Georgia state Rep. Vernon Jones is calling for federal oversight into the investigation surrounding the killing of an unarmed black man in his state.
Ahmaud Arbery, 25, was fatally shot on Feb. 23 after he was confronted by two white men while out on a run in the town of Brunswick. Neither man was charged after the incident, but a video that emerged Tuesday appearing to show Arbery on a run through a residential area when he was killed has led to renewed calls for arrests and a grand jury.
Law enforcement officials identified Gregory McMichael, 64, and his son, Travis McMichael, 34, as the two men who chased down Arbery.
The racially charged case has drawn national attention. #JusticeForAhmaud is trending on Twitter, mirroring the fallout from cases in which young, black men were killed by police or while in police custody. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said people “deserve answers” about Arbery’s death. State Attorney General Chris Carr called the video “deeply disturbing.”
Jones, a black Democrat who made headlines last month for voicing his support for President Trump, told the Washington Examiner that he hopes federal oversight will provide “additional eyes and additional monitoring” for the circumstances surrounding Arbery’s death.
“Our governor, Gov. Brian Kemp, has asked the Georgia Bureau of investigation to get involved,” Jones said in a phone interview Thursday. “At the same time, I’m confident that they will seek to receive federal support. However, I do believe that this is another opportunity for the president not only [to be] aware of this situation but to provide any federal support that I’m sure would be welcomed by state officials.”
“I think the president has been very sensitive and understanding of all Americans, but certainly the nuances in the black community as it relates to these types of … unusual circumstance, highly unusual circumstances,” he added.
Atlantic Judicial Circuit District Attorney Thomas Durden, who on Wednesday called for a grand jury to consider criminal charges against the McMichaels, is the third defense attorney to handle the case after the first two recused themselves, citing potential conflicts of interest because Gregory McMichael is a retired investigator for the local prosecutor in Brunswick.
According to a police report obtained by the New York Times, Gregory McMichael said he saw Arbery running through the neighborhood and believed he looked like a suspect in a string of burglaries in the area, so he and his son armed themselves and followed him. The elder McMichael told police that Arbery “violently attacked” his son and tried to steal his shotgun before Arbery was shot and killed.
One of the prosecutors previously assigned to the case informed police there was insufficient probable cause to arrest the McMichaels because they acted in self-defense within the law while trying to conduct a citizen’s arrest.
“Obviously, they have stumbled and bumbled this process. Again, there need not be a grand jury convened to arrest perpetrators,” Jones told the Washington Examiner. “That’s why there was concern, not only from our governor, [about] what was happening on the local level. That’s why the state got involved, and because the state has gotten involved, that’s important, and we appreciate that. But that’s why the eyes of the federal government need to be looking down on this case as well. The African American community is already very discouraged by many cases that are bumbled at the local level, and they don’t believe in the justice system.”
The 36-second video, apparently taken by someone who witnessed the altercation, was released by a local radio host on Tuesday and has generated renewed outrage and calls for authorities to make arrests.
“[The video] proves that my son was not committing a crime. He was out for his daily jog, and he was hunted down like an animal and killed,” Wanda Jones, Arbery’s mother, told CBS News. “I’m hoping that all involved, they’re indicted and they go to jail.”
Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden also weighed in on the case, tweeting, “The video is clear: Ahmaud Arbery was killed in cold blood. My heart goes out to his family, who deserve justice and deserve it now. It is time for a swift, full, and transparent investigation into his murder.”
Jones also advocated for “justice to be served.”
