Ahmaud Arbery: Three men indicted for killing Black man
June 25, 2020
Three men have been indicted on murder and other charges in the killing of Ahmaud Arbery, a Black man who was jogging through their neighborhood in Georgia when he was shot four months ago.
Former police officer George McMichael, 64, and his son, Travis McMichael, 34, were taken into custody after a video showing the killing of Arbery, 25, went viral in May, weeks after his death.
The McMichaels said that they suspected Arbery of being involved in some burglaries that had taken place in their neighborhood in Brunswick, which led them to follow him in their pickup truck to make a citizen's arrest. They also claimed that Arbery attacked the son before being shot.
Soon after, William "Roddie" Bryan Jr., 50, who videotaped the shooting that took place on Feb. 23, was also arrested and charged with murder.
Bryan, who lives in the same neighborhood, said he joined the chase when he saw the McMichaels speeding past him. His attorney, Kevin Gough, has insisted that his client was just "a witness to the tragic shooting death," adding that Bryan had fully cooperated with investigators.
Read more: Ahmaud Arbery case — Georgia prosecutors under investigation
"This is another positive step, another great step for finding justice for Ahmaud, for finding justice for this family and the community beyond," Prosecutor Joyette Holmes said on Wednesday, as she told the press that a grand jury had indicted all three men on charges including malice and felony murder.
The three men also face two counts of aggravated assault and one count each of false imprisonment and criminal attempt to commit false imprisonment.
Read more: Blacks in the US targeted by an unfair justice system
The leaked video of Arbery's death led to a public outcry against racial injustice, fueling a push for a hate crimes law in Georgia. The law was passed on Tuesday, but cannot be applied retroactively to Arbery's case.
The US Justice Department is investigating whether grounds exist for federal hate-crimes charges. All three men remain in jail without bond.
see/rc (Reuters, AP)