The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s newest documentary, “DE-ESCALATE!,” tells the story of an intense protest that happened after Rayshard Brooks was killed by an Atlanta police officer in June 2020. Hundreds of protesters, who’d gathered at the restaurant site, shut down the nearby Downtown Connector, one of the busiest interstates in Atlanta.

A small group of Georgia State Troopers arrived and had to figure out how to safely clear the road.

What followed was a night of intense confrontations between demonstrators and police – and between troopers. “DE-ESCALATE!” was created with footage from AJC videographer Ryon Horne and AJC photographs, along with interviews and documents obtained through the Georgia Open Records Act.

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Julian Conley listens during opening statements in his trial at Fulton County Superior Court in Atlanta on Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025. The 25-year-old is accused of fatally shooting 8-year-old Secoriea Turner in July 2020. (Abbey Cutrer/AJC)

Credit: abbey.cutrer@ajc.com