So That's How Many Cops Called Out with 'Blue Flu' After Charges Announced in Atlanta Shooting
Bronson Stocking
Posted: Jun 26, 2020 8:00 PM
On the day that Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard, a Democrat, announced a felony murder charge against former Atlanta police officer Garrett Rolfe and charges against officer Devin Brosnan for the shooting of Rayshard Brooks, a large number of Atlanta cops reportedly called out sick. Police departments in the surrounding area refused requests to supplement Atlanta police unless there was an event where a police officer required emergency assistance. The mayor has since admitted that morale "is down ten-fold" among her officers.
While Atlanta cops were calling out sick en masse, officials downplayed the reports.
Atlanta Police Department
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@Atlanta_Police
Earlier suggestions that multiple officers from each zone had walked off the job were inaccurate. The department is experiencing a higher than usual number of call outs with the incoming shift. We have enough resources to maintain operations & remain able to respond to incidents.
11.1K
7:43 PM - Jun 17, 2020
Atlanta Sergeant John Chafee told CBS News that "suggestions that multiple officers from each zone had walked off the job were inaccurate." Chafee did say that eight officers resigned, five were dismissed, and three retired, sometime between June 1 and June 17. Chafee did not tell CBS News how many officers had called out since charges were announced in the Brooks shooting. But Channel 2 Actions News now knows the answer.
Around 170 officers called out sick with what's being dubbed the "Blue Flu" in the hours and days immediately following the charges. Most of the "sick" officers worked in the downtown area where protests have taken place. On Friday, two days after the charges were announced, 90 officers called out sick, and half of those officers work in Zone 5, the zone encompassing the protests.
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https://townhall.com/tipsheet/bronsonstocking/2020/06/26/so-thats-how-many-cops-called-out-with-blue-flu-after-charges-announced-in-atl-n2571432
