A special prosecutor on Tuesday said he decided against pursuing criminal charges a white Atlanta police officer who fatally shot a Black man outside a fast-food restaurant in 2020, a killing that fueled days of sometimes violent protests.

Officer Garrett Rolfe shot the 27-year-old man, Rayshard Brooks, while he was running from police after taking a Taser from an officer and attempting to fire at him.

The special prosecutor, Peter Skandalakis, said Rolfe was justified in firing at Brooks because the Taser could be viewed as a deadly weapon and the suspect was threatening the officers with physical violence.

The incident exacerbated outrage in Atlanta over law enforcement's use of excessive force against people of color. During the protests that followed, the Wendy's restaurant where Brooks was shot was burned to the ground.

Just days after the shooting, Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard charged Rolfe with felony murder, aggravated assault and other crimes. A second officer, Devin Brosnan, was charged with aggravated assault and violation of oath.

The decision to charge them before the Georgia Bureau of Investigation completed its investigation led to accusations that Howard, who was up for re-election, was acting out of political expedience.

Howard was eventually defeated at the polls and his successor was recused from the case, leading to the appointment of Skandalakis as a special prosecutor to review any evidence pointing to whether the shooting was justified.