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| Rayshard Brooks: protests in Atlanta over police shooting of African American man – live | Rayshard Brooks: protests in Atlanta over police shooting of African American man – live |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| New officer-involved shooting leads police chief to quit and demonstrators to return to the streets | New officer-involved shooting leads police chief to quit and demonstrators to return to the streets |
| Oklahoma Republican senator James Lankford is on ABC’s This Week. He has been involved with discussion on police reform. He says that choke holds should be banned. George Floyd was killed after a police officer knelt on his neck for more than eight minutes. | |
| “That is one of the things that we should have engaged in a long time ago,” he says. “Many departments around the country have already banned choke holds. And I think a lot of other departments are increasing that now. Some departments just didn’t train for choke holds and told their officers they can only do one if they have been trained for ... There’s been a longstanding principle out there that that is not needed for that situation. And there’s been a consensus document that was done in 2017 by law enforcement around the country to say that that is not needed.” | |
| Lankford was among those who encouraged Donald Trump to move a rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, from Juneteenth, a day of celebration of the end of slavery. Tulsa was also the site of a massacre of African Americans in the 1920s. He is asked if the event should be cancelled altogether, given the dangers of spreading Covid-19 at a large, indoor rally. He says he “will be attending. I absolutely will be.” | |
| Lankford says: “Our hospitalizations continue to decline. Our deaths continue to decline and we encourage people that are high risk not to get involved in any location, whether that be a rally or other higher risk locations. So, high-risk folks need to be able to step back and everybody needs to be able to take responsibility for their own health.” | |
| He also says he believes military bases, such as Fort Bragg, should not be named after Confederate generals. “If you have a military base that is named after someone that actually rebelled against the United States government, then you would want to be able to go back and look at that name. That should be a pretty basic principle,” he says. | |
| Stacey Abrams, the former leader of the Georgia House of Representatives and a possible running mate for Joe Biden, is on ABC’s This Week with George Stephanopoulos. | |
| They discuss the police killing of Rayshard Brooks, and comments from Atlantas mayor, Keisha Lance Bottoms, about the “disconnect” between police and local communities. | |
| “There’s a legitimacy to this anger, there’s a legitimacy to this outrage,” she says. “A man was murdered because he was asleep in a drive-through and we know that this is not an isolated occurrence.“We also know that a man taking a Taser from a police officer in Pennsylvania resulted in his arrest, but because this person [Brooks] was black, it resulted in his death.“Those are conversations that have to be had, not only through speeches but through the decisions made by budget allocations, and I think that’s the next conversation we have to have in Atlanta.” | |
| Abrams is then asked about voting problems in Georgia last week, which many have seen as an ominous sign ahead of November’s presidential elections. Voters encountered hours-long lines and equipment malfunctions as they showed up to vote in person in the state’s primary races on Tuesday. | |
| “We had 20 counties that had to get judicial orders to extend their elections because of inoperable machines, because of lack of training for their staff, because of the challenges posed by the failures of the secretary of state,” she says. | |
| She adds: “My focus is on making sure that we have elections that can happen in November. There will be no vice president, there will be no president if our democracy crumbles under the inefficiencies and the inequities that we see happening. And we want to have an administration, led by Joe Biden, that transforms America and makes us a stronger and safer nation.” | |
| Tim Scott, the only African American Republican senator, is on CBS’s Face the Nation. He is asked about the police killing of Rayshard Brooks on Friday, and whether it was justified. Brooks appeared to have possession of a police taser when he was killed, although he also appeared to be running away from the officer who shot and killed him. | Tim Scott, the only African American Republican senator, is on CBS’s Face the Nation. He is asked about the police killing of Rayshard Brooks on Friday, and whether it was justified. Brooks appeared to have possession of a police taser when he was killed, although he also appeared to be running away from the officer who shot and killed him. |
| “The question is when the suspect turned to fire the taser, what should the officer have done? One of the challenges that we have in a split second decisions is the need for more training,” says Scott. “... In order for us to provide more opportunities to de-escalate these situations and reduce the use of force, we have to have effective training. That situation is certainly a far less clear one than the ones that we saw with George Floyd and several other ones around the country.” | “The question is when the suspect turned to fire the taser, what should the officer have done? One of the challenges that we have in a split second decisions is the need for more training,” says Scott. “... In order for us to provide more opportunities to de-escalate these situations and reduce the use of force, we have to have effective training. That situation is certainly a far less clear one than the ones that we saw with George Floyd and several other ones around the country.” |
| Scott is then asked about comments from the US attorney general, William Barr, last week in which he denied US law enforcement is systemically racist. Scott has spoken of incidents he has experienced, including one in which a police officer questioned whether he was actually a senator. | Scott is then asked about comments from the US attorney general, William Barr, last week in which he denied US law enforcement is systemically racist. Scott has spoken of incidents he has experienced, including one in which a police officer questioned whether he was actually a senator. |
| “What I would suggest is that you look at the racial outcomes, is there a nexus to race in some of the outcomes in law enforcement? I think the answer is yes,” says Scott. Can we reduce that so that we’re no longer battling the question of the definition of systematic or systemic racism? I think the answer is yes. But there’s no question that the outcomes seem to have a racial component. And that’s why we’re working on getting all the information, then retraining and then eliminating those police officers that have a pattern of misbehavior. If we can do those three things, America will be better and our streets will be safer for the suspect, the officer and the community at large.” | “What I would suggest is that you look at the racial outcomes, is there a nexus to race in some of the outcomes in law enforcement? I think the answer is yes,” says Scott. Can we reduce that so that we’re no longer battling the question of the definition of systematic or systemic racism? I think the answer is yes. But there’s no question that the outcomes seem to have a racial component. And that’s why we’re working on getting all the information, then retraining and then eliminating those police officers that have a pattern of misbehavior. If we can do those three things, America will be better and our streets will be safer for the suspect, the officer and the community at large.” |
| Scott has said in the past that Donald Trump is not racist, but is “racially insensitive”. He is asked about the president scheduling a rally for Juneteenth, the celebration of the end of slavery, in Tulsa, the site of a massacre of Africa Americans last century. Trump later rescheduled the rally. | Scott has said in the past that Donald Trump is not racist, but is “racially insensitive”. He is asked about the president scheduling a rally for Juneteenth, the celebration of the end of slavery, in Tulsa, the site of a massacre of Africa Americans last century. Trump later rescheduled the rally. |
| “I’m thankful that he moved it,” says Scott. “Certainly the Tulsa, Oklahoma race riots were the worst in American history by a count. The next year is the 100th anniversary. The president moving the date by a day once he was informed on what Juneteenth was, that was a good decision on his part. | “I’m thankful that he moved it,” says Scott. “Certainly the Tulsa, Oklahoma race riots were the worst in American history by a count. The next year is the 100th anniversary. The president moving the date by a day once he was informed on what Juneteenth was, that was a good decision on his part. |
| Democratic congresswoman Ilhan Omar, who represents part of Minneapolis, is on CNN’s State of the Union. | Democratic congresswoman Ilhan Omar, who represents part of Minneapolis, is on CNN’s State of the Union. |
| Host Jake Tapper begins by asking her about Rayshard Brooks, the black man who was shot and killed by police in Atlanta on Friday night. “It’s a reminder that police officers can’t continue to be judge, jury and executioner,” she says and says deaths such as that of Brooks are “disheartening”. | Host Jake Tapper begins by asking her about Rayshard Brooks, the black man who was shot and killed by police in Atlanta on Friday night. “It’s a reminder that police officers can’t continue to be judge, jury and executioner,” she says and says deaths such as that of Brooks are “disheartening”. |
| Tapper then moves on to ask her about her calls to dismantle the Minneapolis Police Department, after one of its police officers killed George Floyd. She is asked what takes the department’s place if it is dismantled. Omar says it is impossible for the city to move forward if it has a department with a “crisis of credibility” and “what you can do is rebuild.” | Tapper then moves on to ask her about her calls to dismantle the Minneapolis Police Department, after one of its police officers killed George Floyd. She is asked what takes the department’s place if it is dismantled. Omar says it is impossible for the city to move forward if it has a department with a “crisis of credibility” and “what you can do is rebuild.” |
| Omar adds that she is not saying there should be no law enforcement in the city. “No one is saying that the community is not going to be kept safe, that crimes are not going to be investigated,” she says. Rather she believes that the current police system “cannot go forward”. It is an issue not just for her city but “many places” in the US. | Omar adds that she is not saying there should be no law enforcement in the city. “No one is saying that the community is not going to be kept safe, that crimes are not going to be investigated,” she says. Rather she believes that the current police system “cannot go forward”. It is an issue not just for her city but “many places” in the US. |
| Tapper then points out that some Democrats, including Joe Biden, do not support defunding the police. Omar says “giving more money” to police is strange when people are on the streets protesting against police brutality. She says it’s a local issue rather than a federal issue, which Biden would work on if he was president. | Tapper then points out that some Democrats, including Joe Biden, do not support defunding the police. Omar says “giving more money” to police is strange when people are on the streets protesting against police brutality. She says it’s a local issue rather than a federal issue, which Biden would work on if he was president. |
| Earlier on CNN, James Clyburn, one of the leading African American members of Congress, had told Tapper he did not support defunding the police. | Earlier on CNN, James Clyburn, one of the leading African American members of Congress, had told Tapper he did not support defunding the police. |
| “I would simply say ... nobody is going to defund the police,” Clyburn said. “We can restructure the police forces, reimagine policing.” | “I would simply say ... nobody is going to defund the police,” Clyburn said. “We can restructure the police forces, reimagine policing.” |
| Clyburn also spoke about the death of Brooks. “I was very incensed over that,” he said. “This did not call for lethal force.” | Clyburn also spoke about the death of Brooks. “I was very incensed over that,” he said. “This did not call for lethal force.” |
| Vladimir Putin has said the recent civil unrest in the United States is linked to “deep-rooted internal crises” in the country. The Russian president also appeared to hint that he believes opponents of Donald Trump are involved. | Vladimir Putin has said the recent civil unrest in the United States is linked to “deep-rooted internal crises” in the country. The Russian president also appeared to hint that he believes opponents of Donald Trump are involved. |
| “I try very carefully to comment or better, not comment, on what is happening in the United States or other countries,” said Putin. “... What happened there is a manifestation of some deep-rooted internal crises. In fact, we have been observing this for a long time now, from the moment the incumbent president came to power, when he obviously won in an absolutely democratic way, and the losing side came up with all sorts of tales in order to question his legitimacy.” | “I try very carefully to comment or better, not comment, on what is happening in the United States or other countries,” said Putin. “... What happened there is a manifestation of some deep-rooted internal crises. In fact, we have been observing this for a long time now, from the moment the incumbent president came to power, when he obviously won in an absolutely democratic way, and the losing side came up with all sorts of tales in order to question his legitimacy.” |
| Putin’s comments were made to Russian broadcaster Rossiya 1, and were his first comments on the unrest in the US following the death of George Floyd. | Putin’s comments were made to Russian broadcaster Rossiya 1, and were his first comments on the unrest in the US following the death of George Floyd. |
| It’s Donald Trump’s 74th birthday today and the president is at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, having given the commencement address at West Point in New York on Saturday. | It’s Donald Trump’s 74th birthday today and the president is at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, having given the commencement address at West Point in New York on Saturday. |
| That occasion went pretty well, although the president is not a fan of people who speculated about why, when exiting the stage, he seemed to find walking down a ramp rather hard: | That occasion went pretty well, although the president is not a fan of people who speculated about why, when exiting the stage, he seemed to find walking down a ramp rather hard: |
| Momentum, as the president notes, tends to gather when things are going downhill. | Momentum, as the president notes, tends to gather when things are going downhill. |
| Also, from the Department of There’s Always A Tweet For That… there’s always a tweet for that: | Also, from the Department of There’s Always A Tweet For That… there’s always a tweet for that: |
| But never mind. | But never mind. |
| The rest of Trump’s Twitter feed overnight featured favourable coverage of his speech, retweets of inflammatory videos about “antifa” protesters and again harsh criticism for those, Joe Biden among them, who choose to kneel to express solidarity with protesters against police brutality. Nothing to seek to calm the troubled streets of Atlanta. So far, so modern-day presidential. | The rest of Trump’s Twitter feed overnight featured favourable coverage of his speech, retweets of inflammatory videos about “antifa” protesters and again harsh criticism for those, Joe Biden among them, who choose to kneel to express solidarity with protesters against police brutality. Nothing to seek to calm the troubled streets of Atlanta. So far, so modern-day presidential. |
| Trump is due to head back to Washington late this afternoon, so there will be chances for “chopper talk” words with reporters. That said, the president hasn’t been particularly keen to speak to the press of late. | Trump is due to head back to Washington late this afternoon, so there will be chances for “chopper talk” words with reporters. That said, the president hasn’t been particularly keen to speak to the press of late. |
| Here’s world affairs editor Julian Borger on the West Point speech and Trump’s troubled relationship with the US military: | Here’s world affairs editor Julian Borger on the West Point speech and Trump’s troubled relationship with the US military: |
| Here’s a video report on events in Atlanta last night: | Here’s a video report on events in Atlanta last night: |
| The Associated Press has more on what released video footage shows of the arrest of Rayshard Brooks, his struggle with police officers and the moment he was shot: | The Associated Press has more on what released video footage shows of the arrest of Rayshard Brooks, his struggle with police officers and the moment he was shot: |
| A reporter in Atlanta, meanwhile, has tweeted a picture of the scene at the Wendy’s restaurant this morning: | A reporter in Atlanta, meanwhile, has tweeted a picture of the scene at the Wendy’s restaurant this morning: |
| …on another day in a country still under a public health crisis, and still gripped by protests over police brutality and structural racism. | …on another day in a country still under a public health crisis, and still gripped by protests over police brutality and structural racism. |
| The protests began after George Floyd, a 46-year-old African American man, was killed by officers in Minneapolis. But the deaths, and the protests, keep coming. | The protests began after George Floyd, a 46-year-old African American man, was killed by officers in Minneapolis. But the deaths, and the protests, keep coming. |
| In Atlanta overnight, demonstrators marched and a Wendy’s restaurant burned. The night before, outside the drive-thru, police were called to deal with a man sleeping in his car. The man failed a sobriety test, investigators said, and after a struggle in which he took one of the officers’ Tasers, Rayshard Brooks, a 27-year-old African American man, was killed. | In Atlanta overnight, demonstrators marched and a Wendy’s restaurant burned. The night before, outside the drive-thru, police were called to deal with a man sleeping in his car. The man failed a sobriety test, investigators said, and after a struggle in which he took one of the officers’ Tasers, Rayshard Brooks, a 27-year-old African American man, was killed. |
| On Saturday, the story brewed slowly through the day, facts coming out, crowds gathering, law enforcement talking. The incident was caught on video. Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said she “did not believe that this was a justified use of deadly force”. Atlanta police chief Erika Shields resigned. Garrett Rolfe, the officer who allegedly shot Brooks, was fired. The other officer involved, Devin Brosnan, was placed on administrative duty. | On Saturday, the story brewed slowly through the day, facts coming out, crowds gathering, law enforcement talking. The incident was caught on video. Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said she “did not believe that this was a justified use of deadly force”. Atlanta police chief Erika Shields resigned. Garrett Rolfe, the officer who allegedly shot Brooks, was fired. The other officer involved, Devin Brosnan, was placed on administrative duty. |
| And protesters took to the streets. | And protesters took to the streets. |
| “You can’t have it both ways in law enforcement,” said Chris Stewart, an attorney for the Brooks family. “You can’t say a Taser is a non-lethal weapon ... but when an African American grabs it and runs with it, now it’s some kind of deadly, lethal weapon that calls for you to unload on somebody.” | “You can’t have it both ways in law enforcement,” said Chris Stewart, an attorney for the Brooks family. “You can’t say a Taser is a non-lethal weapon ... but when an African American grabs it and runs with it, now it’s some kind of deadly, lethal weapon that calls for you to unload on somebody.” |
| Welcome to another day in America. | Welcome to another day in America. |
| Here’s some more hopeful further reading from Sandra Susan Smith, of Berkeley, soon to be of Harvard: | Here’s some more hopeful further reading from Sandra Susan Smith, of Berkeley, soon to be of Harvard: |