Political Rewind: Officers acquitted in Rayshard Brook's killing; Remembering Sandra Deal

Caption

In this Saturday, June 13, 2020, file photo, "RIP Rayshard" is spray-painted on a sign as flames engulf a Wendy's restaurant where Rayshard Brooks was shot and killed by police in Atlanta.

Credit: AP Photo/Brynn Anderson, File

The panel: 

Chuck Williams, @chuckwilliams, reporter, WRBL-TV, Columbus

Greg Bluestein, @bluestein, political reporter, Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Lori Geary, @lorigearymedia, host,  Fox5 Atlanta’s “Georgia Gang” and former political reporter WSB-TV

Rahul Bali, @rahulbali, politics reporter, WABE Radio

The breakdown:

1. Atlanta police officers won't face any charges in Rayshard Brooks shooting.

• The two white Atlanta police officers who clashed with and ultimately killed Rayshard Brooks during a 2020 encounter will not be charged. 
  •  Officer Garrett Rolfe, who shot Brooks after confronting him for sleeping in a Wendy's parking lot, will not face charges. 
    • The second officer involved in the encounter, Officer Devin Brosnan, will also not be charged.
• The shooting happened against the backdrop of heightened tensions surrounding the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
• Critics of the decisions say the case should have gone to a special grand jury, not a special prosecutor. 
  • Pete Skandalakis, executive director of the Prosecuting Attorneys' Council of Georgia, said he believes Officer Garrett Rolfe acted appropriately. 

2. Gov. Brian Kemp continues to fight the subpoena in the Fulton probe.

• The Fulton County DA's office fired back against Kemp on Tuesday, saying his request are "wholly without merit." 
  • The AJC's Tamar Hallerman reports prosecutors rejected arguments that Kemp should be dismissed from testifying because of sovereign immunity, executive and attorney-client privilege, and proximity to the November elections.

3. Midtown shooting puts the conversation about guns front in center in the race for Governor. 

• Two people are dead, and another person is injured after a deadly shooting in Midtown. 
  • Police say the suspect in custody knew the victims and had previously sued them. 
• Stacey Abrams’ top aide Lauren Groh-Wargo took to Twitter to blast Kemp for reducing gun restrictions in the state.
  
  • Kemp did address the shooting, saying he was "heartbroken for the lives taken by this senseless killing" and that he was "grateful for the brave law enforcement who sprang into action to protect others & arrest the shooter."

4. Abortion rights at the center of New York's primary election.

• Pat Ryan is a Democrat who campaigned almost solely on the right to choose.
  • Tuesday night Ryan won an open seat in New York’s 19th Congressional District.
• Lori Geary says that abortion will also be a top issue for Georgia voters.

5. 2nd District candidates confirm debate before midterm elections. 

• The two candidates in the Georgia 2nd Congressional District race have committed to a televised October debate on WRBL.
  • They have also committed to two other debates.
• This race is considered on of the most competitive House races as Republican challenger Chris West tries to oust longtime incumbent Democratic Rep. Sanford Bishop.

6. Former first lady Sandra Deal passes away after battle with breast cancer. 

• As the wife of Georgia's 82nd governor, Nathan Deal, Sandra Deal served as the first lady of Georgia from 2011 to 2019.
  • She was an education advocate and former public school language arts teacher.

Thursday on Political Rewind: Kevin Riley, the editor of the AJC, will join our panel. And be sure to sign up for the latest edition of our newsletter coming out this afternoon.