Three men indicted on murder charges in killing of Ahmaud Arbery
Three men have been indicted on murder charges in the killing of Ahmaud Arbery in coastal Georgia.
Speaking to reporters outside the Glynn County courthouse, prosecutor Joyette Holmes announced that a grand jury has indicted Travis McMichael, Greg McMichael and William ‘Roddie’ Bryan Jr on charges including malice and felony murder in the death of the African American man.
She said: ‘This is another positive step, another great step for finding justice for Ahmaud, for finding justice for this family and the community beyond.’
Lawyers for the McMichaels have cautioned against a rush to judgment and have said the full story will come out in court. A lawyer for Bryan insists that his client was merely a witness.
Mr Arbery was killed on February 23 when Greg and Travis McMichael, a white father and son, armed themselves and pursued the 25-year-old as he ran through their neighborhood.
Greg McMichael told police he suspected Mr Arbery was a burglar and that he attacked his son before being shot.
Bryan lives in the same subdivision, just outside the port city of Brunswick. He said he saw the McMichaels driving by and joined the chase, a Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent testified earlier this month.
It wasn’t until May 7 – two days after Bryan’s cellphone video leaked online and stirred a national outcry that the McMichaels were arrested.
Bryan was arrested on May 22, with the warrant alleging he tried ‘to confine and detain’ Mr Arbery without legal authority by ‘utilizing his vehicle on multiple occasions’ before the victim was shot.
In addition to malice murder and felony murder charges, the McMichaels and Bryan each are charged with two counts of aggravated assault and one count each of false imprisonment and criminal attempt to commit false imprisonment.
Bob Rubin, a lawyer for Travis McMichael, said in an email that prosecutors choose the facts they want to present to a grand jury when seeking an indictment.
The defense team has found other facts ‘that are an integral part of the case’, he wrote.
Mr Rubin said: ‘To this indictment, Travis McMichael will plead not guilty, and we look forward to presenting all of the facts regarding this tragic death in a court of law.’
Bryan’s attorney, Kevin Gough, spoke to reporters at the county courthouse moments after the indictment was announced.
He said: ‘We welcome the action of the grand jury today. While we disagree with it, it’s an important step in the process to moving this case closer to the speedy trial that Roddie has demanded.’
The lawyer said his client has committed no crime and has cooperated with law enforcement officers from the beginning.
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