The mayor of Atlanta refused to state how many officers called out sick on Wednesday night, hours after a police officer was fired and cha...
The mayor of Atlanta refused to state how many officers called out sick on Wednesday night, hours after a police officer was fired and charged with felony murder for fatally shooting a man in the back.
Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms attempted to reassure residents that the city's streets would be any less safe despite fewer cops being on patrol.
Officers were seen to be failing to respond to calls in three of the department's six zones with some people monitoring the police scanner reporting near radio silence.
Department sources claimed that scores of officers were refusing to work last night.
The department later tried to walk back claims that coverage was affected on Twitter.
Atlanta's police department revealed an unusual number of officers working late shift had called out sick but the APD insisted that such reports were 'inaccurate'
Twitter users were quick to note that upon listening to police scanners there was radio silence
'Earlier suggestions that multiple officers from each zone had walked off the job were inaccurate. The department is experiencing a higher than usual number of call outs with the incoming shift. We have enough resources to maintain operations & remain able to respond to incidents.'
'There's a lot happening in our cities and our police officers are receiving the brunt of it, quite frankly,' Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms told CNN.
Bottoms said that the city has promised a pay rise to Atlanta's officers but that she 'expects that our officers will keep their commitment to our communities.'
'We do have enough officers to cover us through the night,' Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms told CNN. 'Our streets won't be any less safe because of the number of officers who called out.'
A demonstrator holds a sign during a protest against racial inequality and the police shooting death of Rayshard Brooks, in Atlanta, Georgia, on Wednesday
Protesters rally against racial inequality and the police shooting death of Rayshard Brooks, in Atlanta
A number of protest and rallies took place late into the evening in Atlanta on Wednesday night
The mayor admitted that morale within the police force was low but would not reveal how many officers had called out on Wednesday's evening shift.
Bottoms attempted to reassure the city's residents that the department could cope and that some officers had agreed to work overtime.
'We do have enough officers to cover us through the night,' she said. 'Our streets won't be any less safe because of the number of officers who called out. But it is just my hope again that our officers will remember the commitment that they made when they held up their hand and they were sworn in as police officers.'
Earlier in the day, Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard announced 11 charges against Garrett Rolfe, who was fired after he shot Rayshard Brooks twice in the back on Friday night.
Rolfe faces 11 charges and include felony murder, five counts of aggravated assault, four counts of violation of oath of office and one count of criminal damage to property.
Devin Brosnan, the other officer at the shooting, faces an aggravated assault charge for standing on Brooks in the parking lot.
Both officers' lawyers have said they are not guilty.
Earlier in the day, Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard announced 11 charges against Garrett Rolfe, who was fired after he allegedly shot Rayshard Brooks twice in the back on Friday night. Officer Devin Brosnan, right, faces an aggravated assault charge for allegedly standing on Brooks in the parking lot
Former police officer Garrett Rolfe is alleged to have shot Rayshard Brooks twice in the back on Friday night, killing him
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