ATLANTA police officer Devin Brosnan turned himself in on Thursday, and called the shooting death of Rayshard Brooks “a total tragedy.” Here is more on the officer and the events that took place on June 12 outside of a Wendy’s restaurant in Georgia. Who is Devin Brosnan? Brosnan was at the scene last week when […]
ATLANTA police officer Devin Brosnan turned himself in on Thursday, and called the shooting death of Rayshard Brooks “a total tragedy.”
Here is more on the officer and the events that took place on June 12 outside of a Wendy’s restaurant in Georgia.
Brosnan was at the scene last week when Brooks was fatally shot by fellow officer Garrett Rolfe.
Rolfe was fired and hit with multiple criminal charges, including felony murder.
Brosnan, who has been reassigned, told MSNBC that it was a “total tragedy that a man had to lose his life that night.”
Brooks was shot in the back outside the fast-food restaurant following a confrontation with officers.
The 27-year-old Brooks had fallen asleep at the Wendy’s drive-thru.
Brooks was shot after he grabbed a Taser during a struggle and ran, according to prosecutors.
He was on probation when the deadly encounter took place and had previously served time behind bars.
Brooks had been celebrating his 8-year-old daughter’s birthday in an arcade hours before his death.
He leaves behind two other daughters, ages 3 and 1, and a 13-year-old stepson.
Protests have raged in Atlanta after his death, and the Wendy’s where he was shot was set on fire.
He was shot several weeks after George Floyd‘s death in Minneapolis sparked unrest across the country.
Brosnan told MSNBC that “I was really just there to see what I could do for him and make sure he was safe.”
However, he is accused of standing on Brooks’ shoulder as he lay dying.
“Literally for a matter of seconds – seconds – he puts a foot on his arm to make sure he can’t grab a weapon,” his lawyer Don Samuel told MSNBC.
“Then he realizes what’s going on … He was not standing on his shoulders.”
Samuel added: “He certainly rendered aid as fast as he could.”
“Officer Brosnan, with a concussion, is the only one – not the other officers to show up – who actually starts rendering aid and doing CPR.”
Brosnan has been charged with aggravated assault and violation of his oath in connection with Brooks’ death.
Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard said Brosnan has agreed to testify against Rolfe as a “state’s witness.”
“We are being fully cooperative,” Samuel told MSNBC.
“We’re going to answer all the questions that they have.
“But he’s not a ‘state’s witness,’ he’s not a defense witness.
“He’s a witness … He’s not cooperating against anybody.
“He’s going to provide accurate information about what happened.”
Brosnan said: “I have full faith in the criminal justice system.”
“I’m looking forward to cooperating with any investigators who are interested in having a conversation about what happened that night.”
Brosnan was reassigned by the department after the shooting.
