June 15 Black Lives Matter protests

By Meg Wagner, Mike Hayes, Helen Regan and Steve George, CNN

Updated 12:41 a.m. ET, June 16, 2020
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12:44 a.m. ET, June 15, 2020

Wife of Rayshard Brooks say she wants officers to go to jail

From CNN's Jamiel Lynch

In a preview of an interview airing Monday on CBS This Morning, Tomika Miller, the wife of Rayshard Brooks says she wants the officers involved in the fatal shooting of her husband to go to jail.

“I want them to go to jail,” she said. “I want them to deal with the same thing as if it was my husband who killed someone else. If it was my husband who shot them, he would be in jail. He would be doing a life sentence. They need to be put away.”

When speaking of her husband, Miller said, “Rayshard Brooks is everybody. Just like George is everybody. We are all the people, we are all God’s children.”

“We should feel the pain of those who lost their life to senselessness over authority being taken way overboard,” she said.

Miller’s interview will air on Monday on CBS This Morning.

An autopsy report released on Sunday by the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office said Brooks was shot twice in the back.

The report says that he died from organ damage and blood loss from the two gunshot wounds.

12:41 a.m. ET, June 15, 2020

Beyoncé pens letter to Kentucky Attorney General calling for justice for Breonna Taylor

From CNN's Kristina Sgueglia

Beyoncé Knowles-Carter wrote a letter to the Kentucky Attorney General calling for justice in the wake of the Louisville Metro Police's killing of Breonna Taylor and to ultimately “demonstrate the value of a Black woman’s life.”

The singer specifically called on Attorney General Daniel Cameron to bring criminal charges against the three officers involved, commit to transparency in the investigation and prosecution of the officers’ criminal conduct, and to investigate the LMPD’s response to Taylor’s murder as well as the “pervasive practices that result in the repeated deaths of unarmed Black citizens.”

In the letter, Beyonce notes repeatedly that it’s been three months since Taylor’s death and the “LMPD’s investigations have created more questions than answers,” specifically pointing to what she says is discrepancies in the incident report and claims by the LMPD. She also notes all officers involved in the incident remain employed.

Read the full letter here.

Taylor's family also released a statement through attorney Lonita Baker:

“We are extremely grateful that so many icons have used their voice to demand justice for Breonna Taylor. As Beyoncé and others have said, it has been 3 months since Breonna was murdered and her killers have yet to be fired or criminally charged. It is time that our elected leaders, including Mayor Fischer and AG Cameron, stop hiding behind the guise of what we know has been a botched investigation and do the right thing by firing and charging John Mattingly, Myles Cosgrove, Brett Hankison, Joshua Jaynes for their roles in the murder of Breonna Taylor.”
12:38 a.m. ET, June 15, 2020

Rayshard Brooks autopsy shows he was shot in the back twice, medical examiner says

From CNN's Jamiel Lynch

Rayshard Brooks was shot twice in the back, according to a release by the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office.

The report says that Brooks died from organ damage and blood loss from the two gunshot wounds.

The autopsy, performed on Sunday, lists Brooks’ cause of death as gunshot wounds to the back, the manner of death is listed as homicide.

Brooks, 27, was shot dead by a police officer Friday night at a Wendy's drive-through in the city after police moved to handcuff him for suspected driving under the influence, according to videos from the scene. The videos show that Brooks took an officer's Taser during the attempted arrest and then fired the Taser at the officers as he ran away.

Read the full story.

12:41 a.m. ET, June 15, 2020

Brooks family attorney calls statement from officer after shooting "very disturbing"

From CNN’s Raja Razek

Justin Miller, the Brooks family attorney, told CNN's Ana Cabrera on Sunday that a police officer's first comment after the fatal shooting of Rayshard Brooks is "very disturbing."

Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard's told CNN "we actually get a chance to hear the officer's first statement after the shooting took place. And what the officer said is not that his life was saved. What his statement was, he said, 'I got him.'"

Miller said he and the family are aware of the "I got him" statement. 

That was very disturbing to myself, my partner Chris, and Tamika, his widow. Very disturbing," Miller said.

Miller also discussed the autopsy, saying they have not seen the report, but they know some of the things that will be in it. 

"We know he was shot twice in the back. Once in his mid-back and once in his buttocks and those shots ended up killing him," Miller said. 

Regarding charges, Miller said "this is a little different than say George Floyd's murder because it is still a murder, but the legalities just, they fall differently when there is a scuffle and a taser and then a fleeing person who is killed."

As for what Miller expects the charges to be, he said "it probably will not be murder."

"That's a very hard thing to charge," Miller said. "You know, you just look at all the other cases that were a bit clearer and, you know, just as deadly to the client, and they were not charged with murder."

Miller did say it was good people and city leaders are taking steps "to mitigate problems." 

"But it is not justice, and we don't really think it can ever be justice because a man's life was taken, children lost a father, and a wife lost a husband."

 

12:19 a.m. ET, June 15, 2020

Atlanta police release images of suspect who started fire at Wendy's amid Rayshard Brooks protest

From CNN's Amir Ver

Atlanta police are looking for the people responsible for starting the fire at Wendy's Saturday night during protests over the death of Rayshard Brooks, who was fatally shot by police in the parking lot of the fast food restaurant on Friday night.

12:46 a.m. ET, June 15, 2020

Protesters attempt to get on Atlanta highway

From Melissa Alonso

WGCL
WGCL

Protesters attempted to march onto the Interstate 85/75 connector in Atlanta Sunday, video from CNN affiliate WGCL shows. 

Protesters gathered outside the Wendy’s where Rayshard Brooks was fatally shot by police Friday. A group of demonstrators are seen walking onto the highway near the fast food outlet and chanting at oncoming traffic. 

At least one officer is seen trying to get the group off the road, WGCL video shows. 

Moments later, the crowd begins to run away from the highway and someone on a megaphone yells "tear gas," according to WGCL video. It is not clear from the video whether tear gas was used.