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A Double Standard in Atlanta

We have got a problem right here that begins with P, and not P for Police but rather P for politician. I the taser a deadly weapon? Well it depends. In Atlanta a couple weeks ago two police officers were fired and charged for using tasers in the course of an arrest. The District Attorney noted that under Georgia law, the taser is defined a a deadly weapon. Then recently the same DA filed murder charges against another Atlanta police officer for killing a fleeing felon carrying a stolen taser, without making reference to the taser, from Twitchy [1],

Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard announced that former Atlanta police officer Garrett Rolfe would face 11 charges in connection with the deadly shooting of Rayshard Brooks, including felony murder, which could net him life in prison or the death penalty if found guilty.

Rolfe’s attorneys will certainly argue that Rolfe fired in self-defense, as Brooks, in a scuffle with Rolfe and another officer, managed to grab the officer’s Taser and run off. He’s seen on surveillance video from Wendy’s turning around at one point and pointing something at the officers, presumably the Taser.

Whether or not that justifies Rolfe firing on Brooks will be decided in court, but as Greg Price notes, just a couple of weeks ago Howard was explaining to the press that a Taser is considered a deadly weapon in Georgia, but during his presser today, he said that at no time did Brooks pose a threat.

Paul Howard may soon be out of office, but not out of the case.  Howard seems to hold the view that a taser is a deadly weapon in the hands of a police officer, but not in the hands of a convicted fleeing felon.