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Atlanta will pay Rayshard Brooks' family $1M as a result of deadly police shooting

Brooks' death at a Wendy's drive-thru came about two weeks after George Floyd died while in police custody on May 25, 2022.

Published: November 22, 2022 10:00am

Updated: November 22, 2022 11:56am

The city of Atlanta will pay $1 million to the family of Rayshard Brooks as a result of a 2020 fatal police shooting at a Wendy's drive-thru that drew national attention.

The payout was approved unanimously Monday by Atlanta's city council, after prosecutors determined in August that the officers involved in June 12, 2020, deadly shooting had "committed no crime" and that the use of deadly force was "reasonable."

"Although the children of Mr. Brooks have lost their father, settling the case will undoubtedly assist them with future plans as they come of age, an attorney for the family said in a statement obtained by NBC News.

Brooks, who is black, was shot by a white police officer outside of the fast-food restaurant about two weeks after George Floyd, who was also black, died May 25, 2020, while in the custody of Minneapolis police. Officer Derek Chauvin, who is white, was convicted of murder in the fatal arrest. 

In June of 2020, Atlanta police responded to a call about a person, who was Brooks, having fallen asleep at the Wendy's.

The body cam footage showed that Brooks had a calm conversation with the officers for about 40 minutes. The officers then tried to administer a field sobriety test and take him into custody, which resulted in a struggle.

The footage showed Brooks holding a stun gun that he grabbed from one of the officers when he tried to get away from them. Brooks then turned around, pointed the weapon at the officer, which led to Officer Garrett Rolfe firing his gun at him and hitting Brooks in the back, investigators say.

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