The lawyer for the former Atlanta police officer accused of killing Rayshard Brooks said on Thursday that the district attorney presiding over the case tried to obtain a search warrant that would uncover those who donated to his client.
Fulton County DA Paul Howard’s administration’s request to probe into former officer Garret Rolfe’s fundraising site was denied by a judge due to lack of probable cause, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Prosecutors reportedly sought the warrant to substantiate a bail-jumping charge and requested the names of those associated with the webpage in addition to the total amount of money raised, AJC reported.
“He could have waited for a ruling before taking further action,” Noah Pines, one of Rolfe’s attorneys told the local outlet. “Instead, he sought to uncover the private information of Americans who donated to Garrett Rolfe’s defense because they believed in his innocence.”
Pines insisted the reason for the warrant had less to do with bail jumping and more to do with “a pretext to intimidate the people who have spoken out on behalf of [his] client,” according to AJC. (RELATED: Lawyers For Cop Accused In Rayshard Brooks Case Want Atlanta District Attorney To Recuse)
The fundraising page — created by the Georgia Law Enforcement Organization — raised more than $500,000 for Rolfe’s legal expenses days after he was charged in the shooting death of Brooks, according to the non-profit organization’s website.
Tomika Miller, the widow of Rayshard Brooks, stands with her lawyer, Chris Stewart, as she participates in a press conference at the lawyers office after Fulton County District Attorney Paul L. Howard, Jr. announced 11 charges against former Atlanta Police Officer Garrett Rolfe (Joe Raedle/Getty Images).
Pines alongside William Thomas Jr., another of Rolfe’s lawyers, filed a motion to recuse Howard from the case weeks ago, alleging the DA has stymied the prospect of a fair trial.
“Paul Howard has systematically sought to deprive Garrett Rolfe of a fair trial and impartial jury since the day he announced his decision to arrest Garrett Rolfe,” Rolfe’s lawyers, Noah Pines and William Thomas Jr., said in a court filing, according to a July Associated Press report
Rolfe was charged with felony murder in June when he shot Brooks in a Wendy’s parking lot. Brooks broke loose from detainment, allegedly grabbed an officer’s taser and fired it at pursuing law enforcement before he was gunned down, video showed.
The attorneys seeking Howard’s recusal also mentioned contradictory statements from the DA about Tasers, according to AP. The Fulton County district attorney charged six Atlanta police officers for using a Taser to remove college students from a vehicle in June, according to ABC.
“A taser is a deadly weapon under Georgia law,” Howard said, weeks before the Brooks shooting, according to a Fox News video.
However, Howard has claimed Brooks “did not pose an immediate threat of death or serious physical injury,” despite allegedly firing a Taser at Rolfe, CBS News reported.
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