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Burke County Sheriff Alfonzo Williams explains his position in the Rayshard Brooks shooting.

It is not difficult to determine right and wrong. It is colorless. The law must in all cases remain constant to seek that which is right, just, fair and equitable.

Doing the right thing is not always easy.

When I was asked by the Augusta Chronicle whether the recent law enforcement shooting of Rayshard Brooks was justified, I undoubtedly said the actions of the Atlanta Police Department were supported by the facts, law, and proper procedures.

Period.

In any court of law, credentials are required prior to the introduction of expert opinion. My professional law enforcement opinion is supported by: (1) 30 years of law enforcement experience; (2) two masters degrees; (3) service as a district attorney investigator; (4) eight years as a violent crimes investigator; (5) serving as a chief of police for a municipal and a public school agency; (6) directorship of a police academy; (7) 15 years as a criminal justice adjunct instructor at a community college; and (8) serving as an elected county sheriff.

My determination that the Brooks shooting was justified is scientific, one based on expertise, provable law and extensive standardized practices.

Constitutionally, the lawful of use of use of force is grounded in the Fourth Amendment. Graham vs. Connor, 490 U.S. 386 (1989) established what is commonly referred to the "objective reasonable standard" by which all peace officers across the country are governed. If the officer did as any other would have done on the scene when making a split-second judgment under tense, uncertain and rapidly evolving circumstances, the force is reasonable.

This is an objective standard; 20/20 hindsight is not a factor.

Georgia statutory law, O.C.G.A. 17-4-20, tells us a peace officer may use deadly force to apprehend a suspected felon only when the officer reasonably believes the suspect: (1) possesses a deadly weapon; (2) poses an immediate threat of physical violence to the officer or others; or (3) has committed a crime involving the infliction or threatened infliction of serious physical harm.

This was the methodology I followed. Thoroughly sifting through the video footage in an agenda-free, scientific manner led to a clear conclusion the shooting was justified. There is simply no way to credibly support prosecution here.

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."

To remain completely silent at a time such as this would fail Dr. King. It would place officers around this country in harms way while they protect innocent civilians.

Just imagine your unsuspecting wife, who had left home to go to the convenience store just across from the Wendys for a gallon of milk, is suddenly approached by a fleeing suspect in possession of an officers weapon, and he kidnaps her and demands she get him out of the area to avoid capture.

Or imagine getting a call at 2 a.m. to learn a loved one has been killed by a drunk driver later discovered to be Brooks.

Or a newlywed with child anxiously awaiting her husbands arrival at the end of his shift, met at the door by a somber-faced lieutenant and chaplain explaining her husband did not survive a deadly-force encounter.

To remain silent invites mayhem on the streets. In the Brooks case, silence sends a message it is permissible or perhaps even encouraged to drive drunk, disobey lawful commands, attack law enforcement, disarm uniformed police, flee after a felonious assault and turn back toward the officers firing a weapon, endangering countless others in a public location. Muteness suggests no one using force against an officer should expect to be met with a similar or higher level of force.

Public safety suffering in the name of convenient politics should be condemned and denounced.

Always.

This is not to say force is always called for, reasonable, or legal. The George Floyd case in Minnesota was appalling and quite despicable. And I have said so. When the Amaud Arbery shooting came to light, I expressed outrage over the homicide and appreciation toward the Georgia Bureau of Investigation for moving so quickly to arrest.

Improvements in policing are needed across the country; Georgia is no exception. To this point, on June 2 prior to the Brooks case I wrote Gov. Brian Kemp to detail needed reforms, including:

Requiring four-year degrees for every law enforcement officer.

Mandate every police agency follow proven certification standards in the same way that we do teachers, doctors, nurses and cosmetologists.

Call on state and federal lawmakers to create legislation with minimal standards for law enforcement agencies.

Create a federal retirement system for law enforcement officers in order to recruit, hire, retain and further train the most qualified candidates.

Require officers undergo an extensive background check similar to military top security clearances complete with psychological assessments.

Make law enforcement reform a priority, akin to the efforts devoted to international and domestic terrorism.

The letter stressed we should move swiftly to employ these principles, and that I would offer to be of service.

It is utterly shameful that some who are in positions to speak out about injustices remain silent. While many fellow law enforcement leaders across the country joined together to denounce the unjustified killings of Arbery and Floyd, few have done similarly with the justified use of force in the Brooks case. The same goes for the gunning down by police of a six-year-old autistic child in Louisiana, the 41 people shot and six murdered in a single day in Chicago, or the law enforcement officers killed and wounded in recent riots. Law enforcement voices should sound off against these injustices too.

Law enforcement and the public we serve would all be in a much better place if police officials put the truth above political convenience. Professionalizing ourselves should be constant priority, rather than waiting on yet another movement to dictate some calculated reaction!

There is nothing to be learned from the second kick of a mule.

We can all do better.

It begins and ends with the truth and willingness to speak it.

The writer is sheriff of Burke County, Ga. He recently won reelection with more than 80% of the popular vote.

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Guest Column: Why the Rayshard Brooks shooting was justified - The Augusta Chronicle