'This is very, very rare': Former prosecutor explains why Atlanta police charges are a game-changer

On CNN Wednesday, former federal civil rights prosecutor Laura Coates broke down the significance of the charges against the police officers involved in the death of Rayshard Brooks.

"I just want to get your reaction to these charges for both police officers," said anchor Jake Tapper.

"You know, it is stunning, not because it's something that's not justified, but because you rarely see the speed and the breadth of these charges being charged against officers in this manner," said Coates. "We are talking about this happening really over the weekend. They immediately began investigating early morning hours after he was killed. You have the ideas of all the analysis of the videos."

"I think what is sticking in everyone's mind ... was the phrase 'I got him' said by the officer after he shoots him twice, after knowing that he's not armed with anything besides a Taser that can no longer be operable," said Coates. "And then kicks him while he is down on the ground after being shot at least twice in the back. You see, all the attention has been on this point, those 41 minutes where he was compliant before any sort of struggle ensued. But in reality, the tone of this prosecution has been on what happened not only during but after the conduct of these officers after, not rendering aid for over two minutes, kicking him, standing on his body, desecrating him in that fashion."

"And then to find out that another officer is going to turn state's witness and cooperate in an investigation against another police officer, this is very, very rare," said Coates. "And, finally, the fact that they are citing these two Supreme Court cases, Tennessee v. Garner about not being able to shoot a fleeing suspect, and also the idea of Graham v. Connor about a reasonable standard. This is something people have been waiting for, for a very long time."

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