Pensacola, Florida
A judge ruled on Tuesday that a former Atlanta police officer who shot Ricehard Brooks murderer could release him while his case was pending.
Fulton County Supreme Court Judge Jane Barwick has set a $ 500,000 bond for Garrett Rolfe, who faces charges including murder for the murder of Brooks, a 27-year-old black man. The shooting by the white officer occurred against the backdrop of demonstrations across the country due to police brutality and systemic racism after the death of George Floyd under the knee of an officer of Minneapolis.
Appearing in a phone conversation over the coronavirus, Rolf’s lawyers have argued that he is an indigenous Georgian citizen with strong ties to society and does not face the risk of escape or failure to appear in court and not a danger to society. The Prosecutor argued that Rolf, 27, committed an unprovoked fatal shooting and was at risk of flying and may intimidate witnesses.
Brooks’ wife, Tomika Miller, cried in an emotional appeal to the judge, asking her not to give Rolf a bond.
She said, “I say no.” “I say no, because I am mentally unable to tolerate it.”
Barwick thanked Miller, noting that her appearance required a lot of courage, but said she found that Rolf had fulfilled the requirements for the bonds. The judge said that Rolf “is not a flight hazard and I do not think it is a danger to society.
His conditions include wearing an ankle monitor, complying with a curfew, handing over his passport, not having any weapons and lack of contact with victims, witnesses or Atlanta police officers.
Police camera bodies showed Rolf and another officer in a calm and respectful conversation with Brooks for more than 40 minutes after complaints that Brooks slept in his car on Wendy’s Road by car on June 12.
But when the officers told him that he had a lot of drink to drive and tried to restrict him, Brooks resisted. A struggle was caught on a dash camcorder. Brooks grabbed one of the stun guns to escape and fled, and shot the detonator in Rolf while he was running away.
An autopsy found Brooks was wounded twice in the back.
During Tuesday’s session, one of Rolf’s lawyers, Noah Pines, denied the district attorney’s accusations that Rolf shouted loudly, “I understand it!” Brooks kicked after being shot. Pines of Fulton County State Attorney Paul Howard called for a video of the alleged kick. Howard made the allegations when he announced the charges five days after Brooks’ death
District video director Clint Rocker said the video footage showed Rolf’s kick and one witness confirmed this.
Rolf was shot shortly after the shooting and the other officer, Devin Brosnan, was assigned to the office service. The police chief resigned less than 24 hours after the shooting.
Rolf now faces 11 charges in total. The crime of felony is punishable by life imprisonment with minimal or no possibility of parole. Brosnan, 26, is charged with aggravated assault and violating his right while free from bonds.
The men’s lawyers said that their actions were justified.
Rolf’s lawyers had asked the judge for $ 50,000 of bonds, which meant that he would not have to pay anything unless he failed to appear in court.
Rolf’s attorneys gave the judge nearly 30 letters proving his good character. They also said that he was a police officer doing his job, not someone who went out with the intention of committing a violent crime.
“If Garrett Rolf is not entitled to a bond under the law, then there will be no one, and no one will be in a murder case,” Pines said.
Rocker had asked the judge to reject the bonds, but when she asked what bonds would be reasonable if she chose to give them, he said a million dollars with a series of conditions.
Rocker argued that Brooks was running away and posed no threat when he was hit in the back.
The Brooks family lawyers said in a statement that they were “disappointed” by the judge’s decision, but said it was “just one step in the long search for justice for Richard.”
“Rather than viewing this process as a series of” gains “or” losses “, it is necessary that we continue to press for systematic change within our criminal justice system,” said passes from hate crime laws to increased oversight. For law enforcement members, our job is to ensure that positive change comes from this tragic situation.
