An arrest warrant has been issued for the suspect accused of starting the fire at the Wendy’s where Rayshard Brooks was killed by police in Atlanta.
Atlanta Fire Rescue tweeted the warrant for 29-year-old Natalie White, who is now facing a first-degree arson charge, which is a felony in Georgia.
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Brooks identifies a woman named Natalie White as his girlfriend in police bodycam video as officers Garrett Rolfe and Devin Brosnan talk to him about how much he may have had to drink.
“Natalie White,” Brooks tells police. “She’s my girlfriend. She left off, I said, ‘Babe, I’m gonna get Wendy’s.”
An arrest warrant has been issued by Atlanta Fire Investigators for Ms. Natalie White. She has been identified as a suspect in the arson fire that burned down the Wendy’s Restaurant (125 University Ave) on Saturday, June 13th. Call 404-577-TIPS or 1-800-282-5804 with any info. pic.twitter.com/Xu6W2hgOi6
— Atlanta Fire Rescue (@ATLFireRescue) June 20, 2020
Atlanta police officers were called to the Wendy’s on June 12 over complaints of a car blocking the drive-thru lane. Officers found Brooks asleep in the car.
The officers spoke to Brooks for about 30-40 minutes. Rolfe administered, among other tests, a breathalyzer, which registered the Brooks’ blood alcohol level of .108, slightly above the legal limit of .08.
“I think you’ve had too much to drink to be driving,” Rolfe tells him and then attempts to handcuff Brooks.
Cameras show Brooks struggling with officers before he wrestles away a stun gun. Brooks then began to run. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said Brooks made it just a little way before he allegedly turned towards officers with the stun gun raised and he was shot and killed.
An autopsy found Brooks was shot twice in the back. Rolfe was fired from the police department immediately after the shooting and was charged Wednesday with felony murder.
Protesters gathered the night after Brooks was killed, breaking the windows in the restaurant before the fire was set. Investigators believe more suspects might be involved with setting the fire.
Neither the fire department nor the Brooks family attorney has confirmed the possible connection between the two..
(The Associated Press and CNN contributed to this report)