Atlanta protesters burn Wendy's after police shooting

Atlanta protesters burn Wendy's after police shooting

After Rayshard Brooks was shot dead by police at a Wendy's in Atlanta on Friday, protesters set fire to the restaurant on Saturday night as the incident further inflamed tensions after week of protests.

David Doyle reports.

A Wendy's restaurant in Atlanta, where a black man was shot dead by police on Friday (June 12), was burned down by protesters on Saturday night (June 13).

Rayshard Brooks was shot as he tried to escape arrest.

It's an incident that will likely fuel more nationwide tensions over race and police tactics, following weeks of demonstrations over the death of George Floyd.

That was shown as the Wendy's restaurant burned for more than 45 minutes on Saturday night before fire crews arrived, protected by a line of police officers.

Other demonstrators marched onto Interstate-75, stopping traffic, before police used a line of squad cars to hold them back.

Earlier on Saturday, Atlanta's police chief Erika Shields resigned.

A police spokesman said the police department had fired the officer who allegedly shot and killed Brooks while another officer involved in the incident was put on administrative leave.

Footage from the restaurant's cameras and a bystander showed Brooks running away from police with what appeared to be a police TASER in his hand.

He turned as he ran, possibly aiming the TASER at pursuing officers, before one of them fired his gun and Brooks fell to the ground.

Lawyers for Brooks family said he was a father of a young daughter who was celebrating her birthday on Saturday.

They said Atlanta police had no right to use deadly force even if he had fired the TASER, a non-lethal weapon, in their direction.