The family of an African American man who died after being shot in the back by a police officer in the US state of Georgia are pleading for justice.

Rayshard Brooks was gunned down while fleeing two police officers after a struggle with them in a Wendy’s car park in Atlanta late last week.

The local medical examiner declared his death a homicide on Sunday.

“The trust that we have in the police force is broken,” his niece Tiara Brooks told a news conference.

“The only way to heal some of these wounds is through a conviction and a drastic change in the police department.”

Amid growing outrage, Mr Brooks’ widow asked that protests stay peaceful to keep her husband’s name “positive and great”.

Mr Brooks’ death comes at a time of nationwide reckoning over police violence against African Americans, initially sparked by the death of another black man, George Floyd, who was killed in police custody in Minneapolis.

On Monday morning, hundreds of protesters assembled in Atlanta, calling for criminal justice reforms and demanding justice for Mr Brooks.

Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced a series of executive orders demanding police reforms concerning use of force policies.

What did Mr Brooks family say?

At a press conference on Monday, Mr Brooks’ family described him as a “loving husband and caring brother”, and doting father of three daughters. One of his children, Blessing, had her eighth birthday party on the day her father was killed.

“He was silly, had the biggest smile and the brightest heart,” said his niece Chastity Evans, who decried the death of her uncle “shot and killed like trash for falling asleep at a drive-through”.

Mr Brooks’ shooting comes at a time of nationwide upheaval, with thousands already taking to the street in cities across the country, demanding changes in the use of deadly force by police, particularly of African Americans.

On Sunday evening, more than 100 people turned out in the rain at the site of the shooting for a peaceful protest following Mr Brooks’ death. A day earlier, the Wendy’s drive-through restaurant where he was stopped was set on fire.

Speaking to the media, Mr Brooks’ widow, Tomika Miller thanked demonstrators for their support, and asked that the gatherings in his name remain peaceful.

“If you could just keep it as a peaceful protest, that would be wonderful,” she said.

Why this case is different

Analysis by Jessica Lussenhop, BBC News

The swiftness with which a white police officer was fired in the killing of Rayshard Brooks is just the latest sign of how rapidly and dramatically police agencies have shifted strategy when it comes to dealing with deadly force cases.

Historically, not only have police chiefs been reticent to fire officers involved in in-custody deaths until a “full investigation” had taken place, they’ve been quick to defend the officer’s use of force if he or she “reasonably” believed that a person had a deadly weapon or posed immediate danger to the officer.

In this case, video shows that Brooks had taken the officer’s Taser and appears to use it. But not only is the weapon designated as less than lethal, the video shows he was running away and that the shots that killed him entered his back.

If the officer is criminally charged in this case, the question of whether or not a Taser should be considered a deadly weapon will surely come into play, as well as whether the officer had “reasonable” fear of Brooks.

But at this stage, what is already clear is that police departments are not feeling nearly as confident relying on the old strategies and rhetoric that historically have allowed them to slow-play their response to a police-involved killing.

Ms Miller told reporters that she and her husband had been following the protests incited by George Floyd.

“I’ve always said, ‘baby, I don’t want that to be you,'” she said.

What are the details of the Atlanta shooting?

The Georgia Bureau of Investigations (GBI) says officers were called to fast-food restaurant Wendy’s because Mr Brooks had fallen asleep in his car, which was blocking the drive-through lane.

Body camera footage released by the police department shows the two officers administering a sobriety test, with Mr Brooks’ permission.

The two officers then try to handcuff him, at which point their body cams fall off, but security camera video shows them struggling with Mr Brooks on the ground. At the press conference on Monday, a lawyer for Mr Brooks suggested that he may have feared being placed in handcuffs, with the knowledge that George Floyd was handcuffed when he died.

He then grabs an officer’s Taser (electric stun gun), appears to punch one of them and breaks free from the officers, running away. As he is chased, Mr Brooks is seen turning around and pointing the Taser before continuing to run and being shot.

According to the Fulton County medical examiner, the manner of death of Rayshard Brooks was “homicide”. He suffered two gunshots to the back that caused organ injuries and blood loss.

The Atlanta chief of police has since quit, and the police officer suspected of shooting Mr Brooks has been fired.

Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard told CNN that three charges could apply against sacked police officer Garrett Rolfe: murder, felony murder and aggravated assault.

A decision by his office following their investigation could come by midweek.

“We look forward to the District Attorney’s findings,” said L. Chris Stewart on Monday, an attorney for the Brooks family.

What did the Atlanta mayor say?

Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms on Monday announced a series of administrative orders asking calling for reforms to the Atlanta police department’s use of force policies.

The reforms, complying with state law, demand that officers only use “the amount of objectively reasonable force necessary” to protect themselves and others, and require de-escalation by officers, particularly before the use of deadly force.

Ms Bottoms also introduced a “duty to intervene”, rendering police officers who witness other officers using unnecessary force “duty bound to intercede” and prevent that use of force.

“It’s very clear that our police officers are to be guardians and not warriors within our communities,” she said.

The mayor last week announced the creation of a task force on police reforms, meant to provide recommendations to the city in two weeks.

But she said Mr Brooks’ murder makes “clear that we do not have another day, another minute, another hour to waste”.

If you’re among the tens of millions of Americans who became unemployed during the pandemic, you have likely been dealing with more stress than just lockdowns, remote learning and social distancing have brought (and that was enough to begin with). It can be tricky to know whether—or how—to approach the topic of job loss with your kids; you don’t want to burden them or add more worry to an already difficult year.

But chances are, they already know something is wrong. And there are ways you can talk to them about it that is honest and candid without being alarming.

Don’t try to hide it

Unless they’re very young, if you previously worked out of the home and you’re no longer leaving for work at 8 a.m. sharp every morning, they’re going to notice that something is up. And even if you worked from home, you’re likely not spending eight straight hours in front of the computer anymore, and they’re going to notice that, too.

But even if you’ve managed to lie away the changes in your schedule, kids are very adept at picking up on the emotional temperature of the room—that is, if you’re stressed out, there’s a good chance they already know you’re stressed out. And if they don’t know why you’re stressed, kids also have a tendency to invent their own scenarios; and in lieu of another explanation, they often assume that they are the underlying cause.

You don’t want to lay your adult burden on their little shoulders but you do want to acknowledge that you’re although you’re going through a difficult time, you have a plan and the family will be okay.

Talk to them with “hopeful realism”

If you have a partner, sit down with them first to discuss how you’ll talk to the kids about your job loss; you’ll need to be on the same page. Also choose a time to talk to the kids when you are feeling calm—not immediately after you receive the news or before you’ve really processed what happened.

They will largely take their cue on how to react by your demeanor, so try to talk to them in a way that is “hopefully realistic,” as psychotherapist Amy Morin writes for Very Well Family:

Your first instinct might be to sugarcoat the situation so it doesn’t sound so bad, but minimizing the seriousness of the situation too much is a mistake.

You don’t want to go overboard with the dramatics. So, find a good middle ground by being hopefully realistic about what the job loss means for your family.

Your tone really is the most important thing here; the actual words you use will depend on your family’s financial situation and your child’s age. If your family is financially secure and you can weather several weeks or months without your income, tell them that. If this means things are tight and some extras they’re used to, like the weekly pizza delivery, need to be paused while you look for a new job, you can tell them that, too. And make sure to point out all the supportive people in your lives, such as their grandparents or other loved ones, who will help, if needed.

Younger, elementary-age kids probably won’t need too many details. You can tell them the reason for the job loss, but keep it simple—the company shut down or they don’t need as many employees now as they did before because they’re not as busy. And they’ll probably want to know how it will directly impact them (will they still be able to attend summer camp?).

Tweens and teens may want to dig a little deeper and better understand the family’s financial picture. Talk about your plans going forward, whether it’s looking for a new job, doing some freelance work or side jobs, or going back to school for a career change. You can’t know that everything will happen according to plan, but it will be comforting for them to know that you’ve got some next steps in the works.

You may also want to talk about how private you want the family to be about the job loss, particularly with kids who are on social media. Just be careful not to imply that there is any shame in your situation; this isn’t a secret, but it may be something you prefer to keep private within the family or within your immediate social circle, and that’s okay.

Allow room for their reactions

Depending on your child’s age or temperament, they may display any number of emotional reactions to your news: indifference, anger, sadness, confusion. And don’t be surprised if their main reaction is about how the job loss may directly affect their lifestyle. As clinical psychologist Wendy Mogel writes for the New York Times, it’s helpful for parents to remember that heartbreak can often sound like entitlement:

You’re likely to hear some version of:

“THIS ISN’T HAPPENING! … No way! Not fair! You promised! … Where am I supposed to go all summer? … WHAT do I tell my friends?”

As challenging as it may be, try to respect your children’s disappointment without defensiveness. Of course the pandemic wasn’t your fault, but your children may lash out at you. Take it as a good sign. It means that they heard you and trust that you are sturdy enough to be able to absorb their feelings.

Give them space to ask questions and answer them as calmly and candidly as you can. And remember that they need time to process this, just like you did. This shouldn’t be a one-time conversation; like all big parenting talks, this is something that you can—and should—discuss from time to time as you check in with how they’re feeling or update them with any new developments.

Meet the smartest parents on Earth! Join our parenting Facebook group.