Killer Mike, 45, has spoken out about getting justice for many African Americans who have been the victims of racist-driven acts of violence and now he’s doing the same for Rayshard Brooks. The rapper shared a post that included a photo of 27-year-old Rayshard, who was killed in a Wendy’s parking lot by police in Atlanta, GA on June 12, along with a heartbreaking caption that revealed his feelings over the tragedy and urged his followers to give him the names of organizations dedicated to “doing the work” to “stop police killings.”
“#RayshardBrooks should be alive this morning. He should be waking up (hungover or drunk in the tank depending on whether he was apprehended) and not dead,” Mike wrote in the caption. “If I’m the Wendy’s worker who called the police, I feel like sh*t this morning because a call for a man sleeping in a car should not have ended with his killing. If I’m the people with the child in the car, I feel helpless and hurt. If I’m that child, I’m scared sh*tless of anyone with a uniform and a gun.”
“If I’m the angry white or black guy who was filming and saying, ‘I watched y’all for twenty minutes,’ I’m wondering what else I could have done?” he continued. “I am mad as hell and I am saddened beyond consolation. At a minimum, we need a law that prevents shooting a person while they’re fleeing.”
Mike went on to explain that he feels if a fleeing man has “no weapon” like Rayshard, it should be a “foot chase and radio race.” “As I have said before, I will continue to look to and support grassroots organizations who are doing the work, day in and day out,” he further explained. “If there are groups who you know are organizing to end police killings, @ them so we can follow and support. 🔴⚫️🟢 🐜 Let us Continue to #PlotPlanStrategizeOrganizeMobilize!”
Mike isn’t the only celebrity speaking out about Rayshard’s death. Fellow rapper T.I., 39, also took to social media to use his platform to make a difference and attended a rally on June 13, where he spoke to protesters about enacting real change.
“We are going to have to organize,” he said in his speech. “We’re going to have to demonstrate but we are going to have to do it with purpose. And when I say purpose, I mean direction. We’ve got to go where we need to go and do what we need to do in those areas.”
Rayshard’s death happened in the wake of the deaths of African Americans Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, who also died at the hands of police, and it’s put the Black Lives Matter movement back into the main spotlight. Protests seeking justice have included thousands of people worldwide and have continued on a regular basis since Floyd’s death on May 25. Rayshard died after getting into an alleged altercation with police when he was checked for a DUI and attempted to run, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.