UPDATE: Officer who shot Rayshard Brooks in Midtown bar fight as customer
Officer Garrett Rolfe (Atlanta Police Department)
ATLANTA - The Atlanta police officer who shot and killed Rayshard Brooks is on administrative leave after getting into a physical dispute while at a bar,, according to Atlanta police.
X Midtown fight
What we know:
Officer Garrett Rolfe was placed on administrative leave after an incident at the X Midtown club on Piedmont Avenue early Sunday morning, according to the Atlanta Police Department.
X Midtown's owner said Rolfe was in the bar as a customer when the incident started.
Investigators said Rolfe, who was off duty at the time, and another man, Raefeael Penrice, got into a verbal argument. The argument escalated into a physical dispute, police said.
Officers arrested and charged Penrice with simple battery and battery. He was taken to the Fulton County Jail.
Rolfe was placed on administrative leave, beginning Sunday, pending an investigation by the Atlanta Police Department's Office of Professional Standards.
X Midtown owner responds
What they're saying:
The owner of X Midtown, James Nelson, sent a statement to FOX 5 Tuesday about the fight.
"At X Atlanta Restaurant, we’re very concerned about the incident that occurred early Sunday morning, which involved an off-duty Atlanta police officer. The circumstances surrounding the incident raise serious questions about the conduct of this officer. These have been difficult days for us and our community. We take the safety of our patrons and our employees very seriously, so we’re working to understand all the details of what happened. To do so, our management team and legal representation are conducting a thorough investigation of the incident. We’re also fully cooperating with the Atlanta Police Department’s investigation. We hope that all parties involved in the incident will be treated fairly in the Atlanta Police Department’s investigatory process. We look forward to communicating more as we know more and we’ll share the results of our investigation once they are ready."
What they're saying:
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said he's spoken with APD's chief about the incident.
"The Mayor has spoken to the Chief about this matter and expressed his concerns. Anytime any employee—especially a police officer—is involved in any incident, he is concerned and expects a full and thorough impartial investigation. That is what is underway now. Officer Rolfe has been relieved of duty pending an investigation," the Mayor's Office said in a statement to FOX 5.
Death of Rayshard Brooks
The backstory:
Rolfe was arrested and charged in the deadly shooting of Rayshard Brooks in 2020. He has since been reinstated.
Brooks, 27, was shot and killed the night of June 12, 2020, outside a Wendy's restaurant along University Avenue in southeast Atlanta. The officers were called over complaints of a car blocking the restaurant’s drive-thru lane.
A struggle ensued between Brooks and the officers when they attempted to handcuff him, dashcam video showed. In the struggle, Brooks grabbed a Taser and ran, firing it at the officer, according to the Fulton County District Attorney's Office. Shots were fired at Brooks as he was running away, surveillance video from the Wendy's showed.
Rolfe was fired from APD and arrested on 11 charges, including felony murder and multiple counts of assault with a deadly weapon.
The prosecution dropped all charges in August 2022. The lead attorney, appointed by Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr, determined Garrett Rolfe was justified in shooting Brooks.
Rolfe was reinstated in May 2021 but was put on administrative leave until the criminal case ended.
Dig deeper:
The killing of Rayshard Brooks also led to protests in Atlanta. The Wendy's where the shooting took place was burned down.
The shooting led to former Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields stepping down.
You can read all of FOX 5's coverage on the death of Rayshard Brooks here.
The Source: Information in this article came from a release on the Atlanta Police Department's website at 8:40 p.m. on Monday, June 30, 2025. Past reporting from several FOX 5 reporters is also included. You can see it by clicking the link above. This article was updated to add a statement from the owner of X Midtown sent to FOX 5's Rob DiRienzo and a statement from the mayor sent to FOX 5. The FOX 5 Atlanta Digital Team also add the mug shot of Raefeael Penrice.