Three Georgia men on Wednesday were indicted by a federal grand jury and charged with hate crimes and attempted kidnapping in connection to the death of Ahmaud Arbery, a black man who was chased and killed while jogging in February 2020.
Travis McMichael, 35, his father, Gregory McMichael, 65, and William “Roddie” Bryan, 51, were “each charged with one count of interference with rights and with one count of attempted kidnapping,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia announced. All three of the defendants were previously charged with malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, false imprisonment, and criminal attempt to commit a felony during June state court proceedings.
The trio is accused of using “force and threats” to target Arbery “because of his race,” federal prosecutors said. Travis McMichael and Gregory McMichael face additional charges for brandishing a “.357 Magnum revolver” and a “Remington shotgun.”
THREE MEN INDICTED ON MURDER CHARGES IN SHOOTING DEATH OF AHMAUD ARBERY
Arbery, 25, was shot to death on Feb. 23, 2020, after he was pursued by the McMichaels, two white men who claimed at the time that they were trying to conduct a citizen’s arrest because they believed Arbery was the suspect involved in a series of local robberies in southeast Georgia. Cellphone footage of the confrontation taken by Bryan recently emerged online, apparently showing Arbery running around a white vehicle before being shot at twice.
Arbery’s death drew nationwide outrage in May 2020 when the footage of the incident was released, sparking protests and demonstrations that were also fueled by the death of George Floyd around the same time.
The elder McMichael was a police officer but had his law enforcement privileges revoked in February 2019 after a multitude of infractions dating back to 2005. He and other officials in the district attorney’s office signed a memo at that time in which he agreed to give up his badge and weapon and was reclassified as a nonsworn employee.
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Gregory McMichael’s ties to the law enforcement community in Brunswick, Georgia, have complicated the prosecution of the case. Multiple district attorneys who had been assigned to the prosecution were accused of hampering the investigation before ultimately recusing themselves.
