Beautiful Virgin Islands

Saturday, Feb 22, 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
Good News: Senate Confirms Kash Patel as FBI Director
Officials from the U.S. and Hungary Engage in Talks on Economic Collaboration and Sanctions Strategy
James Bond Franchise Transitions to Amazon MGM Studios
Technology Giants Ramp Up Lobbying Initiatives Against Strict EU Regulations
Alibaba Exceeds Quarterly Projections Fueled by Growth in Cloud and AI
Tequila Sector Faces Surplus Crisis as Agave Prices Dive Sharply
Residents of Flintshire Mobile Home Park Grapple with Maintenance Issues and Uncertain Future
Ronan Keating Criticizes Irish Justice System Following Fatal Crash Involving His Brother
Gordon Ramsay's Lucky Cat Restaurant Faces Unprecedented Theft
Israeli Family Mourns Loss of Peace Advocate Oded Lifschitz as Body Returned from Gaza
Former UK Defense Chief Calls for Enhanced European Support for Ukraine
Pope Francis Admitted to Hospital in Rome Amid Rising Succession Speculation
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, at the age of 83, Declares His Retirement.
Whistleblower Reveals Whitehall’s Focus on Kabul Animal Airlift Amid Crisis
Politicians Who Deliberately Lie Could Face Removal from Office in Wales
Scottish Labour Faces Challenges Ahead of 2026 Holyrood Elections
Leftwing Activists Less Likely to Work with Political Rivals, Study Finds
Boris Johnson to Host 'An Evening with Boris Johnson' at Edinburgh's Usher Hall
Planned Change in British Citizenship Rules Faces First Legal Challenge
Northumberland Postal Worker Sentenced for Sexual Assaults During Deliveries
British Journalist Missing in Brazil for 11 Days
Tesco Fixes Website Glitch That Disrupted Online Grocery Orders
Amnesty International Critiques UK's Predictive Policing Practices
Burglar Jailed After Falling into Home-Made Trap in Blyth
Sellafield Nuclear Site Exits Special Measures for Physical Security Amid Ongoing Cybersecurity Concerns
Avian Influenza Impact on Seals in Norfolk: Four Deaths Confirmed
First Arrest Under Scotland's Abortion Clinic Buffer Zone Law Amidst International Controversy
Meghan Markle Rebrands Lifestyle Venture as 'As Ever' Ahead of Netflix Series Launch
Inter-Island Ferry Services Between Guernsey and Jersey Set to Expand
Significant Proportion of Cancer Patients in England and Wales Not Receiving Recommended Treatments
Final Consultation Launched for Vyrnwy Frankton Power Line Project
Drug Misuse Deaths in Scotland Rise by 12% in 2023
Failed £100 Million Cocaine Smuggling Operation in the Scottish Highlands
Central Cee Equals MOBO Awards Record; Bashy and Ayra Starr Among Top Honorees
EastEnders: Four Decades of Challenging Social Norms
Jonathan Bailey Channels 'Succession' in Bold Richard II Performance
Northern Ireland's First Astronaut Engages in Rigorous Spacewalk Training
Former Postman Sentenced for Series of Sexual Offences in Northumberland
Record Surge in Anti-Muslim Hate Crimes Across the UK in 2024
Omagh Bombing Inquiry Concludes Commemorative Hearings with Survivor Testimonies
UK Government Introduces 'Ronan's Law' to Combat Online Knife Sales to Minors
Metal Detectorists Unearth 15th-Century Coin Hoard in Scottish Borders
Woman Charged in 1978 Death of Five-Year-Old Girl in South London
Expanding Sinkhole in Godstone, Surrey, Forces Evacuations and Road Closures
Bangor University Announces Plans to Cut 200 Jobs Amid £15 Million Savings Target
British Journalist Charlotte Peet Reported Missing in Brazil
UK Inflation Rises to 3% in January Amid Higher Food Prices and School Fees
Starmer Defends Zelensky Amidst Trump's 'Dictator' Allegation
Zelensky Calls on World Leaders to Back Peace Efforts in Light of Strains with Trump
UK Prime minister, Mr. Keir Starmer, has stated that any peace agreement aimed at ending the conflict in Ukraine "MUST" include a US security guarantee to deter Russian aggression
×