Atlanta Wendy’s where Rayshard Brooks was fatally shot by police burned down

Protesters on Saturday night burned down the Wendy’s restaurant where Atlanta police fatally shot Rayshard Brooks, a 27-year-old black man, according to multiple reports.

#UPDATE Wendy’s is officially on fire. @FOX5Atlanta https://t.co/5GyvNd39BR pic.twitter.com/1irEI4rJif

— Alex Whittler (@AlexWhittler) June 14, 2020

Armored Atlanta police are now blocking off the Wendy’s, fire department is spraying down the fire. Someone said they fired rubber bullets but not sure pic.twitter.com/REXJqIGDh6

— Official Lax Girl™ (@officiallaxgirl) June 14, 2020

Protesters gathered around the burning building chanting “arrest the cops”, according WSB-TV, a local Atlanta news station. The TV station also reported that windows in the building were broken. 

“Arrest the cops” being chanted by protesters right now near the Wendy’s where #RayshardBrooks died. pic.twitter.com/oyE3vyny6O

— Matt Johnson (@MattWSB) June 14, 2020

The fire at the restaurant came after a police officer fatally shot Brooks during an exchange and subsequent struggle near its drive-thru. 

Atlanta Police Department (ADP) officers were dispatched to the Wendy’s Friday around 10:30 p.m. in response to complaints that Brooks was asleep in the drive-thru of the restaurant.

Police reportedly attempted to take Brooks into custody after he failed a sobriety test. Amid a struggle, he grabbed an officer’s Taser and ran off with it, police said.

Brooks reportedly gained a distance between himself and law enforcement and pointed the stun gun at an officer who then shot him.

Brooks was pronounced dead after undergoing  surgery at a nearby hospital. 

Protests in Atlanta have escalated since Brooks’s death Friday evening, with protesters closing down an entire highway, according to CNN.

RED ALERT 9:35p Atlanta: It’s the moment protesters entered the Downtown Connector (I-75/I-85) at University Ave (Exit 244). It’s shut down in both directions. Use I-285 as an alternate. #atltraffic @wsbradio @wsbtv pic.twitter.com/c0p7ico5q9

— Mark McKay (@mckayWSB) June 14, 2020

A group of protesters also gathered outside Atlanta’s 3rd Precinct, according to the news outlet.  

Atlanta Police Chief Ericka Shields resigned Saturday afternoon following the outcry over Brooks’s death, which comes on the heels of weeks of demonstrations and unrest over the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died in Minneapolis police custody.

Floyd’s death reignited calls from advocates and protesters for an end to police brutality and police reform legislation.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced Saturday that the APD requested an investigation into the shooting of Brooks. 

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp (R) tweeted Saturday evening that an investigation had been launched into the conduct of the police officers whose actions led to the death of the 27-year-old.

At the @Atlanta_Police Department’s request, the @GBI_GA launched an investigation into the conduct of two APD officers that led to the death of #RayshardBrooks. I am confident GBI Director Vic Reynolds and his team will follow the facts to ensure justice is served. (1/2) https://t.co/Ck1V85qw9I

— Governor Brian P. Kemp (@GovKemp) June 13, 2020

–This report was updated on June 14 at 7:39 a.m.