks
— Stacey Abrams (@staceyabrams) June 13, 2020
While these local leaders have spoken, the president of the United States, Donald Trump, has not. Instead, he tweeted this morning:
“Make America is Great Again.”
MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 13, 2020
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Cousin of Rayshard Brooks says he thought Atlanta was better than this
In his best attempt to fight back his tears, one of Rayshard Brooks‘ family members thought a police officer shooting unarmed Black man would have never happened to one of his own.
The cousin of Brooks, a victim of a police shooting at a Wendy’s on University Ave. in Atlanta late Friday, spoke out how he never thought this would happen to his family, 11 Alive reported.
While the man did not identify his real name to reporters, he refers himself as Rayshard Brooks because, in his opinion, “that should be every black man’s name here in our city.”
“I don’t know how to do this, because I never knew I was going to have to do this,” Brooks’ cousin said. “I watched this on the internet, from the whole George Floyd situation to coming together like we’re doing, and this whole thing landed on my doorstep,” he said.
https://youtu.be/1nN3nfwP3rg
“I thought Atlanta was higher than that; I thought we were bigger than that,” he added.
Brooks’ cousin said he is protesting to spread awareness of Brooks’ untimely dismay. He told 11 Alive that he had seen many young Black men dying in vain, which motivates him to keep fighting for justice.
“You would think at this point, this would be over,” he said. “It seems like this is never gonna stop. I don’t want this on my doorstep like this. I’d rather be back behind that computer watching. I didn’t think it was going to hit right here.”
Brooks’ cousin mentioned getting lawyers involved.
Brooks was shot and killed by police after he failed a sobriety test at a Wendy’s drive-thru. According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Vic Reynolds, Brooks pointed a taser at the police, prompting one of them to shot him.
READ MORE: Stacey Abrams: Atlanta cops should be held accountable for Rayshard Brooks death
His death is sparking national attention, and it is getting comparisons to George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery. Georgia Democrat Stacey Abrams is calling for better investigation.
Reynold said, although it appears that Brooks had a taser while fleeing the scene, the GBI has not “digitally enhanced that video yet,” according to USA Today.
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You About to Lose Your Job: TV Stars Learn the Hard Way That Racism Doesn’t Pay
It’s been a busy week for some of the country’s biggest television networks, putting their money where their mouth is when it comes to maintaining their professed values of diversity and inclusion. A handful of stars learned this week that an apology is not enough when it comes to their misdeeds and were instead fired after their acts of racism came to light.
The week started with the firing of actor Hartley Sawyer, who has been a regular cast member on the last few seasons of The CW superhero series The Flash. Old tweets of his had resurfaced in recent weeks that were racist, misogynistic, and homophobic.
Hartley Sawyer, you have been exposed… pic.twitter.com/ig5VBXoZmK
— Skai Jackson (@skaijackson) June 5, 2020
Executive Producer Eric Wallace, who is Black, tweeted that The Flash is a show for all families, including Black and Brown ones, and that he would “continue to find Black and Brown writers, directors, actors and producers of all genders to help tell FLASH stories. Their stories are part of the American narrative, too, and must be heard. And the more you hear and see us, the more you begin to recognize one simple fact: We’re human beings, too.”
Bravo reality show Vanderpump Rules was practically cleaning house this week. The show let go of four of its stars on Tuesday for separate acts of racism.
The most well-known of the bunch, social media influencer and Kylie Jenner bestie Stassi Schroeder, had her partnerships with shaving brand Billie and vitamin brand Ritual cancelled, her wedding column with Glamour discontinued, and was dropped by her talent agency and PR firm, according to Page Six. Schroeder and her fellow fired castmate Kristen Doute had called the police multiple times on former co-star Faith Stowers, the only Black cast member of Vanderpump Rules, for crimes she had nothing to do with.
The show also let go of Max Boyens and Brett Caprioni for past racist tweets from 2011-2012 that resurfaced in January, according to the New York Post.
MTV also had multiple reality stars to deal with, and again Twitter and racism proved to be a losing combination. Teen Mom OG star Taylor Selfridge’s new special Teen Mom OG at Home: Cory & Taylor’s Baby Special was pulled on Tuesday because of past tweets that she’s previously apologized for, although US Weekly reports that Selfridge says the decision to leave the franchise was hers.
Meanwhile, over on The Challenge, past winner Dee Nguyen stirred up new controversy with her posts and comments on Blackout Tuesday. The MTV show tweeted that it would air the current season, on which she appears, as planned but that it was severing ties with her.
THIS IS NOT HOW YOU SUPPORT BLM. I’m disgusted and disappointed. THIS IS NOT A TREND. THIS IS LIFE OR DEATH FOR US. Posting for clout about the death of black people? Shame on you @deenguyenMTV pic.twitter.com/pAw4KQKy30
— Bayleigh Dayton (@BayleighDaily) June 7, 2020
The firings seem to be picking up steam from last week, when Lifetime cut ties with Dance Moms star Abby Lee Miller after the mother of one her former dance competitors shared the racism her child had faced on the show.
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