An Atlanta policeman charged in connection with the death of Rayshard Brooks said Monday he was confident the truth would be known.
“I have 100 percent faith the truth will come out. People will see this for what it is. They will understand I didn’t do anything wrong. I know the truth is what counts,” Atlanta Police Officer Devin Brosnan told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC).
The report continued:
Brosnan, 26, has been charged with aggravated assault for standing on Brooks with his boot and three violations of his oath of office — failing to render aid to Brooks in a timely manner, using his foot as a control technique and standing on Brooks after he was shot, according to the warrants. After he turned himself in last week, Brosnan was released on a $50,000 signature bond.
Former Officer Garrett Rolfe, who fired the shots that killed Brooks on June 12, was charged with felony murder and 10 other counts, the outlet noted.
“I feel like my side wasn’t really heard and given the short timeframe it’s hard for anybody to understand all the facts and the whole circumstances around it,” Brosnan commented, adding, “That being said, I’m still willing to cooperate.”
His attorney, Don Samuel, said Wednesday that Brosnan suffered a concussion and other injuries during the altercation with Brooks, according to Breitbart News.
“Devin ends up taking out his Taser and yelling at him to ‘stop fighting, stop fighting.’ Mr. Brooks grabbed the Taser from him and shoots … Devin gets shot with the Taser,” he explained.
At that moment, Brosnan fell over and landed on the pavement, resulting in a concussion, Samuel added.
Last week, Burke County, Georgia, Sheriff Alfonzo Williams said he saw both officer’s actions as “justified,” according to Breitbart News.
“Brooks is able to take a nonlethal weapon, a taser, away from one of the officers, and he flees, they give chase. He’s committed two felony obstruction of an officer counts, and he needs to be held accountable,” Williams commented.
“So they were perfectly justified in running behind Brooks to capture him,” he noted.
Monday, Brosnan said he did put his foot on Brooks following the shooting, and video footage showed he did so, but only for a few seconds.
“It’s totally just an instinctual thing for my own safety. When I realized I was safe that’s when I take it off,” he explained. “In no way shape or form was I trying to hurt this man.”
Later, Brosnan called Brooks’ death a “tragedy” and said at the end of the day, a life was lost.
“To me, it’s heartbreaking no matter the circumstances, no matter what. When anybody dies truly is something you never want to see happen, to have happen. I can’t imagine what a family would go through,” he concluded.