The Atlanta police officer who shot and killed an unarmed Black man who fell asleep in the drive-thru line at a Wendy’s restaurant in 2020 is in trouble again, this time for allegedly assaulting a bar worker in the city’s Midtown neighborhood.
The department has since put Officer Garrett Rolfe on paid administrative leave after he was involved in a bar fight early Sunday morning at the establishment called Midtown X.
Witnesses told local news station WSB-TV that Rolfe started the fight with a bar worker, Raefeal Penrice, over the price of drinks, but when police arrived, they only arrested Penrice.
Rolfe’s attorney said the off-duty police officer was the victim, but witnesses, who wanted to remain anonymous, disagreed. They told WSB that Rolfe’s friend accused the bartender of overcharging for drinks. An argument followed, and Penrice escorted the two men outside.
That’s when bystanders say Rolfe attacked Penrice.
“This man was just doing his job. He watches the door and makes everyone feel safe, and I just can’t believe this has unfolded the way it has – and it’s scary – that law enforcement can do this,” a witness said.
Atlanta journalist Cody Alcorn talked with witnesses at X Midtown and reported that some wondered why Rolfe wasn’t taken into custody along with Penrice.
“Midtown bar owner questions why off-duty APD officer wasn’t arrested after punches thrown with employee over drink prices.”
“He’s such a nice guy – he’s always made everyone feel very safe and I think it’s absolutely heinous that after several eyewitnesses told the arresting officers that it was in fact the off-duty police officer who threw the first punch, yet he was still the one taken to jail,” the bar owner told WSB.
This isn’t the first time Rolfe has been placed on administrative leave. He was also placed on leave after fatally shooting 27-year-old Rayshard Brooks in the back in June of 2020, sparking widespread protests. The APD first fired the officer, then reinstated him pending the outcome of the criminal charges against him.
Rolfe was first charged with felony murder and five counts of aggravated assault, four counts of violation of oath of office, and one count of criminal damage to property, according to CNN.
The father of three young daughters and a 13-year-old stepson had fallen asleep in his car at a Wendy’s not too far from where he lived on June 12, 2020. When officers arrived, Rolfe and Officer Devin Brosnan spent about 40 minutes talking with Brooks, who was intoxicated at the time.
Body camera video shows that when they tried to arrest him, Brooks wrestled with the two officers and managed to grab Brosnan’s Taser. The video shows Brooks pointing the Taser behind him as he tried to flee the scene.
Rolfe then gunned Brooks down. Both Rolfe and Brosnan were arrested at the time and released on bond. Charges were eventually dropped against both of them.
People have never forgotten this case.
“Justice for Rayshard Brooks! The streets aren’t safe with this racist cop on them,” one user on X posted.
“Not this cop again,” another X user said.
“That cop should have never been cleared for that murder,” another post on X read. “How hard was it to get the man to move his car and not escalate this? Any one of us could have asked him nicely to get out of the fast food lane and he would have.”
