The Atlanta Police officer fired for fatally shooting Rayshard Brooks last summer was reinstated, the Atlanta Civil Service Board announced Wednesday.
In a statement, the board said the city violated Garrett Rolfe’s due process rights by firing him without 10-day notice as required by Atlanta regulations.
“Due to the city’s failure to comply with several provisions of the code and the information received during witnesses’ testimony, the board concludes the appellant was not afforded his right to due process. Therefore, the board grants the appeal of Garrett Rolfe and revokes his dismissal as an employee of the APD,” the board said in the statement.
Mr. Rolfe still faces murder charges arising from the killing of Brooks, who was shot as he fled from officers at a Wendy’s restaurant parking lot. The police were called because Brooks had fallen asleep in his car sometime after 2 a.m last June and was blocking customers from accessing the drive-thru.
The next evening, the restaurant was lit on fire by protesters.
The legal case against Mr. Rolfe is still meandering through the court system.
It is not known if Mr. Rolfe’s reinstatement will allow him to go back on regular patrol duty or if he will return to a different position.
The Atlanta Civil Service Board, which hears appeals of firings by city employees, said Mr. Rolfe was fired the day after the Brooks incident, a violation of the city’s 10-day notice requirement.
In its statement, the board said the date of Mr. Rolfe’s termination was “not compliant” with the city code.
Attorneys for the Atlanta Police Department argued that former Police Chief Erika Shields had the authority to fire Mr. Rolfe because he violated the department’s ban on unnecessary force.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
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