Protesters set ablaze cafe in Atlanta where Brooks was shot dead

Jun 14, 2020

Atlanta [US], June 14 : The anti-racism protesters in the Atlanta city of the southeastern city of Georgia have set ablaze the cafe where Rayshard Brooks, a 27-years-old African-American man, was shot dead by a police officer.
Brooks had tried to flee after failing a sobriety test at the drive-thru of a local Wendy's, where he fell asleep in his car, obstructing the customer line, Sputnik reported Georgia Bureau of Investigation as saying.
According to video footage from the scene, he had resisted the arrest, grabbed a Taser from one of the officers and started running away, while being chased by the officer. Though the camera did not capture the shooting, it recorded the sound of three gunshots. Protesters took to the streets in Atlanta the next day, demanding that police be held liable.
"Atlanta Fire units are standing by until they can safely get to the fire burning at Wendy's (125 University Ave). The restaurant is fully involved and adjacent to a gas station. No reports of anyone inside the location," Atlanta Fire Rescue said on Twitter.
CNN reported that the protesters obstructed the fire engines from reaching the restaurant after setting the entire building ablaze.
Police reportedly used tear gas to disperse protesters, as they block the road where the Wendy's is located and burn cars.
The incident comes at a time when the US is roiled by protests triggered by a black man, George Floyd under police custody in Minneapolis.
The nationwide and worldwide spread of anti-racist protests following the death of George Floyd has led to calls to defund police departments and take down Confederate statues.