Matt Ryan on killing of Rayshard Brooks: 'We cannot continue to lose lives due to police brutality'

The killing of Rayshard Brooks in Atlanta has continued the outcry against lethal force used by police officers, and the local NFL team’s starting quarterback added his voice on Monday.

Atlanta Falcons star Matt Ryan tweeted a statement on Brooks’ death, saying there is no excuse for his death and pledging to continue helping the fight against police brutality and systemic racism.

Brooks was shot in the back twice during a parking lot altercation with two Atlanta police officers on Friday. The officers had been called on a report of a man sleeping in a car in a drivethrough. Brooks reportedly struggled with officers after a field sobriety test, took a stun gun one of them had pulled on him and ran away. He was shot during the chase after appearing to point the stun gun at an officer.

Garrett Rolfe, the officer who shot Brooks, has since been fired and Devin Brosnan, the other officer, has been placed on administrative duty. Atlanta police chief Erika Shields has also resigned over the shooting.

Ryan is among a number of people to point to the shooting as another example of police brutality. Many NFL players, and even the NFL commissioner, have spoken out against systemic racism since the death of George Floyd.

Ryan has also taken action, creating a GoFundMe to help the black community in Atlanta last week. The fundraiser has raised over $1.2 million as of Monday night.

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