Three men charged in the death of Ahmaud Arbery, who was shot dead in February, were indicted on murder charges by a Georgia grand jury, a prosecutor in the case said in a statement Wednesday.
Cobb County District Attorney Joyette Holmes, who assumed the position of prosecutor in May, announced that the grand jury in Glynn County had indicted the three suspects with nine counts each, including malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, false imprisonment and criminal attempt to commit false imprisonment.
BREAKING: 3 men indicted on murder charges in killing of Ahmaud Arbery https://t.co/ouyaoc9i1n pic.twitter.com/o4dbDwTlp6
— CBS News (@CBSNews) June 24, 2020
The indictment added that the men were charged with trying to “unlawfully confine and detain” Arbery while chasing him, using their vehicles “offensively” with the intent to “cause serious bodily injury.”
64-year-old Gregory McMichael, his 34-year-old son Travis McMichael and their 50-year-old neighbor William Bryan all face the possibility of serving a life sentence without parole.
The confrontation between Arbery and the McMichaels, which occurred in Brunswick’s Satilla Shores neighborhood February 23, was captured in a viral video released to the public in early May. The video depicted the father and son driving past Arbery, who was jogging in the neighborhood. A confrontation broke out and Arbery was fatally shot by Travis McMichael.
Both men were charged with murder and aggravated assault and an investigation was authorized by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Bryan, who was initially listed as a witness, also became the subject of a criminal investigation. (RELATED: ‘Very Compassionate’: Ahmaud Arbery’s Mother Describes Visit With Trump)
Demonstrators protest the shooting death of Ahmaud Arbery at the Glynn County Courthouse (Sean Rayford/Getty Images)
Along with the deaths of other black Americans like Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, the killing has fueled demonstrations by groups like Black Lives Matter, The New York Times reported..
Holmes referred to the news as “another step forward in seeking justice for Ahmaud” in her public statement. “We will continue to be intentional in the pursuit of justice for this family and the community at large as the prosecution of this case continues,” she said.
