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| Live Updates on George Floyd Protests: Atlanta Police Chief Resigns After Officer Kills Black Man | Live Updates on George Floyd Protests: Atlanta Police Chief Resigns After Officer Kills Black Man |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Atlanta’s police chief resigned on Saturday, less than 24 hours after a police officer shot and killed a man at a Wendy’s drive-through who had run from the police after failing a sobriety check and taking an officer’s Taser, the authorities said. | Atlanta’s police chief resigned on Saturday, less than 24 hours after a police officer shot and killed a man at a Wendy’s drive-through who had run from the police after failing a sobriety check and taking an officer’s Taser, the authorities said. |
| Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms of Atlanta said that security footage appeared to show that the man, Rayshard Brooks, 27, who is black, had fired the Taser toward the officer, who was chasing him before he was killed. | Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms of Atlanta said that security footage appeared to show that the man, Rayshard Brooks, 27, who is black, had fired the Taser toward the officer, who was chasing him before he was killed. |
| “While there may be debate as to whether this was an appropriate use of deadly force, I firmly believe that there is a clear distinction between what you can do and what you should do,” Ms. Bottoms said. “I do not believe that this was a justified use of deadly force.” | “While there may be debate as to whether this was an appropriate use of deadly force, I firmly believe that there is a clear distinction between what you can do and what you should do,” Ms. Bottoms said. “I do not believe that this was a justified use of deadly force.” |
| In addition to the resignation of the police chief, Erika Shields, who just weeks earlier had engaged with demonstrators protesting the killing of George Floyd, Ms. Bottoms said that she had also called for the immediate firing of the police officer who killed Mr. Brooks. | In addition to the resignation of the police chief, Erika Shields, who just weeks earlier had engaged with demonstrators protesting the killing of George Floyd, Ms. Bottoms said that she had also called for the immediate firing of the police officer who killed Mr. Brooks. |
| Ms. Shields, who is white and took over the department in 2017, will be replaced by Rodney Bryant, a black man who has served as a top police deputy and recently took over as the interim head of the city’s jails, Ms. Bottoms said, adding that the city will launch a national search for a permanent replacement. | Ms. Shields, who is white and took over the department in 2017, will be replaced by Rodney Bryant, a black man who has served as a top police deputy and recently took over as the interim head of the city’s jails, Ms. Bottoms said, adding that the city will launch a national search for a permanent replacement. |
| The encounter in the Wendy’s drive-through began on Friday night when police officers arrived on the scene and found that Mr. Brooks had fallen asleep in his vehicle, causing other customers to drive around him, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said in a statement. | The encounter in the Wendy’s drive-through began on Friday night when police officers arrived on the scene and found that Mr. Brooks had fallen asleep in his vehicle, causing other customers to drive around him, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said in a statement. |
| Mr. Brooks failed a sobriety test, the bureau said, and then struggled with officers as he was being arrested. Videos posted on social media showed him grappling with the two officers who were trying to arrest him. One officer appeared to try to stun him after Mr. Brooks threw a punch at him. | Mr. Brooks failed a sobriety test, the bureau said, and then struggled with officers as he was being arrested. Videos posted on social media showed him grappling with the two officers who were trying to arrest him. One officer appeared to try to stun him after Mr. Brooks threw a punch at him. |
| As Mr. Brooks ran away, appearing to hold the Taser, one officer chased after him, holding another stun gun. Then, in one of the videos, several gunshots can be heard. | As Mr. Brooks ran away, appearing to hold the Taser, one officer chased after him, holding another stun gun. Then, in one of the videos, several gunshots can be heard. |
| On Saturday afternoon, after obtaining surveillance video from the restaurant and reviewing videos on social media, the bureau revised its initial account of what had happened, saying its earlier statement — which claimed that Mr. Brooks was killed during the struggle with officers — “was based on the officer’s body cam which was knocked off during the physical struggle, preventing the capture of the entire shooting incident.” | |
| “During the chase, Mr. Brooks turned and pointed the Taser at the officer,” the bureau said, adding, that “the officer fired his weapon, striking Brooks.” | “During the chase, Mr. Brooks turned and pointed the Taser at the officer,” the bureau said, adding, that “the officer fired his weapon, striking Brooks.” |
| Mr. Brooks was taken to a hospital, where he died after surgery. One officer was treated for an injury during the episode and was later released. | Mr. Brooks was taken to a hospital, where he died after surgery. One officer was treated for an injury during the episode and was later released. |
| One by one, the activists, legislators and relatives of people hurt and killed in confrontations with the police stared into their phones and laptop cameras on Saturday and spoke out about ambitious legislation that seeks to transform policing and public safety in Minnesota. | One by one, the activists, legislators and relatives of people hurt and killed in confrontations with the police stared into their phones and laptop cameras on Saturday and spoke out about ambitious legislation that seeks to transform policing and public safety in Minnesota. |
| It was the emotional first day of hearings and debate on a package of measures being proposed by Democratic legislators in the wake of the killing of George Floyd. | It was the emotional first day of hearings and debate on a package of measures being proposed by Democratic legislators in the wake of the killing of George Floyd. |
| The hearing unfolded virtually because of the coronavirus, so instead of stepping up to a lectern to address lawmakers seated in their State Capitol chambers, community members spoke from their living rooms and offices as cars whooshed by, babies squawked and shaky internet connections marred their voices. | The hearing unfolded virtually because of the coronavirus, so instead of stepping up to a lectern to address lawmakers seated in their State Capitol chambers, community members spoke from their living rooms and offices as cars whooshed by, babies squawked and shaky internet connections marred their voices. |
| “Here we are again,” said Valerie Castile, whose son, Philando, was shot and killed by a police officer in a St. Paul suburb in 2016, his last moments captured in a grim video. “We as a community don’t have a voice in anything. We need our voices heard.” | “Here we are again,” said Valerie Castile, whose son, Philando, was shot and killed by a police officer in a St. Paul suburb in 2016, his last moments captured in a grim video. “We as a community don’t have a voice in anything. We need our voices heard.” |
| Democrats have proposed nearly 20 measures that have been grouped into three bills now beginning to make their way through the divided Legislature. | Democrats have proposed nearly 20 measures that have been grouped into three bills now beginning to make their way through the divided Legislature. |
| The bills would ban chokeholds and “warrior training” for police officers, increase oversight and tracking of officers’ use of force and disciplinary records and make Minnesota’s attorney general responsible for prosecuting killings by law enforcement. It would also restore voting rights to thousands of people convicted of felonies. | The bills would ban chokeholds and “warrior training” for police officers, increase oversight and tracking of officers’ use of force and disciplinary records and make Minnesota’s attorney general responsible for prosecuting killings by law enforcement. It would also restore voting rights to thousands of people convicted of felonies. |
| Many of the proposals are not new, and have been proposed year after year. They have the backing of Minnesota’s Democratic governor and are expected to pass the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives early this week. But Republicans, who control Minnesota’s Senate, have vowed to oppose some of the most ambitious parts of the Democratic agenda, and have said they plan to stay in session only through the end of next week. | Many of the proposals are not new, and have been proposed year after year. They have the backing of Minnesota’s Democratic governor and are expected to pass the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives early this week. But Republicans, who control Minnesota’s Senate, have vowed to oppose some of the most ambitious parts of the Democratic agenda, and have said they plan to stay in session only through the end of next week. |
| On Saturday, most of the people testifying spoke in favor of the legislation, saying that years of efforts to retrain police and pass incremental reforms had failed people of color. | On Saturday, most of the people testifying spoke in favor of the legislation, saying that years of efforts to retrain police and pass incremental reforms had failed people of color. |
| “We’re ready for actual real concrete changes, transformational changes,” said JaNaé Bates, who works with coalition of faith groups that seek racial and economic justice. | “We’re ready for actual real concrete changes, transformational changes,” said JaNaé Bates, who works with coalition of faith groups that seek racial and economic justice. |
| “We’re ready build something new, something different.” | “We’re ready build something new, something different.” |
| Thousands of people rallied against police brutality and racism in European cities on Saturday, punctuating a week of protests across the continent, but far-right demonstrators also emerged in large groups for the first time — particularly in London — leading to sometimes violent confrontations that included attacks on police officers. | |
| The anti-racism marches and rallies in Europe, energized by demonstrations in the United States in the aftermath of the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, have led to destruction of statues linked to slavery and demands for a reckoning with racial discrimination. The European protesters have denounced the bigotry within their own countries and demanded that the authorities address it. | The anti-racism marches and rallies in Europe, energized by demonstrations in the United States in the aftermath of the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, have led to destruction of statues linked to slavery and demands for a reckoning with racial discrimination. The European protesters have denounced the bigotry within their own countries and demanded that the authorities address it. |
| But Saturday was the first day when far-right groups and protesters, most of them white, fiercely pushed back. The situation grew especially tense in London, where crowds of white male counterprotesters clashed repeatedly with the police. | But Saturday was the first day when far-right groups and protesters, most of them white, fiercely pushed back. The situation grew especially tense in London, where crowds of white male counterprotesters clashed repeatedly with the police. |
| Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain, who just a day earlier had criticized the anti-racism demonstrations and exhorted Britons to avoid them, denounced the far-right attacks on the police as “racist thuggery.” Mr. Johnson said the protest marches had been subverted by violence and declared that “racism has no place in the U.K.” | |
| The Metropolitan Police said in a statement that more than 100 people had been arrested by day’s end for offenses that included “breach of the peace, violent disorder, assault on officers, possession of an offensive weapon, possession of class A drugs, and drunk and disorder.” | The Metropolitan Police said in a statement that more than 100 people had been arrested by day’s end for offenses that included “breach of the peace, violent disorder, assault on officers, possession of an offensive weapon, possession of class A drugs, and drunk and disorder.” |
| The protest and counterprotest came to an explosive head in Trafalgar Square, when small numbers of Black Lives Matter supporters and their antagonists threw bottles and booming fireworks against one another, while the police tried to separate them. | The protest and counterprotest came to an explosive head in Trafalgar Square, when small numbers of Black Lives Matter supporters and their antagonists threw bottles and booming fireworks against one another, while the police tried to separate them. |
| In Paris, some 15,000 people rallied to demand justice for Adama Traoré, a 24-year-old who died in 2016 after the police had arrested him. Amid the overwhelmingly young crowds, demonstrators waved signs reading “No justice, no peace” and “Black Lives Matter,” less than two weeks after 20,000 protesters had assembled in front of a Paris court for Mr. Traoré. The Saturday protests were organized by “The Truth For Adama,” an advocacy group led by Mr. Traoré’s sister, Assa Traoré. The rally remained largely peaceful, although police officers threw tear gas and clashed with protesters in the late afternoon. | In Paris, some 15,000 people rallied to demand justice for Adama Traoré, a 24-year-old who died in 2016 after the police had arrested him. Amid the overwhelmingly young crowds, demonstrators waved signs reading “No justice, no peace” and “Black Lives Matter,” less than two weeks after 20,000 protesters had assembled in front of a Paris court for Mr. Traoré. The Saturday protests were organized by “The Truth For Adama,” an advocacy group led by Mr. Traoré’s sister, Assa Traoré. The rally remained largely peaceful, although police officers threw tear gas and clashed with protesters in the late afternoon. |
| “In France, we have a tendency to deny thorny issues like race,” said Isabelle Blanche, a 41-year-old black protester who came with her brother. She said that it had taken Mr. Floyd’s death in the United States “for people to finally wake up.” | |
| President Trump told West Point graduates that they would not serve in “endless wars” being waged in “far away lands,” but he made no mention of his conflicts with military leaders in recent days about the role of the armed forces during times of trouble on American soil. | President Trump told West Point graduates that they would not serve in “endless wars” being waged in “far away lands,” but he made no mention of his conflicts with military leaders in recent days about the role of the armed forces during times of trouble on American soil. |
| In a commencement ceremony at the United States Military Academy that had been postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic before the president insisted on moving forward with it, Mr. Trump presented himself as a staunch supporter of the armed forces who has increased spending on new weapons even as he said they should not be used in fruitless conflicts. | In a commencement ceremony at the United States Military Academy that had been postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic before the president insisted on moving forward with it, Mr. Trump presented himself as a staunch supporter of the armed forces who has increased spending on new weapons even as he said they should not be used in fruitless conflicts. |
| His address skirted the more acute issue of the last few days as he threatened to send active-duty troops into the streets of American cities to put down demonstrations against racial injustice that have been predominantly peaceful. Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper and Gen. Mark A. Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, resisted the president, leaving a deep schism between the commander in chief and the military. | His address skirted the more acute issue of the last few days as he threatened to send active-duty troops into the streets of American cities to put down demonstrations against racial injustice that have been predominantly peaceful. Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper and Gen. Mark A. Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, resisted the president, leaving a deep schism between the commander in chief and the military. |
| Near the academy, hundreds of protesters gathered to protest President Trump’s speech, holding signs that read “Cadets Aren’t Props” and “no more years.” | |
| Some of them stressed that they supported the cadets and considered themselves part of the West Point community. | Some of them stressed that they supported the cadets and considered themselves part of the West Point community. |
| Dr. Anne Sumers, a retired ophthalmologist who lives nearby in Montrose, N.Y., and one of the organizers of the protest, has for many years befriended cadets, offering home-cooked meals and a civilian shoulder to lean on, especially for cadets whose families live far from West Point. | Dr. Anne Sumers, a retired ophthalmologist who lives nearby in Montrose, N.Y., and one of the organizers of the protest, has for many years befriended cadets, offering home-cooked meals and a civilian shoulder to lean on, especially for cadets whose families live far from West Point. |
| Laura Vetter, an instructor for 18 years at West Point before retiring last fall, was also among those who felt she was protesting on behalf of the West Point graduates who are not allowed to make political statements in uniform. | Laura Vetter, an instructor for 18 years at West Point before retiring last fall, was also among those who felt she was protesting on behalf of the West Point graduates who are not allowed to make political statements in uniform. |
| “The day I retired my muzzle came off,” she said. | “The day I retired my muzzle came off,” she said. |
| Most of the protesters were wearing face coverings while the law enforcement officers monitoring them did not. One demonstrator used a megaphone to announce that he had bandannas and hand sanitizer for those who need them. | Most of the protesters were wearing face coverings while the law enforcement officers monitoring them did not. One demonstrator used a megaphone to announce that he had bandannas and hand sanitizer for those who need them. |
| President Trump’s decision to delay a campaign rally in Tulsa, Okla., rather than hold it on the day that marks the end of slavery in the United States, came in part after intervention by Senator James Lankford, Republican of Oklahoma, the senator said on Saturday. | |
| The senator said he told the president it would be “more respectful” to avoid holding the rally on June 19, the date known as Juneteenth and considered a holiday by many African-Americans. | |
| Mr. Lankford spoke with the president on Friday and during the call, Mr. Trump asked Mr. Lankford “if I thought it would be more respectful to move the rally date off of Juneteenth,” the senator said in a statement. | |
| The Trump campaign’s decision to hold a rally on Juneteenth in Tulsa, where one of the bloodiest outbreaks of racist violence in American history took place, had sparked widespread criticism, particularly in the wake of national protests following the killing of George Floyd. | |
| Mr. Lankford told the president that he felt it would be more respectful to change the date, and Mr. Trump, according to Mr. Lankford’s account, then asked the senator to find a better date. Mr. Lankford then reached out to some of the local event organizers, and “they expressed that they would be grateful to the President if he moved the rally to Thursday the 18th or Saturday the 20th.” | |
| The president ultimately decided to hold the event on June 20, making the announcement in a Twitter announcement late on Friday. | |
| “We had previously scheduled our #MAGA Rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, for June 19th — a big deal,” he wrote. “Unfortunately, however, this would fall on the Juneteenth Holiday. Many of my African-American friends and supporters have reached out to suggest that we consider changing the date out of respect for this Holiday, and in observance of this important occasion and all that it represents. I have therefore decided to move our rally to Saturday, June 20th, in order to honor their requests.” | |
| The White House and the Trump campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Saturday. | |
| The Minneapolis Police Department was in many ways a poster child for change: it had two chiefs hailed as reformers, had trained officers on implicit bias, reconciliation and how to treat the public with respect. It had tried to overhaul its early warning system and disciplinary process for officers. It had even, back in 2016, instituted a duty for officers to intervene if they saw other officers doing something wrong. | The Minneapolis Police Department was in many ways a poster child for change: it had two chiefs hailed as reformers, had trained officers on implicit bias, reconciliation and how to treat the public with respect. It had tried to overhaul its early warning system and disciplinary process for officers. It had even, back in 2016, instituted a duty for officers to intervene if they saw other officers doing something wrong. |
| Last week, it agreed to institute a duty to intervene — again. | Last week, it agreed to institute a duty to intervene — again. |
| As a reporter covering criminal justice, I have seen this over and over: Urgency over a needless death at the hands of the police is funneled into reports on what went wrong. Commissions on how to do better. Policy changes that do not translate into cultural changes. | As a reporter covering criminal justice, I have seen this over and over: Urgency over a needless death at the hands of the police is funneled into reports on what went wrong. Commissions on how to do better. Policy changes that do not translate into cultural changes. |
| My colleague Mike Baker, who has been closely following the protests in Seattle, and I were asked to assess what had changed since the last big national reckoning on policing, in 2014, after the deaths of Eric Garner in Staten Island and Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo. Our findings: not enough. | My colleague Mike Baker, who has been closely following the protests in Seattle, and I were asked to assess what had changed since the last big national reckoning on policing, in 2014, after the deaths of Eric Garner in Staten Island and Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo. Our findings: not enough. |
| After Ferguson, one of the biggest problems was the lack of data on use of force by the police and deaths in police custody. But the big national projects launched to track those things have yet to materialize. It is no wonder that protesters today are skeptical of reform measures. | After Ferguson, one of the biggest problems was the lack of data on use of force by the police and deaths in police custody. But the big national projects launched to track those things have yet to materialize. It is no wonder that protesters today are skeptical of reform measures. |
| Last week, Valerie Castile, the mother of Philando Castile, who was fatally shot during a traffic stop in a Minneapolis suburb in 2016, participated in a panel discussion. She didn’t mince words about all the working groups she has consulted with over the years: “I think we’ve covered everything you could possibly imagine about what we should do and what we could do, but nothing is being implemented.” | Last week, Valerie Castile, the mother of Philando Castile, who was fatally shot during a traffic stop in a Minneapolis suburb in 2016, participated in a panel discussion. She didn’t mince words about all the working groups she has consulted with over the years: “I think we’ve covered everything you could possibly imagine about what we should do and what we could do, but nothing is being implemented.” |
| Even if the former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is found guilty of murdering George Floyd, he will qualify to receive what could amount to around $50,000 a year in state pension payments. | Even if the former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is found guilty of murdering George Floyd, he will qualify to receive what could amount to around $50,000 a year in state pension payments. |
| But how much of that money he will see is less certain: Members of Mr. Floyd’s family, who are expected to file a wrongful-death lawsuit against Mr. Chauvin and the city, may be able to seize his pension distributions if they obtain a sizable judgment. | But how much of that money he will see is less certain: Members of Mr. Floyd’s family, who are expected to file a wrongful-death lawsuit against Mr. Chauvin and the city, may be able to seize his pension distributions if they obtain a sizable judgment. |
| Some states force public employees who are convicted of serious crimes to forfeit their state pensions. But Minnesota does not, and the agency that distributes them said that could be changed only by legislative action. | Some states force public employees who are convicted of serious crimes to forfeit their state pensions. But Minnesota does not, and the agency that distributes them said that could be changed only by legislative action. |
| Former employees qualify for benefits “if they meet length-of-service requirements, regardless of whether termination of employment was voluntary or involuntary,” the agency, the Minnesota Public Employees Retirement Association, said in a statement. “Under state law, being charged or convicted of a crime does not impact a member’s benefit.” | Former employees qualify for benefits “if they meet length-of-service requirements, regardless of whether termination of employment was voluntary or involuntary,” the agency, the Minnesota Public Employees Retirement Association, said in a statement. “Under state law, being charged or convicted of a crime does not impact a member’s benefit.” |
| Mr. Chauvin, 44, faces up to 40 years in prison if he is convicted of second-degree murder. He was a 19-year veteran of the Minneapolis police force before being fired and paid into a state pension system. | Mr. Chauvin, 44, faces up to 40 years in prison if he is convicted of second-degree murder. He was a 19-year veteran of the Minneapolis police force before being fired and paid into a state pension system. |
| After analyzing police payroll, salary and contract information, CNN estimated that Mr. Chauvin’s annual payments would be around $50,000 or more if he elected to begin receiving distributions at age 55. | After analyzing police payroll, salary and contract information, CNN estimated that Mr. Chauvin’s annual payments would be around $50,000 or more if he elected to begin receiving distributions at age 55. |
| “I couldn’t look at myself in the mirror if I weren’t here,” said James Luckey, 21, who grew up on Staten Island. | “I couldn’t look at myself in the mirror if I weren’t here,” said James Luckey, 21, who grew up on Staten Island. |
| “It was this feeling of helplessness, like I’m not supposed to leave my house, but this is wrong, so wrong, and they’re going to get away with it unless there’s a huge group of people to draw attention to how wrong this is,” said Belinda Stahl, 29, who grew up in Maine and was adopted from Peru by a white American family. | “It was this feeling of helplessness, like I’m not supposed to leave my house, but this is wrong, so wrong, and they’re going to get away with it unless there’s a huge group of people to draw attention to how wrong this is,” said Belinda Stahl, 29, who grew up in Maine and was adopted from Peru by a white American family. |
| “To be silent is to be complicit,” said David Dacosta, 32, who immigrated from Jamaica. “I can’t do that anymore.” | “To be silent is to be complicit,” said David Dacosta, 32, who immigrated from Jamaica. “I can’t do that anymore.” |
| They and others emerging from different corners of New York City are movement newbies. | They and others emerging from different corners of New York City are movement newbies. |
| Mostly in their 20s and 30s, they call this their personal turning point. No longer, they say, could they just post on Instagram, or just give money, or just vote. They needed to put their bodies on the street after the killing of George Floyd. | Mostly in their 20s and 30s, they call this their personal turning point. No longer, they say, could they just post on Instagram, or just give money, or just vote. They needed to put their bodies on the street after the killing of George Floyd. |
| So they protested. | So they protested. |
| For many, it’s their first movement. Their chance to be a part of history, they say. For some, a moment to examine who they are. | For many, it’s their first movement. Their chance to be a part of history, they say. For some, a moment to examine who they are. |
| They are the United States’s largest and most racially diverse generations, and they are part of a global generational revolt erupting at a time when strongman leaders have ascended around the world. | They are the United States’s largest and most racially diverse generations, and they are part of a global generational revolt erupting at a time when strongman leaders have ascended around the world. |
| Reporting was contributed by Mike Baker, Peter Baker, Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs, Emily Cochrane, Shaila Dewan, Johnny Diaz, Jenny Gross, Lauren Hard, Jack Healy, Iliana Magra, Constant Méheut, Zach Montague and Elian Peltier. | |