Ahmaud Arbery
In February 2020, 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery was shot (three times) and killed by white residents Gregory and Travis McMichael in Georgia while he was out for a run. The McMichaels thought Arbery had committed a crime, and began to chase him through the streets, armed and in a vehicle. Another man, William Bryan Jr., joined in the chase. Arbery was unarmed. When the McMichael's caught up to him, Travis got out of the vehicle and confronted Arbery, leading to a tussle that ended in Travis fatally shooting him. Arbery's killers were not arrested until months later (May 2020) (Spells). His death brought about the Run With Maud movement, and became more publicized after the death of George Floyd. On June 24, 2020, the three men accused in his shooting were indicted by a grand jury (Henry, Erica, and Angela Barajas.). In April 2021, federal prosecutors indicted them on hate crime and attempted kidnapping charges. Jury selection began on October 18, 2021, for the trial of the three men (Hackney, Deanna, and Amir Vera).
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Trial and Verdict
All three men were found guilty of murder charges in November 2021, more than a year after Arbery's killing. All three men "faced the same nine criminal counts: one count of malice murder, four counts of felony murder, two counts of aggravated assault, one count of false imprisonment and one count of criminal attempt to commit a felony." All of the men pleaded not guilty, but jurors found them guilty of almost all counts. The defense team for the men argued that the men believed that Arbery was involved in burglaries, as he had entered a home under construction various times. However, no evidence showed him stealing anything from the home. The defense said that the men wanted to "make a citizen's arrest and question Arbery" and Travis McMichael stated that "he feared for his life." The defense focused on the responsibility of the three men to protect themselves and their neighborhood. and their intentions to detain rather than harm Arbery. Prosecutors argued that Arbery was not killed in self defense and did nothing to threaten the men. Despite the jury taking place in a county where Black people consist of 27% of the population 11/12 jurors were white. This made the guilty verdict even more significant (Kennedy, Merrit, and Jaclyn Diaz).
On January 7, 2022, Travis McMichael and Gregory McMichael were sentenced to life in prison without parole. William Bryan was sentenced to life, eligible for parole after 30 years (Fausset). Learn more: |
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