An Atlanta police officer shot and killed a man at a Wendy’s drive-thru Friday night after he resisted arrest and struggled for an officer’s Taser, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said in a statement. Officials have identified the man as 27-year-old Rayshard Brooks of Atlanta.
The GBI identified the slain man as Rayshard Brooks, 27, of Atlanta, who was African American.
Witnesses provided video to investigators, the GBI said on Twitter.
“The GBI is aware that there is video posted on social media captured by witnesses in this incident. We are reviewing the video & the early investigative information in this case. We’ll provide an update as soon as we can,” the tweet said.
A press release from the agency said Atlanta police were called to a Wendy’s drive-thru late Friday night after receiving a complaint that the driver of a vehicle in the drive-thru had fallen asleep, forcing customers to drive around him. When police arrived around 10:30 p.m. they performed a sobriety test on the man, later identified as Rayshard Brooks.
According to police, Brooks failed the test and then resisted arrest. He allegedly struggled with officers outside the fast-food restaurant.
“A field sobriety test was performed on the male subject. After failing the test, the officers attempted to place the male subject into custody,” reads the press release. “During the arrest, the male subject resisted and a struggle ensued. The officer deployed a Taser.”
Brooks was allegedly shot after he took an officer’s taser. The officer who fired the fatal shot has not been identified.
“Witnesses report that during the struggle the male subject grabbed and was in possession of the Taser. It has also been reported that the male subject was shot by an officer in the struggle over the Taser,” according to the GBI statement.
Brooks was taken to a local hospital where he died after surgery, according to the GBI. One officer was treated for an injury and discharged from the hospital.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that Brooks’ death marks the 48th officer-involved shooting the GBI has been asked to investigate this year alone.
The agency said it “will continue its independent investigation” into the incident, adding, “once completed, the case will be turned over to the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office for review.”
Howard, the district attorney, issued a statement Friday afternoon.”My office has already launched an intense, independent investigation of the incident,” Howard said. “Members of the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office were on scene shortly after the shooting, and we have been in investigative sessions ever since to identify all of the facts and circumstances surrounding this incident.”
