Atlanta Hawks Coach To Join NAACP’s Rayshard Brooks Protest After Police Killing
Following yet another Black man, Rayshard Brooks, killed at the hands of police on Friday June 12 in Atlanta, crowds of protestors, including Atlanta Hawks head coach Lloyd Pierce, are expected to march with the NAACP on Monday (June 15).
According to WSB-TV Channel 2, demonstrators want to address voting rights, police brutality, and the criminal justice system.
Demonstrators and protestors will reportedly start their march at The Richard B. Russell Federal Building and conclude at the State Capitol.
Pierce shared his thoughts with one word on Twitter in response to the senseless killing of Brooks, “Disgraceful” he said replying to Stacey Abrams tweet of the incident.
Holding a virtual news conference over the weekend, the NAACP and Just Georgia Coalition talked through killing and the actions that must come after.
“We are asking and demanding urgent action so that we can move forward as a city, community and as a state to ensure that no other family has to go through what Mr. Brooks family has to go through,” said Rev. James “Major” Woodall, state president of the Georgia NAACP.
Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields resigned on Saturday (June 13); however, the NAACP is demanding that she be entirely removed from the Atlanta Police Department.
An administrative order for an advisory council, has been issued by Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms.
The council will be made up by community members that will examine the city’s “use of force policies and procedures,” they will then make recommendations for operational or legislative changes to the city’s current “use of force policies.”
Brooks was killed on Friday night, after police responded to a call about a man sleeping in a parked vehicle in a Wendy's drive-through lane in Atlanta, causing other customers to drive around it, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said in a statement.
According to bodycam video, when police arrived, Brooks politely answered officers' questions, admitted to drinking and asked to walk home. Police escalated the situation by attempting to arrest and detain him.
He was later shot and killed by Garrett Rolfe after he took a taser away from one officer and pointed at him while he attempted to run away.
Garrett Rolfe was fired less than 24 hours after the incident on Saturday (June 13). A second officer, Devin Bronsan, involved in the killing was placed on administrative duty.
