Atlanta police reinstates cop Garrett Rolfe who is charged with murder of Rayshard Brooks

Atlanta police have reinstated cop Garrett Rolfe and put him on administrative leave after firing him for killing Rayshard Brooks, after he was charged with the black man’s murder outside a Wendy’s last year.

The Atlanta Civil Service Board announced its decision to reverse the termination of Rofle’s employment with the force Wednesday, saying the fired officer was ‘not afforded his right to due process’. 

Rolfe, 27, shot and killed Brooks, also 27, on June 12 when he and Officer Devin Brosnan were called to the drive-thru at the fast food joint in Atlanta, Georgia, by customers who said a man was asleep at the wheel.  

The six-year police veteran was charged with 11 counts over Brooks’ death including felony murder. 

He was also fired by the Atlanta Police Department one day after the fatal shooting.   

Garrett Rolfe seen in a June 18 booking photo. Atlanta police have reinstated the cop  who is charged with the murder of Rayshard Brooks after shooting him outside a Wendy’s last year

Bodycam footage of the shooting seen above. The Atlanta Civil Service Board announced its decision to reverse the termination of Rofle’s employment with the force Wednesday

‘Due to the City’s failure to comply with several provisions of the Code and the information received during witnesses’ testimony, the Board concludes the Appellant was not afforded his right to due process,’ the board concluded Wednesday. 

‘Therefore, the Board grants the Appeal of Garrett Rolfe and revokes his dismissal as an employee of the APD.’

However, the decision does not mean Rolfe will return to work as law enforcement officer, his attorney Lance LoRusso told the Atlanta-Journal Constitution.

The terms of his bond over his criminal charges mean he is banned from possessing a firearm or being around other police officers.

‘He’d essentially be on administrative leave pending the outcome of the charges against them,’ LoRusso told the outlet. 

Rolfe had lodged an appeal against his firing last month, claiming the force dismissed him without following the correct procedures and that his rights were ‘grossly violated.’ 

In a hearing of the Atlanta Civil Service Board on April 22, his attorney Lance LoRusso said Rolfe was not given enough time to respond to his ‘notice of proposed adverse action’ – typically a 10-day period – before he was fired.

He also argued that the then-police chief, Erika Shields, did not sign his dismissal form – and resigned her position that same afternoon. 

Shields is now head of Louisville Metro Police Department in Kentucky.

Rolfe, 27, (left) shot and killed Brooks, also 27, (right) on June 12 when he and Officer Devin Brosnan were called to the drive-thru at the fast food joint in Atlanta, Georgia, by customers who said a man was asleep at the wheel

Instead, his dismissal form was signed by the assistant chief Todd Coyt, who testified that he believed Rolfe behaved appropriately during the fatal shooting. 

The attorneys for Brooks’ family will hold a press conference at 1 pm Wednesday to respond to the board’s ruling. 

Rolfe’s reinstatement does not have bearing on his murder charges.   

He was released on bond on June 30. 

No date has yet been given for Rolfe’s murder trial, with the case currently in limbo.  

Brooks’ death came less than a month after another white police officer Derek Chauvin killed another black man George Floyd during an arrest in Minneapolis, when he knelt on his neck for more than nine minutes.

Footage of Floyd’s death sent shockwaves around the world and sparked protests across America demanding justice and an end to police brutality and systematic racism.   

Brooks’ death reignited tensions and sparked protests in the city of Atlanta last June.

The Wendy’s where he was killed was torched to the ground during the unrest last years.