Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 24, 2025

Rayshard Brooks's family hold emotional press conference

Rayshard Brooks's widow Tomika Miller and other family members address media. Rayshard Brooks was killed a day before he planned to celebrate his daughter's birthday.

Rayshard Brooks' 8-year-old daughter had her birthday dress on Saturday morning waiting for her dad to come pick her up and take her skating to celebrate her birthday, family attorneys say.

Her dad never came home. He was shot and killed by an Atlanta police officer at a Wendy's parking lot in Atlanta Friday night. Since then, the officer who shot Brooks was terminated and a second officer was placed on administrative duty. The Atlanta police chief stepped down from her position.

Brooks, 27, has three daughters who are 1, 2 and 8 years old, according to the attorneys. He also has a 13-year-old stepson, they said.

His oldest daughter was having her birthday party Saturday, Brooks' family attorney Justin Miller said in a news conference Saturday.

"They had a birthday party for her ... with cupcakes," Miller said. "While we were sitting there talking to her mom about why her dad's not coming home."

A day earlier, the young girl had enjoyed other celebrations with her father. Brooks took her to get her nails done, Miller said, and then they went and ate together.

The two had also spent time at an arcade Friday, family attorney L. Chris Stewart said.

"We sat with (Brooks' children) today and watched them play and laugh and be oblivious to the facts that their dad was murdered on camera," Stewart said in the news conference.

"A scene that we keep repeating as we watched Gianna Floyd play in Houston, oblivious to that her dad was knelt on and murdered. How many more examples will there be?"



'Brothers and sisters that love him more than life'

Stewart says Brooks worked at "a tortilla place" and was extremely loved by family.

"We have more family members at that house today than I could count," the attorney said. "A ton of brothers and sisters that love him more than life."

One of Brooks' older cousins, Decatur Redd, spoke to reporters Saturday and said he never expected he would have a similar situation land so close to home.

"I don't know how to do this because I never knew that I was going to have to do this," a visibly distraught Redd told the crowd.

Redd said he has seen videos of Friday night's shooting that have been circulating on social media. It was the worst thing he could wake up to, knowing Brooks' whole family watched those same moments.

"We've been watching this happen for so many years, with young black boys around the country just dying in vain -- I just don't want that to continue and keep happening like that," Redd said.

"I didn't think it would hit right here, man. I thought this city was better than that. They've got to answer. Somebody's gotta say something," Redd said, "We need to at least know that the city is with us."


What happened outside an Atlanta Wendy's

Officers were responding to a call Friday night about a man sleeping in a vehicle at the Wendy's drive-thru, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said in a statement. When officers arrived, they gave Brooks a sobriety test, which he failed. The agency said Brooks resisted arrest and struggled for an officer's Taser, which he got ahold of.

A charred Wendy's, an officer fired and a police chief steps down in the aftermath of Rayshard Brooks' death
A charred Wendy's, an officer fired and a police chief steps down in the aftermath of Rayshard Brooks' death
CNN obtained two videos that seemed to show the man's last moments.

In a surveillance video released by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Brooks is seen running away from officers and seems to point a stun gun back before he is shot.

A second video, shot by an eyewitness, shows two officers struggling with Brooks. He breaks free and starts running with what appears to be a stun gun in his right hand. It appears one of the officers fires their stun gun at Brooks three times as he runs away. Three shots are heard out of frame shortly afterward.

The GBI said Brooks was taken to a nearby hospital, where he died.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Airlines Evaluate Flight Cancellations Amid Escalating US-Iran Tensions
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
BBC Demands Perplexity AI Immediately Stop Using Its Content
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
×