LIVE UPDATES: Wendy's where Rayshard Brooks was killed engulfed in flames

[KY_EnviroGuy]

Source: WSB TV2 Atlanta

ATLANTA — Protesters have taken to the streets of Atlanta for a third weekend after a dramatic 24 hours that saw the death of a black man at the hands of an Atlanta police officer and the resignation of Atlanta’s police chief.

Rayshard Brooks, 27, was shot and killed at a Wendy’s Friday night during a struggle with police after a sobriety check. The GBI said Saturday that it appeared that Brooks got hold of one of the officer’s Tasers and ran from police before turning the weapon on them. Police then shot him.

Protesters congregated at the site where Brooks was killed. Hundreds of people chanted Brooks’ name outside the Wendy’s where the deadly confrontation took place.

LIVE UPDATES: 10:39 p.m.: The Wendy’s is fully engulfed in flames and smoke as protesters continue to occupy the street.

Read more: https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/atlanta/protesters-take-atlanta-streets-3rd-weekend-after-death-black-man-hands-apd/E4AMA3EGXNG75F5WFZCO5X6SQ4/

---

Security video of this shooting was posted tonight on the same web site. Atlanta's mayor announced the resignation of their police chief.

Protesters also blocked some major streets in town.

KY..........

[EllieBC]

1. CNN crawler says

firefighters can’t get to it.

[Hoyt]

3. They got there a bit after 11.

[EllieBC]

4. They said it's not far from a gas station?

That’s terrifying.

[Hoyt]

8. It's really not that close, several hundred feet at least. It looks close on TV, but

when you look at a satellite map, it’s not that close, at least for sparks to start something. Big crowd, but seems orderly right now.

Of course, some folks are shooting fireworks, and you never know who might show up.

[lapucelle]

10. It sounds pretty bad.

Link to tweet

[Sneederbunk]

2. Another reason why stereotypes live on.

[TristanIsolde]

6. What does that mean ?

[LudwigPastorius]

5. *facepalm*

What's the thinking here? The place needed to be incinerated because they were the ones who called the cops on the guy in the first place?

[TristanIsolde]

7. A black man lost his life, and you are worried about a Wendy's ?

[The Magistrate]

9. People Are Not Worried About The Fate Of the Wendy's, Ma'am

People are concerned about the effect its destruction may have on popular support for the demonstrations against police brutality.

[TristanIsolde]

11. If anything the popular support seems to be increasing

[still_one]

14. Not because of this

[The Magistrate]

15. We Will See How The Numbers Hold Over-All, Ma'am

It is not just a question of counting noses in the crowds. It matters a great deal how many people look at the news and say 'These people have a point.' Mob action, as opposed to demonstrations, particularly demonstrations police attack, will reduce the number who nod in approval.

[still_one]

13. +++

[FarPoint]

21. Yeap...

It does not favor the Peaceful Protestors...

[LudwigPastorius]

44. Thank you.

[lapucelle]

16. I don't think it's a matter of being worried about a Wendys.

The arsonist has endangered the lives of the protestors and first respondors.

[TristanIsolde]

18. The irrational arsonist acting on passion managed to do it while causing the death of 0 people

while the well trained "professional" officers killed a black man for the crime of trying to flee. No wonder people are fed up, I don't blame them.

[cstanleytech]

27. Does not matter as arson is arson just like its rape if you have sex with someone you drugged even

though they might not have felt anything and in both cases the ones guilty of such a thing should be held fully accountable.

[ck4829]

37. Or if you have sex with someone in your custody and have power over them?

https://blogs.findlaw.com/injured/2019/11/is-it-legal-for-police-to-have-sex-with-those-in-custody.html

[cstanleytech]

51. I would classify that as rape but I doubt it will be prosecuted as such as it would open the door to

other people being charged like say a persons boss.

[Humanist_Activist]

46. One is a crime against a person's body, the other against property...

people's lives and bodies should always take precedence in our concern over property.

[lapucelle]

54. Anyone who wants to defend and excuse arson is free to do so.

Welcome to DU.

[rockfordfile]

55. I agree

[greytdemocrat]

23. Tell that to the store owner

And the people who are now out of a job.

[ck4829]

38. +1

[George II]

56. What's the rationale and justification behind burning down the Wendy's? Is there any?

[Dr. Strange]

59. So your question is...

What's the Beef?

Sorry, I'll show myself out.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

12. Turning out to be one nasty night in Atlanta. I don't think this will help their cause.

At 9pm, they have one side of the I-75/I-85 interstate shut down. Cop car damaged and then smoke bombs thrown.

Apparently two protest groups merged. People protesting George Floyd’s death downtown met up with people demanding justice for Brooks outside the Wendy’s where he was killed.

Going to be a long, hot, deadly summer I fear.

[George II]

17. This does no good whatsoever - it only feeds the right wing fervor.

[still_one]

20. Yes it will. In addition a good number of protesters are not wearing masks

I look at that along with trump setting up rallies encouraging people to also not wear masks or social distance, and it doesn’t take rocket science, we will have a second peak before the fall

In fact the numbers are already showing it in 21 states

[gab13by13]

36. I agree, except it's not a 2nd peak,

it's still the 1st virus. You need to bring the curve down before you can call it a 2nd wave. We in the US are still on a plateau from the 1st wave.

[Delphinus]

45. I hear you on that.

Wish others would get that.

[oldsoftie]

40. Not to mention potentially hurting votes in Nov.

People look at shit like this and begin to push back mentally against it. And you may lose a vote because of it. Just like trump loses votes from his tweeting. His approval would be many points higher if he never tweeted, IMO.

[rockfordfile]

53. I agree that it was wrong to burn down Wendys

[Initech]

19. Shit just got real.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

22. Yep, when I was in the fire service, we called this "fully involved".

Link to tweet

This is over two hours after the fire started. This will wind up being a vacant lot for a long time or perhaps a memorial site.

And, just a minute ago....

Link to tweet

[cstanleytech]

26. I have never understood why people feel the need to riot and or burn local businesses down as it can

cause alot of people locally to lose their jobs if the business decides not to reopen and or relocates somewhere else to avoid such a thing in the future.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

28. I agree and I must be old-fashioned.

I suspect there's an element of thugs that take advantage of the mass of the crowd to stir up destruction. I wish the true demonstrators find a way to better police their own ranks.

This will turn parts of these neighborhoods in to wastelands with no services or jobs.

I also wonder if Russia or other social media rouges could be lighting the fires of rage as they did with a demonstration in Texas in 2016.

KY

[christx30]

29. And then community leaders complain about the neighborhoods being a food desert. n/t

c

[GeorgeGist]

47. I'm guessing you're white.

And never heard of revulsion at Racism.

[cstanleytech]

50. There is a difference between opposing racism and doing something foolish and

rioting and burning local businesses that provide jobs as well as goods for the people in your own community.
The first is a good thing the second is just shooting yourself in the foot.

[SunSeeker]

24. This was predictable. Why didn't the National Guard set up outside the Wendy's?

That is where they should have stationed when they showed up earlier today. Instead, the National Guard parked their vehicles along the highway nearby earlier today. Stupid.

[cstanleytech]

25. Wait a second.....stun guns are supposed to be none lethal so why exactly did they feel the need to

suddenly shoot him? It makes zero sense and imo I think the ones that shot him should be facing manslaughter charges at the very least.

[christx30]

30. Guy tazes cop. Grabs service weapon. Shoots passerby.

[Normanart]

32. guy grabs tazer.

has no idea how to activate it. nobody needs to die.

[oldsoftie]

41. A Taser is pretty easy to operate. You squeeze and pull the trigger/button.

[cstanleytech]

52. Its a less than lethal weapon though or it supposedly is.

[Normanart]

60. safety switch

Most tasers have a safety switch that must be moved from the SAFE position to the ARMED position to be fired.

[Rhiannon12866]

31. More on this story currently being broadcast on MSNBC. Footage:

Link to tweet

[keithbvadu2]

33. Was it just more Trumpist arsonists pretending to be protesters?

Was it just more Trumpist arsonists pretending to be protesters?

[SunSeeker]

34. No, it was the predictable rage following another unjustified killing of a black man.

Someone in that Wendy's called the cops on a black guy sleeping in his car, and the cops shoot him dead. I knew as soon as I heard this story that the Wendy's would be a target of rage. That doesn't require clairvoyance. Why didn't they immediately station national guard or police vehicles around the Wendy's to protect it? Instead, they parked a convoy of national guard vehicles along a nearby highway, blocking the offramp to that area. What good did that do other than piss off the locals even more?

Link to tweet

[oldsoftie]

42. They should have secured the store better. Then everyone would be screaming about THAT.

[Roy Rolling]

35. Sleeping While Black

Seriously. What was he doing that required someone to call the cops? If they thought it was a medical emergency why did they think police would heal him? They aren’t EMS, they are cops. Why do we keep sending these a**holes into situations they are unequipped to handle, and frequently do the exact wrong thing?

This guy, mental patients, black kids in playgrounds...

[3Hotdogs]

39. ---"Sleeping while Black...." So lets cogitate on this for a minute.

You drive or walk by a guy sleeping in a car on the side of the road. Don't matter about his skin tone. You think... is he catching a snooze or is he having a stroke or heart attack? 911 or not?

This has happened to all of us. What did you do?


Now, lets change the location. Again, don't matter 'bout the apparent race of the driver. Lets say, she's third person in line at the bank atm and she's behind the wheel, "down for the count." You are the last person in line. No doubt what you would do.

Now the Wendy's clerk can't leave the store to go knock on the car, "Are you all right?"

[GeorgeGist]

48. I left them alone.

[oldsoftie]

43. Sleeping in a drive thru most people would assume a drunk.

Which is probably why they called the cops.
Call EMS & THEY would end up calling the cops

[Buckeye_Democrat]

49. I draw the line at Wendy's! Attacking my Ohio heritage!

It was founded in Ohio!

<---- Please note!

[KY_EnviroGuy]

57. LOL. My heritage would be Cracker Barrel (TN) and KFC (KY) but....

Wendy's fed me in the evening after many field service jobs, leaving work so filthy only drive-through would do to carry to my motel. A burger, side salad and shake were my comfort foods and sometimes chili in winter time. That was the case in Cambridge, Lima, Elyria and many other Ohio burgs (and across the U.S.A.) before retirement.

KY..........

[Buckeye_Democrat]

58. Mmm!

I was just poking some fun at some people getting upset about Confederate statues being removed over their "heritage".

It's actually odd to me how some people strongly identify with various groups and symbols, unless it's immediate family or something.

[marie999]

61. Burning Wendys was totally wrong, but I would like to hear the 911 call.

He was sleeping in the drive-thru. If I was the manager, I would have knocked on the window lightly and if he didn't wake up I would have called 911 no matter what color he was. I would not have mentioned that he was black. Then it is up to the 911 operator to decide who to call.

[LiberalArkie]

62. A video I saw was a white girl with a black apron on (Wendys?) setting fire to it.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

63. Here's news coverage confirming that.....

$10,000 reward offered for identity of Wendy's arsonist
CBS46 Atlanta
Updated 6 hrs ago | Posted on Jun 14, 202

Link: https://www.cbs46.com/news/10-000-reward-offered-for-identity-of-wendys-arsonist/article_889e7da6-ae6a-11ea-b6a7-3333060ac7d1.html

(snip)

ATLANTA (CBS46) -- Crime Stoppers of Atlanta offered a $10,000 reward Sunday for the arrest and indictment of the person or persons responsible for starting a fire that destroyed a Wendy's during protests Saturday night.
+++
Atlanta Police released four images of a person who may have been involved and also linked to a short Twitter video of someone appearing to try to set fire to the Wendy's store from the outside. The video can be seen below:

One of the police photos....



These antagonist criminals should be paraded down Peachtree in stocks for all to see.

It can't be a coincidence that almost every one of these people breaking windows and setting fires across the nation are dressed very similar in black and have most of their skin covered. This one didn't do a very good job.

KY........

[Blasphemer]

64. Thanks for posting this

Thank you not only for the information but also for your outrage. I've counted 3 original posts here on DU expressing outrage at the Wendy's being burned down that were based on the assumption that the arsonist was a (likely Black) protestor. This type of activity by (likely) white supremacist instigators is where our outrage needs to be focused.