Atlanta police cited ex-officer over firearm use
Gun pointed at fleeing car
The former Atlanta police officer facing murder charges in the death of Rayshard Brooks was reprimanded for pointing his gun at a car that he and other officers were pursuing in a 2016 chase that violated policy, according to personnel records released by the Atlanta Police Department.
Hundreds of pages of personnel records regarding the former officer, Garrett Rolfe, were made public Friday, as the city continued to face upheaval over the June 12 shooting in a Wendy’s parking lot.
At least nine officers have resigned since June, interim Police Chief Rodney Bryant said Saturday. Others have called out sick, citing unease over prosecutors’ swift decision to charge their colleagues, questions over their training or concern over being challenged and attacked.
The agency has shifted resources to ensure proper coverage of the city, added Bryant, who was appointed to lead the agency after Brooks’ death. He asked for patience from officers and the public as the department works toward change.
“The Atlanta Police Department has not given up on the city that we love,” Bryant said, “and we ask that you not give up on us.”
The records released by the Police Department offered a fuller account of Rolfe’s seven-year tenure as a police officer, including details of the previous firearms policy violation that resulted in a written reprimand.
In what appears to be the most serious misconduct case previously lodged against Rolfe, the former officer was issued a reprimand for pointing his gun at a fleeing car. The Police Department’s office of professional standards found the September 2016 chase, which hit speeds over 100 mph, violated policy and culminated in unreasonable force against a 15-year-old suspect, who was black. One officer was arrested and several others faced disciplinary actions. A sergeant retired before the investigation concluded.
“The entire pursuit consisted of erratic, unsafe driving riddled with serious traffic violations, by the suspect vehicle and the units involved in the pursuit,” said a report by investigators within the department. “The units and supervisor failed to recognize that the risk to the public and themselves was far greater, and significantly outweighed the benefit of stopping a vehicle.”
Although the chase ultimately ended in arrests and the recovery of a stolen vehicle and weapon, they added, “it also culminated in a use of force situation that was clearly unreasonable and unnecessary considering the actions and movements of the suspects involved once the vehicle was stopped and they surrendered.”
The incident began when officers noticed a stolen tag affixed to a BMW. Department policy allows for chases only when the officer believes a suspect possesses a deadly weapon, poses an immediate threat of violence or has committed a crime involving serious physical harm. Several of the officers later acknowledged there was no indication of any of those conditions, yet three patrol cars gave chase.
At one point, as the cruiser Rolfe was riding in drove alongside the BMW, Rolfe trained his gun on the car, later telling investigators that he “was placed in a poor tactical position” and “afraid that they might be armed.”
“I drew my weapon to protect myself if they began firing at us through the window,” he said during questioning by the department’s Office of Professional Standards, adding that he wasn’t intentionally pointing the gun at any particular occupant and that his finger was off the trigger. “I made a split-second decision in a very dynamic situation and did what I thought was best to protect myself given the circumstances.”
The department investigation found his actions violated policy, noting that a gun cannot be pointed at a person unless discharging it would be justifiable. Remedial training was recommended for Rolfe, though it was not immediately clear whether he received it.
Rolfe’s lawyers did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Rolfe waived his first court appearance Friday. He is being held without bond, though his attorneys Friday filed an emergency motion seeking bond. A hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, with the former officer expected to appear via video.