FAR
FAR AS
FAR AS WE
FAR AS WE KNOW, THE GBI IS LOOKING INTO THE CONDUCT OF
BOTH POLICE OFFICERS WHO WERE
INVOLVED IN THAT INCIDENT.
RIGHT NOW, WE WANT TO GO TO
HOPE FORD, SHE HAS A DIFFERENT
VANTAGE POINT THAN WHERE DOUG
IS RIGHT NOW.
SHE ALSO CAN SEE THE WENDY'S
FROM WHERE SHE IS, BUT ON YOUR
SIDE OF THE STREET, YOU SEE A
LOT OF PROTESTERS, YOU SEE
POLICE OFFICERS, YOU ARE NOT
ABLE TO SEE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT
OR THE FIREFIGHTERS IS MUCH.
TELL US WHAT YOU ARE SEEING
FROM YOUR VANTAGE POINT AND
WHAT THE MOOD IS LIKE THERE.
ARE THEY JUST WATCHING?
>> Reporter: I'M SORRY, I HEAR
YOU BUT YOU ARE BREAKING UP A
LITTLE BIT.
LITTLE BIT. THERE ARE A LOT OF POLICE CARS
THAT ARE, YEAH, THOSE ARE
GEORGIA STATE TROOPERS THAT ARE
PULLING AND RIGHT NOW.
OKAY, NOW I CAN HEAR YOU A
LITTLE BIT BETTER.
THEY HAVE TURNED THAT OFF.
SO WE HAVE A FEW MORE TROOPERS
WHO ARE PULLING THEIR CARS IN
HERE, YOU CAN NOW SEE IN THE
DISTANCE, THOSE FLAMES, YOU
CANNOT REALLY SEE THEM ANYMORE.
THERE IS STILL A LARGE CROWD
FURTHER DOWN THERE.
ON THAT OTHER SIDE, RIGHT THERE.
AND THE CROWDS BACK HERE THAT
WERE EARLIER WATCHING THOSE
FLAMES, YOU CAN SEE THEM PRETTY
SIGNIFICANT WAY BACK HERE, THEY
HAVE LEFT AS WELL, NOW THAT THE
FIRE HAS KIND OF DIED DOWN IN
THOSE AREAS.
THOSE AREAS. SO, MORE OF THE ROAD GETTING --
JUST MAKING SURE THAT WASN'T MY
CAR THEY WERE GOING TO TOE
THERE.
THERE.
THERE. BUT WE DID
HEAR FROM THEIR BOTTOMS EARLIER
TODAY AND GBI, DIRECTOR VIC
REYNOLDS, ABOUT THE
INVESTIGATION.
INVESTIGATION. INTO THE SHOOTING OF RAYSHARD
BROOKS.
BROOKS.
BROOKS. I
BROOKS. I WANT YOU TO TAKE A LOOK AT
HOW THE ALL UNFOLDED EARLIER
TODAY.
TODAY.
TODAY. >>
TODAY. >> I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT THERE
IS A CLEAR DISTINCTION BETWEEN
WHAT YOU CAN DO AND WHAT YOU
SHOULD DO.
SHOULD DO. I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THIS WAS
A JUSTIFIED USE OF DEADLY FORCE
.
.
. >>
. >> Reporter: MAYOR BOTTOMS ONCE
THE OFFICER SEEN ON VIDEO
SHOOTING AND KILLING RAYSHARD
BROOKS TO BE FIRED.
THE OTHER, PLACED ON
ADMINISTRATIVE DUTIES.
ADMINISTRATIVE DUTIES. THIS, AFTER VIDEO MADE ITS WAY
AROUND SOCIAL MEDIA, SHOWING
THE MOMENT BROOKS AND THE
OFFICERS WERE ON THE GROUND.
GBI DIRECTOR VIC REYNOLDS SAYS
THIS SURVEILLANCE VIDEO GIVES A
BROADER VIEW OF WHAT HAPPENED.
>> AS HE IS FLEEING, HE TURNS
BACK OVER HIS SHOULDER WITH
WHAT APPEARS TO THE NAKED EYE
TO BE THIS TASER, AND AS HE
TURNED IT OVER, YOU WILL BE
ABLE TO SEE ON THE VIDEO, THE
ATLANTA OFFICER LITERALLY
REACHED DOWN TO GET HIS SERVICE
WEAPON, AND AS HE GETS HIS
WEAPON
WEAPON
WEAPON TURNING HIS BODY AWAY FROM HIM,
I PRESUME TO FLEE.
>> Reporter: REYNOLDS SAYS THE
VIDEO WILL BE DIGITALLY
ENHANCED, AND ALL EVIDENCE
TURNED OVER TO THE FULTON
COUNTY DA.
COUNTY DA. WELL, THE MAYOR SAYS AN
ADVISORY BOARD IS LOOKING INTO
THE POLICE DEPARTMENTS USE OF
FORCE POLICY.
FORCE POLICY. THE MAYOR ALSO OFFERING
APOLOGIES TO THE FAMILY OF
BROOKS.
BROOKS.
BROOKS. >> I DO HOPE THAT YOU WILL FIND
SOME COMFORT IN THE SWIFT
ACTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN TAKEN
TODAY AND THE MEANINGFUL
REFORMS THAT OUR CITY WILL
IMPLEMENT ON BEHALF OF THE
COUNTLESS MEN AND WOMEN WHO
HAVE LOST THEIR LIVES ACROSS
THIS COUNTRY.
>>
>> Reporter: WE KNOW THAT FORMER CHIEF SHIELDS, SHE WILL
STAY ON WITH THE DEPARTMENT, BUT
HER NEXT ROLE HAS NOT BEEN
IDENTIFIED AS OF YET.
SHE DID SAY IN A STATEMENT
EARLIER TODAY, THAT SHE STEPPED
ASIDE, CHOSE TO STEP ASIDE,
BECAUSE SHE HAS AN EXTREME LOVE
FOR THE CITY OF ATLANTA WHERE
SHE SPENT THE LAST 20 YEARS
WORKING FOR THE ATLANTA POLICE
DEPARTMENT.
DEPARTMENT. SO, WE NOW KNOW THAT AN INTERIM
CHIEF HAS BEEN NAMED AND MAYOR
KEISHA LANCE BOTTOMS SAID
EARLIER TODAY THAT A
NATIONWIDE SEARCH IS NOW ON FOR
A PERMANENT REPLACEMENT FOR
SHIELDS.
SHIELDS.
SHIELDS. >> HOPE, WE ARE LOOKING OVER
YOUR SHOULDER, YOU ARE JUST
LOOKING AT SOME OF THE
PROTESTERS WHO WERE STANDING
AROUND, ARE THEY ACTUALLY
PROTESTING, OR ARE THEY
WATCHING IS EVERYTHING UNFOLDS?
IS THE FIREFIGHTERS PUT OUT
THAT FIRE AT THE WENDY'S
LOCATION?
LOCATION?
LOCATION? WHAT IS HAPPENING EXACTLY WITH
THEM AT THE SCENE RIGHT NOW?
>> SO, WE ARE PRETTY FAR BACK
FROM THEM RIGHT NOW SO I CANNOT
HEAR ANYTHING THEY ARE SAYING.
WHEN MY COWORKER ZOOMED IN ON
THAT CROWD DOWN THERE, YOU CAN
SEE THE SOME OF THEM ARE
STANDING AROUND THERE, THERE
ARE POLICE IN RIOT GEAR WHO ARE
ON THE OTHER SIDE.
WE HAVE NOT SEEN ANYBODY RUN
FROM THAT DIRECTION, WE HAVE
NOT SEEN ANYONE MOVE FORWARD
TOWARD THE POLICE LINE OR
ANYTHING LIKE THAT AS WELL.
SO THERE ARE A COUPLE OF PEOPLE
WHO HAVE SIGNS THAT ARE
STANDING IN THAT AREA AND WHO
HAVE WALKED TOWARD THAT AREA,
BUT WE
BUT WE
BUT WE THEY ARE SAYING, SO WE DON'T
KNOW IF THEY ARE STILL
CONTINUING TO PROTEST OR IF
THEY ARE JUST HANGING OUT IN
THAT AREA TO WATCH.
WE DID SEE A HUGE CROWD CLOSER
TO WHERE I AM RIGHT NOW, WHO
WERE STANDING OUT HERE AND WHO
WERE WATCHING, BECAUSE YOU
COULD SEE THE FLAMES FROM
PRETTY FAR BACK EARLIER TODAY.
BUT NOW THAT THOSE FLAMES AND
THAT SMOKE HAS GONE DOWN, A LOT
OF THEM HAVE LEFT.
SO THE PEOPLE WHO ARE CLOSER
AND UNDER THE UNDERPASS, THEY
HAVE KIND OF STAYED IN THAT
AREA WHERE YOU DO SEE ALSO,
POLICE IN RIOT GEAR AT THIS
TIME.
TIME.
TIME. >>
TIME. >> YOU HAVE BEEN THERE FOR A
FEW HOURS NOW, CAN YOU JUST
TAKE US THROUGH FOR PEOPLE WHO
ARE JUST JOINING US NOW, TAKE
US THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENTS
OVER THE LAST FEW HOURS IN
TERMS OF THE PROTESTERS.
IT STARTED VERY PEACEFULLY,
PEOPLE WERE CHANTING IN FRONT
OF THE WENDY'S, JUST A GROUP OF
PEOPLE, VERY EMOTIONAL THIS
EVENING
EVENING
EVENING FIRE STARTED.
FIRE STARTED. AND YOU JUST TAKE US THROUGH IN
TERMS OF THE MOOD THERE AND HOW
IT CONTINUES TO DEVELOP
THROUGHOUT THE EVENING?
>> Reporter: BY THE TIME WE
CAME ON TO UNIVERSITY AVENUE
THERE, THERE WAS A HUGE GROUP
OF PROTESTERS WHO WERE LEADING
THAT AREA, THERE WERE TWO
POLICE OFFICERS WHO WERE
BLOCKING THE ROAD, WHO WERE
KIND OF HELPING THEM AS TRAFFIC
GOES, MAKING SURE THEY COULD
GET THERE THAT AREA.
WHEN YOU GOT CLOSER TO THE
WENDY'S, THIS IS PROBABLY ABOUT
AN HOUR AND A HALF AGO, WHEN
YOU GOT CLOSER TO THE WENDY'S,
YOU DID SEE THERE WERE SMALL
FIRES IN THE PARKING LOT AND
AROUND THAT AREA.
AND THEN EVENTUALLY ANOTHER
GROUP OF PROTESTERS STARTED TO
LEAVE THAT AREA AND THEY WERE
WARNING OTHER PEOPLE WHO WERE
TRYING TO DRIVE FORWARD,
WARNING THEM, NO, TURNAROUND,
THIS IS NOT SAFE AT THIS POINT.
WE ARE LEAVING THIS AREA, YOU
NEED TO LEAVE THE AREA TOO, IF
YOU DON'T WANT YOUR WINDOWS TO
BE SMASHED OUT OR ANYTHING LIKE
THAT, MAKE SURE YOU TURN AROUND
AND HEAD THE OTHER WAY.
THAT IS WHEN THOSE FIRES
CONTINUED TO GROW RIGHT THERE,
WE DID HAVE A COUPLE OF
PROTESTERS COME UP TO US AND
TELL US AS WELL, IT'S PROBABLY
NOT SAFE FOR YOU TO BE THERE.
SO WE TOOK THEM UP ON THAT
WARNING AND LEFT THAT AREA AND
THAT IS WHEN WE CAME RIGHT
HERE, WHEN WE GOT TO THIS AREA
YOU REALLY SAW THOSE FLAMES
START TO KIND OF JUST GROW AND
GROW WITHIN A 30 MINUTE TIME
PERIOD, THEY REALLY, YOU CAN
SEE THEM FROM ALL THE WAY BACK
HERE.
HERE.
HERE. THE
HERE. THE FLAMES AND THE SMOKE IN THE
SKY THERE.
SKY THERE. THERE WERE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO
WERE AROUND HERE, THEY WERE
SCREAMING FROM WAY BACK HERE,
THEY WERE SCREAMING TO LET IT
BURN.
BURN.
BURN. HE
BURN. HE KEPT SAYING, LET IT BURN,
LET IT BURN.
AND KIND OF DIRECTING ALL OF
THAT ENERGY TOWARDS THAT
WENDY'S.
WENDY'S.
WENDY'S. AND JUST REALLY KIND OF SAYING
AT THE TIME, THAT THEY REALLY
DID NOT CARE ABOUT THAT SPOT
BECAUSE IT WAS WHERE SOMEONE
HAD DIED EARLIER TODAY.
SO, ONCE THE FIRE WAS DOWN,
THEN IT KIND OF CHANGED AND YOU
KNOW, SOME OF THE PEOPLE IN
THIS AREA, THEY LEFT THIS AREA.
BUT AS YOU CAN SEE THERE IS
STILL THAT GROUP UNDER THE
UNDERPASS RIGHT THERE THAT ARE
STILL IN THAT AREA RIGHT NOW,
EITHER STILL CONTINUING TO
PROTEST OR WAITING TO SEE WHAT
HAPPENS NEXT.
HAPPENS NEXT. THERE ARE POLICE IN RIOT GEAR
AT THAT AREA AS WELL.
AGAIN, WE CANNOT HEAR ANYTHING
THEY ARE SAYING BECAUSE WE'RE
PRETTY FAR BACK SO WE CANNOT
HEAR THEY ARE CONTINUING TO
CHANT OR HAVING CONVERSATIONS
OR WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THAT
AREA RIGHT NOW BUT WE DO KNOW
THE FLAMES ARE DOWN, THERE'S A
LOT OF GEORGIA STATE POLICE OUT
HERE WHO ARE HELPING TO DIRECT
TRAFFIC TO MAKE SURE THAT NO
CARS DRIVE THROUGH THAT AREA
WHERE PEOPLE ARE STILL STANDING
UNDER THE BRIDGE OVER THERE.
CLOSER TO THE WENDY'S.
>> AND, THIS ALL HAPPENED, THIS
OFFICER INVOLVED SHOOTING
HAPPENED JUST 24 HOURS AGO.
THE POLICE CHIEF HAS REMIND
REDESIGNED AND THE MAYOR HAS
CALLED FOR ONE OF THE OFFICERS,
THE ONE WHO FIRED THE SHOT, TO
BE FIRED.
BE FIRED.
BE FIRED. THE MAYOR ALSO PROMISES SOME
REFORMS IN THE POLICE
DEPARTMENT AS WE START TO
SEARCH FOR A NEW POLICE CHIEF.
SO, YOU HAVE BEEN THERE THIS
EVENING, I AM NOT SURE IF YOU
HAD A CHANCE TO TALK TO ANY OF
THE PROTESTERS, EMOTIONS ARE
RAW, HOWEVER WE HAVE ALREADY
SEEN SOME ACTION JUST IN THE
LAST 24 HOURS.
ANY INDICATION AS TO WHAT THEY
ARE ASKING FOR NOW? ARE THEY
SAYING THIS IS ENOUGH, THIS IS
A GOOD START?
WHAT ARE THEY SAYING?
>> I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO TALK
TO A LOT OF PROTESTERS OUT HERE
TONIGHT, I HAVE HAD QUITE A FEW
PEOPLE REACH OUT TO ME ON
SOCIAL MEDIA, WHO THEY ARE
HAPPY THAT SOME CHANGES ARE
BEING TAKEN
BEING TAKEN SAYING THAT IS STILL NOT ENOUGH
AND THERE IS THAT DISTRESSED
RIGHT NOW IN THE POLICE
DEPARTMENT, SO THERE WERE A
COUPLE PEOPLE ON MY SOCIAL
MEDIA WHO WERE TWEETING AT ME
AS I WAS SENDING OUT VIDEOS AND
PICTURES OF THINGS HAPPENING
EARLIER WITH MAYOR BOTTOMS AND
FORMER CHIEF SHIELDS RESIGNING,
WHO WERE SAYING THAT IS GREAT
BUT THAT IS NOT REALLY GOOD
ENOUGH.
ENOUGH.
ENOUGH. THERE ARE STILL PEOPLE WHO ARE
WANTING TO -- WHO ARE STILL
CALLING FOR AN ABILITY TO
MUFFLE ACCOUNT ABILITY, WITH
THE SIX OFFICERS THAT WERE
FIRED.
FIRED.
FIRED. OR
FIRED. OR EXCUSE ME, FOR OFFICERS THAT
WERE FIRED IN SIX OFFICERS WHO
WERE FIRED FOR THE TEASING, AND
THEN THERE WERE PEOPLE OUT HERE
TONIGHT WHO WERE, YOU KNOW, WHO
ARE VERY UPSET AND STILL DO NOT
HAVE ANY TRUST TOWARD THE
POLICE DEPARTMENT, CONVERSATIONS
THAT I WAS HEARING FROM SEVERAL
PEOPLE OUT HERE.
SO, I THINK THAT FROM WHAT I AM
HEARING AND WHAT PEOPLE ARE
TELLING ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA,
THAT THIS IS WHY THEY ARE
CONTINUING TO PROTEST EVERY
DAY.
DAY.
DAY. BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT SEEING
THAT CHANGE AS QUICKLY AS THEY
WOULD LIKE AND ON THE LONG-
TERM, OUTSIDE OF JUST AN
IMMEDIATE REACTION TO SOMETHING
THAT HAPPENED ON THE DAY OF.
>>
>>
>> I
>> I WAS
>> I WAS LISTENING TO YOU TALK
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT SOME OF
THE PEOPLE STANDING BY SAYING
LET IT BURN, ONE OF THE MOST
FAMOUS EXPRESSIONS OF THE 1960s
CAME, OUT OF THE 1965 RIOTS IN
LOS ANGELES, WHERE THE PHRASE
BURN, BABY BURN BECAME PART OF
AMERICAN CULTURE AFTER THAT,
RESULTED IN $40 MILLION WORTH
OF DAMAGE OF THAT TIME, TO
WATCH.
WATCH.
WATCH. BUT IT IS A PHRASE THAT
CERTAINLY HARKENS BACK TO A
VERY DIFFICULT TIME IN AMERICA.
ONE OF