ATLANTA — The Atlanta Police Department reported Wednesday night that there has been no massive walkout from several police precincts throughout the city despite online rumors to the contrary.
The department announced in a statement Wednesday night that there were a higher number of callouts, but the city was covered and in no danger:
“Earlier suggestions that multiple officers from each zone had walked off the job were inaccurate. However, the department is experiencing a higher than usual number of call-outs with the incoming shift. We have enough resources to maintain operations and remain able to respond to incidents throughout the city.”
Earlier suggestions that multiple officers from each zone had walked off the job were inaccurate. The department is experiencing a higher than usual number of call outs with the incoming shift. We have enough resources to maintain operations & remain able to respond to incidents.
— Atlanta Police Department (@Atlanta_Police) June 18, 2020
The rumors came just hours after Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard announced charges against two Atlanta police officers in the death of Rayshard Brooks on Friday night.
Howard said his office had taken out warrants for former Officer Garrett Rolfe, who was being charged with 11 counts, including felony murder and aggravated assault, criminal damage to property and violations to his oath of office.
Officer Devin Brosnan is being charged with aggravated assault and two violations of oath of office.
Howard said his office concluded at the time of Brooks’ death, Brooks did not pose a threat to the officers. He said Brooks was running away from the officers when Rolfe shot him in the back two times.
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said during an interview Wednesday night that the city has enough police officers to maintain order. Bottoms told CNN she did not know how many officers had called out, but stressed safety was not an issue in the aftermath of unrest following the shooting of Rayshard Brooks.
“We don’t have a count yet because we were in the midst of a shift change but what I do know is that we do have enough officers to cover us through the night,” Bottoms told CNN. “Our streets won’t be any less safe because of the number of officers who called out. But it is just my hope again that our officers will remember the commitment that they made when they held up their hand and they were sworn in as police officers.”
"We do have enough officers to cover us through the night," says Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms amid reports officers are calling in sick.
— Cuomo Prime Time (@CuomoPrimeTime) June 18, 2020
"Our streets won't be any less safe because of the number of officers who called out," she adds. "…We will be fine." pic.twitter.com/3X8Q4tglPb
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