Atlanta City Councilman Antonio Lewis was friends with Rayshard Brooks, helped organize protests after his death and defeated an incumbent last year for a seat on the council. He said Tuesday afternoon he wasn’t surprised by the prosecutors’ decision, but he was still disappointed.
Lewis expressed disagreement with the decision and said it pains him to see the charges against the officers dismissed.
“Brooks was asleep at the wheel in a drive-thru line. That’s all. I understand the need for accountability, but he didn’t have to lose his life,” Lewis said.
Lewis, who represents the area where Brooks was killed, said Brooks should never have been shot in the back as he ran, and that his district had to suffer for it. The councilman also said that “race is definitely a factor” and thinks special prosecutor Pete Skandalakis’ remarks that race was not a factor are “outlandish.”
”Two years later, what we see is the system is still broken and it’s time to fix it,” Lewis said. “I don’t think we’ll ever see a time where young Black men are spared.”
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