Officer Devin Brosnan, one of two officers involved in the shooting death of Rayshard Brooks in Atlanta, has turned himself in. According to NBC News, the 26-year-old cop who had been previously placed on administrative duty following last Saturday’s tragic events was booked at the Fulton County Jail hours before he was due to surrender.
Brosnan has been charged with one count of aggravated assault and two counts of violation of oath. Former officer Garrett Rolfe faces a total of 11 charges in connection to the killing of Brooks, including felony murder, according to Fulton County District Attorney Paul L. Howard, Jr.
Howard said at a press conference on Wednesday that his decision to charge the officers stems from his belief that Brooks “never presented himself as a threat” to them. In addition, Brooks was compliant to the officers commands though they never informed him that he was under arrest for driving while intoxicated.
Video footage of Brooks’s attempted arrest was released earlier this week. Several of the clips show Brooks cooperating with Brosnan and Rolfe before the scene turned chaotic. Once officers attempted to handcuff the father of four, Brooks, who had been drinking, began to tussle with cops. When Brooks freed himself from the officers’ grip, he took off running. Officers pursued him, shooting him twice and rendering him lifeless.
“When we examined the videotape and in our discussions with witnesses, what we discovered is during the two minutes and 12 seconds, Officer Rolfe actually kicked Mr. Brooks while he laid on the ground,” Howard said. “While he was there fighting for his life,” Howard said. “Secondly, from the videotape, we were able to see that the other officer, Officer Brosnan, actually stood on Mr. Brooks’s shoulders while he was there struggling for his life. “
Since the shooting, Rolfe, who was fired from the force following the incident, has said through his attorney that he feared for his life despite knowing that Brooks was unarmed. Brosnan claims he suffered a concussion and other injuries during the confrontation.
Despite earlier reports, Brosnan has not agreed to be a state’s witness, although he is cooperating with the district attorney’s office.