What is Happening in Atlanta?
Seems that Atlanta is the first place where a major tide is turning. What exactly that tide may be, and for whose benefit remains to be seen across the board.
Earlier last week, an officer shot and killed Rayshard Brooks after he resisted arrest, leading to an increase in already strained tensions. Garret Rolfe, the officer in question, is being charged with felony murder charges. However, if you thought that this walkout by the Atlanta PD is to protest with BLM, you may need to read a little further.
See, they’re walking out to protest the decision about the murder charge, whether pro the decision or anti, that is for you to decide. Rayshard Brooks is quickly becoming rather divisive among the Police and the public for a lot of varying reasons. Emotions were already at the breaking point on both sides, we just had to wait for a catalyst to set it off.
Vince Champion, a spokesperson for the Atlanta PD had this to say on the walkouts:
“This is not an organized thing, it’s not a blue flu, it’s not a strike, it’s nothing like that. What it actually is, is officers protesting that they’ve had enough and they don’t want to deal with it any longer.”
Yet, if you go look at things like Atlanta PD on social media, they’re claiming something else is going on. Namely that there are higher police call outs due to restrictions, protests and an increase in petty theft. Essentially claiming that there are no walkouts at all, yet there is direct confirmation that there is.
Earlier suggestions that multiple officers from each zone had walked off the job were inaccurate. The department is experiencing a higher than usual number of call outs with the incoming shift. We have enough resources to maintain operations & remain able to respond to incidents.
— Atlanta Police Department (@Atlanta_Police) June 18, 2020
Not exactly easy to determine a root cause or reason when there are two apparent different motives for telling the truth.
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Brooks, Floyd, The Police and The Public
Brooks death is being highly scrutinized by both supporters and naysayers alike. On one hand, he did wrestle a taser away from cops, attempted to use it and then fled the scene, which did nothing to help. On the other hand, after he was fired at, he should have been given medical attention.
Despite that, not only was he not given medical attention but for nearly three minutes the cops just stood there with him. Not attempting to help him, assist him, and actually pinning him to the ground instead.
None of this is helped by the fact that Atlanta’s District Attorney Paul L. Howard is currently under investigation by the FBI. He’s being investigated for allegedly failing to disclose certain nonprofits that assisted in his election. As well as missing funds for the same.
He’s also up for re-election and seems to just be playing his hand while he can.
Honestly, at this point, between the Rayshard Brooks incident, George Floyd, numerous protests, Lafayette Park etc. There is not shortage of questionable decisions being made by police officers.
While it can be easy to throw blame around, much like the Atlanta PD, many of us just have no idea. All we can really do is trust in each other and trust that justice is being done, but it is becoming increasingly difficult to do so.
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