A state agency that has been assisting Atlanta police in investigating the killing of Rayshard Brooks has said that it was blindsided by the charges filed against a former officer amid reports of mass walk-outs on the force.

"The GBI was not aware of today's press conference before it was conducted. We were not consulted on the charges filed by the District Attorney," the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said on Wednesday.

Noting that they've made significant progress in investigating the incident, the agency said that they still need time to finish the job.

The GBI released its statement shortly after Fulton County DA Paul Howard announced the charges against former police officer Garret Rolfe, who is facing eleven charges, including that of felony murder for his role in the killing of Brooks last Friday.

[...]

Officers assigned to at least three of Atlanta's six zones have walked off in protest of the DA's decision, reports said.

"Atlanta police officers are refusing to answer the radio and walking off of the job. The county can go screw themselves. If you want a society without police we'll give you one. Let it burn!" reads a note attributed to one Atlanta officer, which has been widely cited on Twitter. RT has not been able to confirm its authenticity.

Atlanta has reportedly reached out to neighboring jurisdictions for backup, but their officers are apparently refusing to answer any calls except "officer down."

The Atlanta Police Department, however, denied the reports, saying "suggestions that multiple officers from each zone had walked off the job" were "inaccurate."The APD insisted it has "enough resources to maintain operations and remain able to respond to incidents throughout the city," while also admitting that it has been overwhelmed with calls.

Vince Champion, southeast regional director of the International Brotherhood of Police officers, said that police officers had stopped answering calls midshift, in response to charges against Officer Garrett Rolfe who is accused of murdering Rayshard Brooks in Atlanta.

"The union, we would never advocate this. We wouldn't advocate a blue flu," Champion said. "We don't know the numbers. Apparently we're learning that command staff are asking outlying counties for support and aren't getting it."

A spokesperson for APD called reports of a walkout "inaccurate."

"Earlier suggestions that multiple officers from each zone had walked off the job were inaccurate," the spokesperson said. "However, the department is experiencing a higher than usual number of call-outs with the incoming shift. We have enough resources to maintain operations and remain able to respond to incidents throughout the city."

Zones 3 and 6 cover south Atlanta, where Rolfe killed Rayshard Brooks after a June 12 DUI arrest turned into an altercation. Rolfe fired three bullets at Brooks as he fled with a taser in hand. Video of the shooting suggests Brooks pointed the taser at officers as he fled.

Other local media are seeing evidence of the walkout.

Atlanta INtown reports,

"A drive around Zone 6 indicated there was not the usual APD presence. A Georgia State Patrol unit was handling a two-car accident at Boulevard and Edgewood Avenue around 9 p.m. The APD's precinct at Wellstar Atlanta Medical Center appeared empty. Down in Grant Park, the Zone 3 precinct was populated by Fulton County Sheriff units."

• Four EU nations to fund AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccines for Europe
• When profits and politics drive science: Rushing a vaccine to market for a vanishing virus
• Further anomalies found with the Oxford coronavirus vaccine
• He experienced a severe reaction to Moderna's Covid-19 vaccine candidate. He's still a believer

• Breaking news: Coronavirus only dangerous if you're not a leftist protesting racism
• ig-city Dems who had imposed strict coronavirus lockdowns now let George Floyd rioters flout rules
• Sanctimonious outrage of lockdown fetishists disappears thanks to protesters and rioters