WHAT THEY ARE SAYING

‘I was very hurt. Because I couldn’t imagine what I would have done if I had seen that for myself. But I felt everything that he felt, just by hearing what he went through. And it hurt. It hurt really bad.’

Tomika Miller, Rayshard Brooks’ widow

‘With these new revelations, I implore you to look into your heart and have empathy for another human being. Because that is who Rayshard Brooks is and was. He may not look like you, but he is another human being. So, when you see Officer Rolfe kick him after he shot him in the back, while he is laying on the ground dying, think about that before you start to get into things that don’t matter at all and are completely irrelevant to this case.’

Justin Miller, one of the Brooks family attorneys ‘It’s heartbreaking, but it’s an attempt to redefine justice.’

L. Chris Stewart, an attorney for Tomika Miller, Brooks’ widow ‘Even though Mr. Brooks was slightly impaired, his demeanor during this incident was almost jovial. For 41 minutes and 17 seconds he followed every instruction, he answered the questions. Mr. Brooks never displayed any aggressive behavior during the 41 minutes and 17 seconds.’

Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard ‘The decision to initiate charges by the Fulton County DA’s office is irrational, unethical and obviously based on factors which should have nothing to do with the proper administration of justice. This was not a rush to judgment. This was a rush to misjudgment.’

Officer Devin Brosnan’s attorney, Don Samuel ‘Mr. Brooks violently attacked two officers and disarmed one of them. When Mr. Brooks turned and pointed an object at Officer Rolfe, any officer would have reasonably believed that he intended to disarm, disable, or seriously injure him.’

LoRusso Law Firm, which is representing Garrett Rolfe ‘It is my hope that justice will be served — not only for the family of Mr. Brooks, but for the victims and families of the other use of force cases waiting to be resolved by the District Attorney. My condolences and prayers remain with the family of Mr. Brooks, as well as the other families awaiting justice.’

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms in a statement about the decision Wednesday evening ‘There was not a thorough investigation. (Howard is) jumping to make charges against these officers before the investigation is even complete.’

Steve Gaynor, the president of the Cobb County Fraternal Order of Police