Rayshard Brooks was murdered by police officers in Atlanta, Georgia earlier this week after he fell asleep at a Wendy's drive-thru.
After nearly a half hour of non-aggressive discussion with police, officers began tackling Brooks, who attempted to run away with one of their tasers—a nonlethal weapon—before officers shot him in the back. Officers delayed calling in medical aid to Brooks and one of them proceeded to kick him.
Many in conservative circles have attempted to justify Brooks's death by pointing to his resistance and his taking of the taser.
Fox News host Martha MacCallum made that mistake in a recent interview with Johns Hopkins assistant professor Wendy Osefo, whose brother is an officer in the New York Police Department.
Watch below.
Ouch, Martha walked right into this one pic.twitter.com/8IrKGitGy5
— Acyn Torabi (@Acyn) June 17, 2020
Noting that Brooks took the taser from the officer, MaCallum asked:
"As someone who has, as you say, a brother in the NYPD, how would you feel if your brother was in the middle of an arrest and was made vulnerable like that in that situation?"
Osefo wasn't fazed, and proceeded to answer:
"My brother has been in the middle of arrests, and my brother has never killed anyone. The facts are, Black people are two times more likely to be killed by police officers."
"The facts are, this police officer, after he shot this Black man in his back, he kicked him, and then he said, 'I got him'."
Osefo then posed a question of her own:
"Now, my question to you is, you're right, this individual may have escalated the situation, but we pay police officers to de-escalate situations."
"One person is paid, another person is not. If you cannot do your job, if you cannot de-escalate a situation, then you need to quit, because that is why we pay you, is to do your job."
It was clear to viewers who won the exchange.
Class is in session because Martha got schooled.
— Wash Your Damn Hands (@DCJohnNorton) June 17, 2020
Sis, had time today!
— SandyL (@eyesonthesky11) June 17, 2020
Wow. She's brilliant. Martha was cold-cocked. TKO!
— Mar- wear a mask it's a matter of life or death.😷 (@thelittlelotus) June 17, 2020
glad some truth came out. Good cops de-escalate.
— Carlo Fiorletta (@carlofiorletta) June 17, 2020
pic.twitter.com/fZhEEHjAwO
— Dion (@Noid68) June 18, 2020
What's more, there are many others who share Osefo's opinion—even among conservatives.
No way Wendy's encounter should've ended w #RayshardBrooks dead. I advocate for cops, but you can't overlook unnecessary escalation of epic 43 minute encounter that in a bygone era could've ended with drunk taking cab or Uber home. Black men face special challenges dealing w cops
— Geraldo Rivera (@GeraldoRivera) June 18, 2020
Jesus ... these cops held Rayshard Brooks for more than 46 minutes for no reason, didn't even try to arrest hm, toyed with him with a 16-minute breath test, then after one officer shot him, one of the officers kicked him while another stood on his shoulders.
— Joy Reid (@JoyAnnReid) June 17, 2020
The cop who killed #RayshardBrooks JUST had a 9-hour de-escalation course on April 24, so let's dispense with the idea that police officers just need more training.
— Julie DiCaro is writing a book (@JulieDiCaro) June 15, 2020
The officer who shot Brooks has since been charged with murder.
