Expand / Collapse search
☰

Atlanta police call outs 'higher than usual' after charges filed in death of Rayshard Brooks

Updated  June 20, 2020 9:06am EDT
Atlanta Police Department
FOX 5 Atlanta

Growing concern with APD staffing in wake of charges

Atlanta police officer morale drops, sick calls increase following charges in Rayshard Brooks shooting.

ATLANTA - An Atlanta Police Department roll call sheet shows over a dozen sick-out calls following the charges against a former APD officer in the shooting death of Rayshard Brooks.

The APD reported an "unusually high number of call-outs" following the charges against former officer Garret Rolfe and Officer Devin Brosnan connected to the deadly shooting of Brooks last Friday night.

Saturday, FOX 5 obtained a roll call sheet from a trusted source showing a total of 18 sick-out calls.

Some of the "no shows" were actually officers from other zones who were called in to help.

An Atlanta Police Department roll call sheet provided by a source to FOX 5.

FULL COVERAGE ON THE DEATH OF RAYSHARD BROOKS

Friday night, sources told FOX 5 homicide detectives were having to respond to all routine 911 calls because the officers who normally responded to the calls failed to show up.

Speaking to FOX 5's Portia Bruner, retired DeKalb County Police Major K.D. Johnson said he's been hearing from officers nonstop since Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard announced charges against Rolfe and Brosnan.

"The police officers are like you are damned if you do, damned if you don't. I have heard that there have been some call outs and some refusing to respond to calls," said Johnson, who worked for DeKalb County for 25 years.

MORE: Officer morale drops, sick calls increase following charges in Rayshard Brooks shooting

Fulton County District Attorney Paul L. Howard Jr. announces 11 charges against former Atlanta Police Officer Garrett Rolfe. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

While APD has not confirmed the roll call sheet, a spokesperson on Friday did say they've had a higher than usual number of sick calls, but said on Twitter that the department has "enough resources to maintain operations & remain able to respond to incidents."

Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard, during a press conference Wednesday afternoon, said Officer Garrett Rolfe and Officer Devin Brosnan would be charged in connection to 27-year-old Brooks being shot and killed on the night of June 12 at the Wendy's restaurant along University Avenue in southeast Atlanta.

Officer Rolfe faces 11 charges, including felony murder, multiple counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, first-degree criminal damage to property, and two counts of violating of his oath as a public officer while Officer Brosnan has been charged with a count of aggravated assault and two counts of violating his oath of office.

Earlier this week, Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms acknowledged the Brooks case along with the recent protests and the general public tone towards law enforcement has been hard on officers.

"The morale is bad right now," the mayor said during a press conference Monday discussing police policy reforms. "My understanding is it is really bad."