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Protests after Black man killed by police in Atlanta

Demonstrators have taken to the streets in Atlanta in protest against the fatal shooting by police of a Black man who had fallen asleep in his car while waiting in line at a fast food drive-through south of downtown.

The Friday night incident comes at a time of heightened tension over police brutality and calls for reforms across the United States following the May 25 death of George Floyd in Minneapolis after a police officer kneeled on his neck for nearly nine minutes. 

Police had been called on 27-year-old Rayshard Brooks for sleeping in a car blocking the drive-through lane of a Wendy’s restaurant on Friday night. After Brooks failed a field sobriety test, the officers attempted to place him into custody, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigations (GBI), an independent agency that has been asked by the Atlanta Police Department to investigate the killing.

According to the GBI, Brooks resisted arrest and a struggle ensued, leading an officer to deploy a Taser.

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When the Taser did not work, Brooks reportedly tried to take it from the officer. A second officer then tried to use a Taser on Brooks, but it had no effect, Atlanta Deputy Police Chief Timothy Peek told reporters after the incident. During the tussle, Brooks was shot and later died at a local hospital.

The GBI said in a statement it was investigating reports “that the male subject was shot by an officer in the struggle over the Taser”.

A crowd of demonstrators gathered at the scene of the shooting on Saturday.

The president of the Georgia NAACP, the Reverend James Woodall, has called for the firing of Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution newspaper.

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The GBI said it was reviewing video footage of the incident taken by witnesses. That video, which was posted on social media, shows Brooks on the ground outside his car, struggling with two police officers. The shooting later occurs out of frame.

Atlanta was among many large US cities where large crowds of protesters have taken to the streets in recent days.

Gerald Griggs, a lawyer and vice president of Atlanta’s NAACP chapter, estimated there were 150 people protesting at the scene as he walked with them on Saturday afternoon.

“The people are upset,” Griggs said. “They want to know why their dear brother Rayshard Brooks was shot and killed when he was merely asleep on the passenger side and not doing anything.”

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Even though Brooks struggled with officers, Griggs said, “they could have used nonlethal force to take him down”.

Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard said his office has also “launched an intense, independent investigation of the incident”.

Stacey Abrams, the Georgia Democrat who gained national prominence running for governor in 2018, tweeted on Saturday of the shooting that “sleeping in a drive-thru must not end in death”.

“The killing of #RayshardBrooks in Atlanta last night demands we severely restrict the use of deadly force,” Abrams’s tweet said. “Yes, investigations must be called for – but so too should accountability.”

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The officers involved in the shooting were not immediately identified.

SOURCE: NEWS AGENCIES

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Cake Tekniks holds 59th graduation ceremony

A section of students dancing at the ceremony

About 30 students on Sunday graduated from the 59th gradua­tion ceremony of Cake Tekniks In­ternational, a privately-owned modern cake designing and sugar craft school in Accra.

During the ceremony, all gradu­ates were presented with certifi­cates while 13 of them also re­ceived professional diploma.

A cross-section of the graduates at the ceremony

The founder of Cake Tekniks International, Mrs Jane Addo, said her outfit was dedicated to pro­viding world standard skills, knowledge and hands-on training necessary for one to succeed worldwide in the culinary industry.

Mrs Jane Addo addressing students and guests at the ceremony

She encouraged the students to embrace the opportunities, challenges and experiences, mindful of the fact that they are well-equipped.

“Hold your heads up while you build a goodwill between your clients and your­selves,” she added.

Mrs Addo said the school was pas­sionate about fostering the culture of creativity, motivation and excellence with the belief that every student had the potential to make a lasting impact in the culinary world.

The founder and leader of QA Con­sult, Mr Johnson Opoku-Boateng, said graduation was a witness to the unveil­ing of talents, passion and hard work and testament to months of dedication and hands-on-learning.

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He urged the graduands to ensure that their cakes were safe and good for human health and that their success would be dependent on how well they serve, create and grow.

The event also saw the exhibition of cakes and pastries by the students.

By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu

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 Debutant Bella Agyemang lauded for Box Office ‘Magic’

Bella Agyemang

 New producer, Bella Agyemang, has been hailed by Silverbird Cinemas and other industry players for her Box Office ‘Magic’ over the weekend.

Bella’s ‘Check In’ movie has received praise for being the first to sell at the cinemas this year.

Speaking to The Spectator, Sales and Marketing Lead at Silverbird Cinemas Ghana, Nana Kwame Obiri-Tete said, for a debutant, Bella Agyemang did fantasti­cally well in her maiden premiere.

He said he was proud of Bella Agyemang’s effort in getting people to show up, adding that she engaged in a lot of marketing activities.

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He said her marketing activations on the streets, coupled with other Public Relations endeavours, pointed in the right direction.

“With what she has done, it shows that Bella has a big future. You might have a good product, but if you fail to market it, you cannot get people to patronize. Bella put in a lot of work, which is why she was able to draw a lot of people to the premiere,” Obiri-Tetteh said.

Bella Agyemang, on her part, expressed appreciation to fellow actors, her team, media person­alities and all stakeholders who supported her effort ahead of the premiere.

The much-awaited star-studded Ghanaian comedy movie ‘Check-In’ premiered at Silverbird Cinemas on April 12, 2025.

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The movie tells a story of chaos and a blackout at a secluded hotel, and amidst these, a resourceful attendant must unravel hidden connections between guests and restore peace before secrets tear them apart.

The movie, produced by Bella Agyemang, featured Kofi Okyere-Darko (KOD), Clem­ento Suarez, Jeneral Ntatia, Priscilla Opoku-Agyeman, Felicia Osei, Gideon Kojo Boakye, Clinton Odoi, Fiifi Jefferson Pratt, and Gabri­el Hogan among others.

 By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme

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