Death Penalty News

(ATLANTA) — An attorney for former Atlanta police officer Garrett Rolfe is questioning Fulton County District Attorney Paul L. Howard Jr.’s decision to charge his client in the shooting death of Rayshard Brooks before the Georgia Bureau of Investigations could finish its investigation. In an interview with ABC News, Rolfe’s criminal defense attorney, Lance LoRusso, said the charges against Rolfe were rushed and questioned why they came before the Georgia Bureau of Investigations handed over its findings. “In this case, the city of Atlanta had an officer involved shooting,” LoRusso said. “They contacted the Georgia Bureau of Investigations. Typically they return those results in 60 to 90 days, and for some reason Mr. Howard, who is under investigation by the GBI, decided that he wasn’t going to wait for their investigation.” Shortly after the charges were announced, the GBI released a statement that read, “We were not consulted on the charges filed by the District Attorne...

Donald Trump has defended the police officer who shot dead Rayshard Brooks in Atlanta, as a number of officers called in sick after their colleague was charged with murder. Garrett Rolfe, a white officer, shot Brooks, who is black, twice in the back as Brooks pointed a police Taser stun gun in his direction while running away.  Rolfe faces 11 charges over the killing. A significant number of officers did not show up for work on Wednesday night, the city’s police department said. Atlanta’s mayor suggested the city may have to call in officers from other jurisdictions. Brooks’s death has prompted protests in the city and elsewhere as it emerged that Brooks, 27, was 18ft from Rolfe, and running away, when he pointed the Taser – which prosecutors say Rolfe knew was not functional – before being shot. The protests over Brooks’s death have added to demonstrations against racism and police brutality across the country following the death of George Floyd in Minneapol...

ATLANTA (AP) — Atlanta police officers called out sick to protest the filing of murder charges against an officer who shot a man in the back, while the interim chief acknowledged members of the force feel abandoned amid protests demanding massive changes to policing. Interim Chief Rodney Bryant told The Associated Press in an interview that the sick calls began Wednesday night and continued Thursday, but said the department had sufficient staff to protect the city. It’s not clear how many officers called out. “Some are angry. Some are fearful. Some are confused on what we do in this space. Some may feel abandoned,” Bryant said of the officers. “But we are there to assure them that we will continue to move forward and get through this.” Prosecutors brought felony murder and other charges against Garrett Rolfe, a white officer who shot Rayshard Brooks after the 27-year-old black man grabbed a Taser during a struggle and ran, firing it at the officer, Fulton County Distric...

Prosecutors across the country are defying traditionally cozy relationships with police departments, swiftly charging officers with murder, assault and other crimes following protests over the death of George Floyd and dropping charges against demonstrators. Even just a few years ago, when protests erupted over the killings of other black men by police, officers were rarely arrested for suspected criminal acts during the demonstrations. It's been rare to charge police with crimes in the death of civilians, and winning a conviction is harder. But the tide may be turning, led by progressive prosecutors pressing for criminal justice reforms to better hold police accountable for wrongdoing. “Prosecutors realize that they’re being watched,” said Mark Dupree Sr., district attorney for Kansas’ Wyandotte County, which includes Kansas City. “My hope is that this is a change and that we are turning a tide.” On Wednesday, Fulton County prosecutors charged Atlanta officer Ga...

The former Atlanta police officer who fatally shot a black man as he ran away with the officer's Taser last week has been charged with murder, Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard announced Wednesday.  Garrett Rolfe, who was fired after the killing of 27-year-old Rayshard Brooks, faces 11 criminal charges, including felony murder. If convicted of the murder charge, Rolfe could face the death penalty or life in prison without parole. RELATED |  Atlanta officer fired after fatal shooting of black man at Wendy's drive-thru Howard, speaking to reporters Wednesday, said prosecutors reviewed eight videos of the shooting and spoke with 10 witnesses and determined that Brooks "did not pose an immediate threat of death or serious physical injury" to the officers.  The district attorney said the officers failed to provide "timely" medical attention to Brooks for two minutes after he was shot and that Rolfe kicked Brooks as he was lying on t...

ATLANTA (AP) — An Atlanta police officer was fired following the fatal shooting of a black man and another officer was placed on administrative duty, the police department announced early Sunday. The moves follows the Saturday resignation of Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields, who stepped down as the Friday night killing of Rayshard Brooks, 27, sparked a new wave of protests in Atlanta after turbulent demonstrations following the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police had simmered down. The terminated officer was identified as Garrett Rolfe, who was hired in October 2013, and the officer placed on administrative duty is Devin Brosnan, who was hired in September 2018, according to a release from police spokesperson Sgt. John Chafee. The police department also released body camera and dash camera footage from both officers. More than 40 minutes elapses between the time Brosnan first knocks on Brooks' car door while he's in Wendy's drive-th...