The fired Atlanta police officer charged with the killing of Rayshard Brooks has been denied bond.
Garrett Rolfe, 27, had waived his right to appear in person and chose instead to appear via videolink from Gwinnet County Jail. He was moved to the facility Thursday night after handing himself into Fulton County Jail amid security concerns in the high profile case.
Rolfe turned himself in after being charged with 11 counts, including felony murder, a charge that carries a possible sentence of life without parole or the death penalty, for shooting dead Brooks on June 12 in Atlanta.
These exclusive pictures obtained by DailyMail.com show Rolfe’s attorney Lance LoRusso who was seen leaving the jail at approximately 2.15pm, though no attorneys were present with Rolfe on the Zoom call in which Judge Jeffery Frazier delivered the devastating news.
Frazier said that he could not set bond due to the charges listed against Rolfe. It is a decision which has drawn outrage from Rolfe’s legal team.
Former Atlanta police officer Garrett Rolfe (left) was denied bond Friday after being charged with murder in the fatal shooting of Rayshard Brooks, 27 (right), last week
Attorneys for Rolfe had argued that he had ‘significant ties’ to the community in their emergency bond application in a bid to persuade the court that he was no flight risk.
But a pretrial assessment – for which Rolfe had not been interviewed – recommended that he not be granted bond due to the nature of the charges and the fact that they had been unable to establish those ties community.
Speaking directly after Noah Pines, one of the attorneys representing the former cop, slammed District Attorney Paul Howard for ‘unethical’ pursuit of charges to benefit his re-election. And he accused the DA of making ‘blatant false statements’ to heighten public emotion over the already controversial case.
In recent months Howard was in the headlines himself facing a string of allegations of sexual harassment and questions over his use of public funds.
Fellow officer Devin Brosnan faces three charges including aggravated assault. Brosnan had admitted to standing on Brooks’s shoulders while he lay dying – an unauthorized control techniqu
Pine said, ‘Twice in the past few weeks Paul Howard has put his own ambitions ahead of the good of his constituents as he seeks to capitalize on a series of national tragedies.
‘Under Georgia’s rule of Professional Conduct 3.8 Paul Howard is prohibited from making ‘extrajudicial comments that have a substantial likelihood of heightening public condemnation of the accused.’
In fact, he is only permitted to inform the ‘public of the nature and extent’ of his actions ,’that serve a legitimate law enforcement purpose.’ He has violated that rule today and also made blatant false statements.’
Fellow officer Devin Brosnan, who was first to respond to the 911 call-out that reported Brooks drunk and asleep at the wheel in the drive-thru lane of Wendy’s on University Avenue, Atlanta, has been placed on administrative duty.
Brosnan has been charged on three counts, one of aggravated assault a charge that carries up to 20 years in prison and two violations of oath, including a failure to administer timely medical assistance. Rolfe has also been charged on this count.
Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard announced this week that Brosnan had admitted to standing on Brooks’s shoulders while he lay dying – an unauthorized control technique.
Howard had asked for a $50,000 bond for Brosnan and no bond for Rolfe.
Fellow officer Brosnan, who was first to respond to the 911 call-out that reported Brooks drunk and asleep at the wheel in the drive-thru lane of Wendy’s on University Avenue, Atlanta, has been placed on administrative duty. Brosnan faces three charges including aggravated assault.
The case may not go before a Grand Jury until January or February next year as the DA’s office has about 12 cases to be considered ahead of it.
Howard called for a change in the law that would allow the DA to simply sign off on an indictment and let the case go forward.
He said, ‘I don’t think we should wait.’
Fulton County Medical Examiner declared Brooks’ death a homicide on Sunday, citing the cause as organ damage and blood loss caused by the gunshot wounds.
After Brooks resisted arrest during a sobriety check gone wrong and grabbed an officer’s taser, Rolfe fire his gun. Pictured: Body cam footage showing the sobriety check
Rolfe has been charged with 11 counts including felony murder, a charge that carries a possible sentence of life without parole or the death penalty, in the death of Rayshard Brooks
The other officer on the scene, Devin Brosnan, has been charged with aggravated assault for allegedly standing on Brooks’ shoulder after the man was shot. Pictured: Brosnan walks out following his release from the Fulton County Jail on Thursday, June 18
Brooks’s shooting sparked outrage and violence in the wake of George Floyd’s death under the knee of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.
Chauvin, 44, is now facing charges of second-degree murder, third degree murder and manslaughter. The three officers who stood by while Floyd, 46, died have all been charged with aiding and abetting second degree murder and manslaughter.
The officers were called to a Wendy’s restaurant last Friday over reports of a car blocking the drive-thru lane.
Brosnan arrived on the scene first and found Brooks alone in his vehicle and apparently asleep.
Brooks moved his car and showed his license, explaining that he had a few drinks at his daughter’s birthday party.
He agreed to a breath test and, minutes later, Rolfe arrived to conduct a sobriety check.
The breathalyzer recorded a 0.108 blood alcohol content level, higher than the 0.08 considered legal to drive in Georgia, but Rolfe didn’t tell Brooks the results.
DailyMail.com can reveal that Officer Rolfe begged Rayshard Brooks to stay alive after shots were fired, as seen on the officer’s body camera
Rolfe is heard telling Brooks via body camera footage: ‘All right, I think you’ve had too much to drink to be driving. Put your hands behind your back.’
Dashcam video shows that Brooks resisted arrest as Rolfe tried to handcuff him and grabbed a Taser from Brosnan.
As he ran away with Taser, he turned and point the object in his hand and the one of the officer. Just a few seconds later, gunshots are heard.
The death sparked nationwide protests, especially because it occurred less than a month after the death of George Floyd’s death, another black man killed by a white police officer.
Attorneys for Rolfe and Brosnan defended the men’s actions. Brosnan told MSNBC that he had ‘full faith’ in the criminal justice system.