Protesters burn down Wendy's in Atlanta after police shooting

By Brad Brooks and Dan Whitcomb

 

People watch as a Wendy’s burns following a rally against racial inequality and the police shooting death of Rayshard Brooks, in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. June 13, 2020. REUTERS/Elijah Nouvelage

 

(Reuters) - Protesters shut down a major highway in Atlanta on Saturday and burned down a Wendy's restaurant where a black man was shot dead by police as he tried to escape arrest, an incident likely to fuel more nationwide tensions over race and police tactics.

 

The restaurant was in flames for more than 45 minutes before fire crews arrived to extinguish the blaze, protected by a line of police officers, local television showed. By that time the building was reduced to charred rubble next to a gas station.

 

Other demonstrators marched onto Interstate-75, stopping traffic, before police used a line of squad cars to hold them back.

 

The city's police chief, Erika Shields, resigned earlier on Saturday over the shooting on Friday night of 27-year-old Rayshard Brooks, which was captured on video.

 

The police department has fired the officer who allegedly shot and killed Brooks, police spokesman Carlos Campos said late on Saturday. Another officer involved in the incident was put on administrative leave. Both of the officers were white.

 

Brooks' death followed weeks of demonstrations in major cities across the United States sparked by the death of George Floyd, an African American who died on May 25 after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes while detaining him.

 

The Atlanta officer fired after Friday's incident was identified by the police department as Garrett Rolfe, who joined the department in October 2013. The officer placed on administrative duty is Devin Bronsan, who was hired in September 2018.

 

Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said she had accepted the prompt resignation of police chief Shields.

 

"I do not believe that this was a justified use of deadly force and have called for the immediate termination of the officer," Bottoms said at an afternoon news conference.

 

Brooks was the father of a young daughter who was celebrating her birthday on Saturday, his lawyers said.

 

Near the scene of the shooting, street protests began on Saturday, with more than 100 people calling for the officers to be charged criminally in the case.

 

After Rayshard Brooks was shot dead by police at a Wendy's in Atlanta on Friday, protesters set fire to the restaurant on Saturday night as the incident further inflamed tensions after week of protests. David Doyle reports.

 

PARKING LOT

Friday's shooting came after police were called to the Wendy's over reports that Brooks had fallen asleep in the drive-thru line. Officers attempted to take him into custody after he failed a field sobriety test, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

 

A bystander's video showed Brooks struggling with two officers on the ground outside the Wendy's before breaking free and running across the parking lot with what appears to be a police TASER in his hand.

 

A second videotape from the restaurant's cameras shows Brooks turning as he runs and possibly aiming the TASER at the pursuing officers before one of them fires his gun and Brooks falls to the ground.

 

Brooks ran the length of about six cars when he turned back toward an officer and pointed what he had in his hand at the policeman, Vic Reynolds, director of the GBI, told a press conference.

 

"At that point, the Atlanta officer reaches down and retrieves his weapon from his holster, discharges it, strikes Mr. Brooks there on the parking lot and he goes down," Reynolds said.

 

Lawyers representing the family of Brooks told reporters that Atlanta police had no right to use deadly force even if he had fired the TASER, a non-lethal weapon, in their direction.

 

"You can't shoot somebody unless they are pointing a gun at you," attorney Chris Stewart said.

 

Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard, Jr., said in an emailed statement that his office "has already launched an intense, independent investigation of the incident" while it awaits the findings of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

 

Bottoms said Shields, a white woman appointed police chief in December 2016, would be replaced by deputy chief Rodney Bryant, a black man who will serve as interim chief.

 

(Reporting by Brad Brooks in Austin, Texas; Dan Whitcomb in Los Angeles and Aakriti Bhalla in Bengaluru; Editing by David Gregorio, Sam Holmes, Kim Coghill and Frances Kerry)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-06-15

 

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Yep, that'll teach them, problem solved.

Well, at least the real problem has been addressed. A white female police chief has been replaced by a black police chief. Should definitely solve whatever issues may present themselves in the future. I mean, she was a white person, and she was the police chief. Obviously the only option here is resignation.

No doubt the way to go,those blacks will teach Wendy's  and Atlanta police how not to do it

12 minutes ago, izod10 said:

No doubt the way to go,those blacks will teach Wendy's  and Atlanta police how not to do it

You do realize that Wendy herself was not only a white female, but a freckled one to boot, as such a symbol of white systemic racism. So it's only logical for these peaceful protestors to burn down this Wendy's franchise. Ronald McDonald, white-faced clown that he is, must be quaking in his boots right now.

9 minutes ago, OZinPattaya said:

You do realize that Wendy herself was not only a white female, but a freckled one to boot, as such a symbol of white systemic racism. So it's only logical for these peaceful protestors to burn down this Wendy's franchise. Ronald McDonald, white-faced clown that he is, must be quaking in his boots right now.

The Colonel is also, no doubt 'on the list'.

 

 

8 minutes ago, faraday said:

The Colonel is also, no doubt 'on the list'.

 

 

What about Jack in the Box. Forget about him? Looks like a 'white-power' salute to me . . .

Really, how much more absurd can this get?

16 minutes ago, faraday said:

The Colonel is also, no doubt 'on the list'.

 

 

Probably but I'll bet Church's Chicken is safe.

i guess it won't be a beautiful thing anymore ? 

2 minutes ago, EVENKEEL said:

Probably but I'll bet Church's Chicken is safe.

Nobody's safe . . . Muhahahaha . . . says the BLM. Los Pollos Hermanos? We're comin' after you too, white chickens.

Won't be long before there's no Police left on the East Coast, burn baby burn

 

https://www.theblaze.com/news/minneapolis-police-officers-quit

2 minutes ago, EVENKEEL said:

Won't be long before there's no Police left on the East Coast, burn baby burn

 

https://www.theblaze.com/news/minneapolis-police-officers-quit

Only seven quit? Amazes me there are seven remaining.

Fights the officers, grabs their taser, flees on foot and then stops to aim what's in his hand, maybe the taser, maybe not, at the officers. I would say that's grounds for being shot at.

Seriously, though, Jack in the Box might want to see if they can take down that image given the political climate right now. Could be misinterpreted.

7 minutes ago, Why Me said:

Fights the officers, grabs their taser, flees on foot and then stops to aim what's in his hand, maybe the taser, maybe not, at the officers. I would say that's grounds for being shot at.

The actual report is conveniently short of such dirty details as per usual. We're just supposed to assume not only that the shooting was unjustified but racially motivated as well.

 

I think the police chief resigned before the guy hit the ground.

So much for virtue signaling !!!

 

6 minutes ago, OZinPattaya said:

The actual report is conveniently short of such dirty details as per usual. We're just supposed to assume not only that the shooting was unjustified but racially motivated as well.

 

I think the police chief resigned before the guy hit the ground.

sort of like this headline where they happen to mention the white cop but just say cop for the asian one. it is all getting rather strange. obviously this whole movement is organic and there is nothing but swell intentions.

 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8419707/Video-George-Floyds-murder-shows-cop-Tou-Thao-ignoring-bystanders-pleas-help.html

4 minutes ago, OZinPattaya said:

The actual report is conveniently short of such dirty details as per usual. We're just supposed to assume not only that the shooting was unjustified but racially motivated as well.

 

I think the police chief resigned before the guy hit the ground.

IMO she saw the writing on the wall and was looking for an excuse to get out before she got pushed.

Once the mob acts with immunity and tacit support of the political elite it means bad times coming, and just getting rid of whitey isn't going to improve the lot of blacks. For a living example of life under black rule look at South Africa.

16 minutes ago, Curt1591 said:

So much for virtue signaling !!!

 

Obligatory. Every one of these spineless mercenary corporations are doing the same thing. Protecting their profits. I'd honestly rather buy from the Chinese at this point. I'd really like to think that such shameless pandering will bite these companies in the @ss, but sadly I don't think it will. It has worked quite well for Nike.

Don’t get excited they burnt down 1 Wendy’s hamburger stand to bad the drunk got killed the idiot overpowered 2 cops ran turned around and pointed something at the cop what did you expect if the dude was white it most likely imo would have the same sad outcome I personally support the blm movement but in this case I’d probably reacted the same way a really sad no win situation condolences to the bereaved and to the careers ruined 

57 minutes ago, OZinPattaya said:

Really, how much more absurd can this get?

Much more. The writing is on the wall already. Next will be a major concerted move for "reparations". For this they will rewrite history to portray whites as brutes invading Africa and capturing slaves, slaves who then went on to build the white man's world. The new narrative will state slaves were never traded by blacks, and blacks never took white slaves. So financial reparations are due. It will be something like a 75% one off wealth tax, leaving white families trying to desperately live off the land in abject poverty and legally forced to kneel down to show subservience to blacks driving around in Lambos and Ferraris. Eventually those whites with common sense and drive again become wealthy and all the Lambos are wrapped around a lamp post somewhere and after wasting all their new money on crack and luxuries society will again revert to life as we know it. Rinse and repeat.

 

I'm wondering, do any TVF members think that society is more cohesive and content now that this BLM movement told us we are all racists and took over being our moral guardians and burnt down our cities? It doesn't seem to have been very cathartic from where I'm sitting. Anybody?

1 hour ago, OZinPattaya said:

Really, how much more absurd can this get?

You ain't seen nothing yet

42 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

IMO she saw the writing on the wall and was looking for an excuse to get out before she got pushed.

Once the mob acts with immunity and tacit support of the political elite it means bad times coming, and just getting rid of whitey isn't going to improve the lot of blacks. For a living example of life under black rule look at South Africa.

Especially the white farmers.

Stupid protesters, its ok to protest but never to loot and burn. This company had nothing to do with it. 

3 minutes ago, TopDeadSenter said:

Much more. The writing is on the wall already. Next will be a major concerted move for "reparations". For this they will rewrite history to portray whites as brutes invading Africa and capturing slaves, slaves who then went on to build the white man's world. The new narrative will state slaves were never traded by blacks, and blacks never took white slaves. So financial reparations are due. It will be something like a 75% one off wealth tax, leaving white families trying to desperately live off the land in abject poverty and legally forced to kneel down to show subservience to blacks driving around in Lambos and Ferraris. Eventually those whites with common sense and drive again become wealthy and all the Lambos are wrapped around a lamp post somewhere and after wasting all their new money on crack and luxuries society will again revert to life as we know it. Rinse and repeat.

 

I'm wondering, do any TVF members think that society is more cohesive and content now that this BLM movement told us we are all racists and took over being our moral guardians and burnt down our cities? It doesn't seem to have been very cathartic from where I'm sitting. Anybody?

If the Left ever got to the point where they were able successfully to legislate such reparations--which I doubt--they would then truly witness the wrath of the Right, which they honestly have yet to see. And I hope they never do. There aren't enough Chazes in America to hide behind. This wouldn't be what I'd characterize as a fair fight, assuming Antifa is the toughest the Left has to offer. It'd be a massacre.

I personally foresee America dying the death of a thousand cuts until there comes a time when we acknowledge our irreconcilable differences, divide the country up, either peacefully or otherwise, and go about our own business.

 

53 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

IMO she saw the writing on the wall and was looking for an excuse to get out before she got pushed.

Once the mob acts with immunity and tacit support of the political elite it means bad times coming, and just getting rid of whitey isn't going to improve the lot of blacks. For a living example of life under black rule look at South Africa.

Stupid remark, apartheid is worse then anything. I bet if you take a vote in South Africa the majority would not want to go back to it. Some whites might, and some previously privileged blacks perhaps. But all on all no black wants to go back to a time where they would get murdered and whites would get off without a trial. People ended up dissapearing never to be heard from again. 

5 minutes ago, robblok said:

Stupid protesters, its ok to protest but never to loot and burn. This company had nothing to do with it. 

Welcome to America.

2 minutes ago, EVENKEEL said:

Welcome to America.

Not really American, you should see what soccer supporters sometimes do in Amsterdam. They are are in general more white then black. Some people just need an excuse to start violence. 

 

Sad things is they hurt their own and the perception of their group. But because the group is mainly white people will distinguish more between good and bad supporters instead of tarring them all with the same brush.

 

But you see it in Thailand too stupid drunk farangs who abuse the staff of bars give us all a bad name. Too bad but that is how it works.  

News reports still insist on calling rioters protestors. Why burn Wendy's? Nothing to do with them. Just mindless violence.