A former white police officer was charged with “murder” on Wednesday, five days after the shooting of a young black man in Atlanta, a drama that has rekindled calls for reform of law enforcement in the United States, extremely urgent since the ordeal by George Floyd.
Under pressure from the streets, initiatives are multiplying at the local level, in Washington and even at the UN, to tackle police violence that disproportionately targets the African American population.
After a timid decree from President Donald Trump, Republican senators on Wednesday introduced a bill that tackles “choke keys” and the training of police officers, without touching the broad immunity they have enjoyed for decades. years.
However, the failure to prosecute police officers for abuse of their force is one of the main grievances raised by crowds demonstrating across the United States since a white policeman suffocated George Floyd, a black forty-something on May 25 in Minneapolis.
As the processions began to dwindle, a new drama on Friday night in Atlanta, the large southern city, rekindled anger: Rayshard Brooks, a 27-year-old black family man was shot and killed in his back by a white agent who wanted to arrest him for drunkenness on the public highway.
Immediately dismissed from the police force, Garrett Rolfe, 27, was indicted Wednesday on charges of “murder”, a leader facing the death penalty in the state of Georgia. A colleague on the scene, Devin Brosnan, is being prosecuted for “assault” and arrest warrants have been issued against them.
Kick
“We concluded that at the time of his death, Mr. Brooks did not pose an immediate threat of death or serious injury to officers,” Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard said at a conference. hurry.
The two police officers had been called by workers at a fast food restaurant because Mr. Brooks fell asleep while driving his vehicle and was blocking access to the drive-through.
On their arrival, he had been “cordial,” cooperative “, according to the prosecutor, but the situation had degenerated after more than 40 minutes when the police wanted to arrest him.
He then grabbed one of the agents’ Taser and fled. It was then that Garrett Rolfe opened fire.
Video revealed that the officer kicked his victim once he was on the ground. This “does not reflect a feeling of fear towards Mr. Brooks, but a different kind of emotion,” commented Paul Howard.
The prosecutor still welcomed a “remarkable” fact: the second agent agreed to cooperate with justice and testify against Garrett Rolfe, which is very rare in this type of case.
Mr. Brooks’ widow’s lawyer thanked him for his “courage.” “These are the types of officers who will change the police,” said Chris Stewart.
“Help us”
To obtain reforms, George Floyd’s brother relied on the United Nations. “You have the power to help us obtain justice”, launched Philonise Floyd in a video broadcast during an exceptional debate of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.
“The way my brother was tortured and killed on camera is the way black people are treated by the police in America,” he said.
In a combative tone, he called on member states to set up an “independent commission of inquiry into black people killed by police in the United States and the violence deployed against peaceful demonstrators”.
Without mentioning the United States, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, denounced “systemic racism” and called for “making amends” for centuries of oppression of black populations, with “official apologies” and “reparations”.
The Council is due to vote on Thursday on a draft resolution presented by the African group condemning “discriminatory and violent racial practices” by the American police and beyond.
18/06/2020 07:26:48 – Atlanta (United States) (AFP) – © 2020 AFP
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