Brooks left the company and Toledo in December to go back to his family in Atlanta, but indicated that he was going to return after \"getting some ducks in order,\" according to Mikolajczyk.

She said he kept in touch with a lot of the Ark Restoration team over the last couple of months and talked highly of his family.

\"He was an amazing individual. He took care of his family and friends,\" Mikolajczyk said.

\"PHOTO:
Stewart Trial Attorneys
PHOTO: Rayshard Brooks, a father of three daughters and a stepson, was shot and killed by police in Atlanta, June 12, 2020.
>

Miller echoed that sentiment during an interview with ABC News.

\"He believed in peace. He believed in love. He was a beautiful spirit,\" she said.

Brooks was set to celebrate Blessing's eighth birthday on June 13, but on the night before he was confronted by officers who say he was sleeping in his car in a Wendy's drive-thru.

In police bodycam footage released on June 14, Brooks is seen calmly speaking with officers David Bronsan and Garret Rolfe after they woke him up and questioned him.

\"I can just go home. My daughters are there right now. My daughter's birthday was yesterday,\" Brooks tells the officers in the video.

The officers administered a Breathalyzer to Brooks, and it registered a blood-alcohol level of .108%, which is above the legal limit of .08%.

As officers attempted to put Brooks in handcuffs, a struggle ensued and he got ahold of one of the officers' stun guns, according to the video and investigators. Another surveillance video showed Brooks running away with the stun gun in his hand. Brooks turned and allegedly shot the stun gun at Rolfe, who drew his service weapon from his holster and opened fire, according to the video.

Brooks was taken to a local hospital, where he died after emergency surgery, according to investigators.

Rolfe was fired, and Brosnan was placed on administrative duty while the Georgia Bureau of Investigation conducts its investigation into the incident. Neither officer had been charged as of Monday evening.

Atlanta police chief Erika Shields resigned from her position after the incident. The shooting, coming in weeks after George Floyd's death at the hand of Minneapolis officers, prompted protests throughout the city and calls for justice from activists around the country.

\"PHOTO:
Stewart Trial Attorneys
PHOTO: Rayshard Brooks, a father of three daughters and a stepson, was shot and killed by police in Atlanta, June 12, 2020.
>

Brooks' family said they appreciate the support and Miller called for peaceful protests in honor of her late husband.

\"It's going to be a long time before I heal . . . before this family heals,\" Miller said at a news conference Monday.

","canonicalUrl":"https://abcnews.com/US/rayshard-brooks-remembered-hard-work-dedication-family/story?id=71254647","legacySlug":"/news/story/rayshard-brooks-remembered-hard-work-dedication-family-71254647","noIndexNoFollow":false},"publishTime":"21:32","publishDate":"06-15-2020","updatedTime":"22:22","updatedDate":"06-16-2020","socialImage":{"alt":"Rayshard Brooks, a father of three daughters and a stepson, was shot and killed by police in Atlanta, June 12, 2020.","credit":"Stewart Trial Attorneys","ratio":"16x9","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/US/rayshard-brooks-portrait-1-ht-ps-200615_hpMain_2_v12x5_16x9_1600.jpg","width":992,"height":558},"datePublished":"6/15/2020 21:32:00 GMT","video":{"live":false,"id":71254647,"headline":"Rayshard Brooks' family remember hard work","mediaAssetTitle":"RAYSHARD BROOKS PROFILE","description":"Brooks spent months in Toledo, Ohio, while tending to father.","duration":"2:33","posterImg":{"url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","width":608,"height":342},"video":{"feed":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2020/06/200615_vod_rayshard_brooksud_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8"},"playlist":["133741861","133707237","133144263"]},"relatedItems":[{"contentType":"video","date":"June 10, 2026","headline":"NASA unveils Artemis III crew","section":"News","slug":"/video/133741861","id":"133741861","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: NASA unveils Artemis III crew","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260610_gma_benitez_artemis_715_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: NASA unveils Artemis III crew","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260610_gma_benitez_artemis_715_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260610_gma_benitez_artemis_715_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260610_gma_benitez_artemis_715_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260610_gma_benitez_artemis_715_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260610_gma_benitez_artemis_715_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260610_gma_benitez_artemis_715_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260610_gma_benitez_artemis_715_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260610_gma_benitez_artemis_715_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260610_gma_benitez_artemis_715_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"June 9, 2026","headline":"Flash flood threat as dangerous weather on the move","section":"News","slug":"/video/133707237","id":"133707237","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Flash flood threat as dangerous weather on the move","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260609_gma_zee_weather1_707_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Flash flood threat as dangerous weather on the move","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260609_gma_zee_weather1_707_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260609_gma_zee_weather1_707_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260609_gma_zee_weather1_707_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260609_gma_zee_weather1_707_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260609_gma_zee_weather1_707_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260609_gma_zee_weather1_707_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260609_gma_zee_weather1_707_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260609_gma_zee_weather1_707_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260609_gma_zee_weather1_707_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"May 20, 2026","headline":"Fashion mogul’s son arrested in father’s fatal fall","section":"News","slug":"/video/133144263","id":"133144263","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Fashion mogul’s son arrested in father’s fatal fall","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260520_gma_ally_fall3_732_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Fashion mogul’s son arrested in father’s fatal fall","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260520_gma_ally_fall3_732_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260520_gma_ally_fall3_732_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260520_gma_ally_fall3_732_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260520_gma_ally_fall3_732_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260520_gma_ally_fall3_732_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260520_gma_ally_fall3_732_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260520_gma_ally_fall3_732_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260520_gma_ally_fall3_732_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260520_gma_ally_fall3_732_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}}],"relatedContentSection":"news","schemaContent":{"name":"Rayshard Brooks' family remember hard work","description":"Brooks spent months in Toledo, Ohio, while tending to father.","duration":"2:33","uploadDate":"06-15-2020","publication":"06-15-2020","images":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","url":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2020/06/200615_vod_rayshard_brooksud_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","contentUrl":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2020/06/200615_vod_rayshard_brooksud_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","link":"https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/news/story/rayshard-brooks-remembered-hard-work-dedication-family-71254647"}},"playlist":[{"id":"133929295","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133958398","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133882828","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133810954","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133779647","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133810835","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133749799","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133777519","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133748258","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133730535","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133712423","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133694181","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133688738","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133616358","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133616342","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133522899","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133584123","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133579397","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133482839","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133390157","contentType":"story","section":"news"}],"kvps":{"pgtyp":"article","lang":"en","sp":"goodmorningamerica","programmatic":"true","bundleId":"com.abcnews"}},"analytics":{"accountID":"wdgnewwdgnewgmaweb","ns":"gma","pageName":"gma:news:video","pageType":"video","globalSpecVersion":"v1.08","siteDifferentiator":"gma:site","tagID":"g_page01","userABCookie":"0","section":"news","title":"Rayshard Brooks' family remember hard work","pubTime":"17:32","pubDate":"06-15-2020","modTime":"18:22","modDate":"06-16-2020","taxonomyTags":"none","id":71254647,"editorialOtherSubjects":"","wordCount":"none","columns":"none","authors":"Jessie DiMartino ","authorsUnit":"none","authorsBureau":"none","subBrand":"Good Morning America","provider":"Good Morning America","videoName":"Rayshard Brooks' family remember hard work","mediaAssetTitle":"RAYSHARD BROOKS PROFILE","videoId":71254647,"mediaOnPage":"video","legacySlug":"/news/story/rayshard-brooks-remembered-hard-work-dedication-family-71254647"},"taboola":{}},"request":{"headers":{},"httpVersion":"1.1","method":"GET","url":"/video/71254647","vary":{"host":"www.goodmorningamerica.com","cached":true,"path":"/video/71254647","forwarded-proto":"https","device":"desktop","userab":"0"}},"viewport":{"width":1260,"height":0},"user":{}};