Ryan Nicol
House Democratic Leader Kionne McGhee is urging Georgia officials to act after video emerged in the shooting death of Ahmaud Arbery.
“While it is unusual to receive a letter from so many elected representatives from sister states who have joined forces with legislative leaders from the great state of Georgia, the extraordinary injustice, which occurred in Georgia, has rippled through our Union and thereby demands your immediate attention,” McGhee wrote in a letter signed by a pair of Georgia lawmakers as well.
Arbery — who is black — was shot and killed in February after being confronted by former police officer Gregory McMichael and his son, Travis, who are both white.
Gregory McMichael told police officers he thought Arbery resembled a person suspected of several break-ins in the area. So the duo drove their pickup truck to confront Arbery.
Gregory McMichael said Arbery and his son struggled over a shotgun before Arbery was fatally shot.
As of yet, no evidence has emerged that Arbery was an actual suspect in the burglaries. While some have argued the McMichaels were relying on citizen arrest laws, others argue they had no authority to confront Arbery with weapons on their own accord.
“According to that law, you actually have to be observing the crime or be in the immediate knowledge of the crime,” said S. Lee Merritt, an attorney for the Arbery family, according to CNN.
“The only thing they have ever said is … that Ahmaud stopped by a house that was under construction and he looked through the window. We don’t know if that happened or not, but even if that did happen that is not a felony that would invoke the citizen’s arrest statute that would make this allowable.”
McGhee concurred.
“Mr. Ahmaud Arbery was hunted and killed in broad daylight,” McGhee wrote. “However, the two men responsible for this modern-day lynching remain free.”
A newly-released video of the February shooting from dashcam video from a second vehicle near the scene shows Arbery jogging down a road as he begins to near the McMichael’s pickup.
The video shows Arbery attempting to run to the side of the pickup. The video then loses track before steadying on Arbery in a scuffle with a man before several shots are fired.
Audio prior to that point is unintelligible.
After two district attorneys recused themselves, a third — Tom Durden — said he would present the case before a grand jury.
That will take a while, however. Though Georgia has begun reopening amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, grand juries remain suspended until at least June 12.
McGhee’s letter is addressed to three high-ranking Georgia officials — Gov. Brian Kemp, Attorney General Christopher Carr and Chief Justice Harold Melton.
The letter calls for three actions: lifting the suspension of grand juries in the state, arresting the McMichaels, and removing Glynn County Police Chief John Powell for refusing to make an arrest.
“Without a question, the Constitution of the great state of Georgia was established to ‘perpetuate the principles of free government, insure justice to all, preserve peace, promote the interest and happiness of the citizen and of the family, and transmit to posterity the enjoyment of liberty,” McGhee’s letter concludes.
“If you are unable to bring justice for Mr. Ahmaud Arbery and his family, it will have failed. The eyes of the Nation and the world are on Georgia.”
Added Florida Democratic Part Chair Terrie Rizzo, “The senseless death of a young black man shot while jogging is unacceptable.”
“Black men should not have to fear for their lives while going about their daily activities. As a society, we need to stand up and send a clear message that incidents like this are outrageous and intolerable. The perpetrators of this crime must be brought to justice. Our thoughts are with the family at this difficult time.”
5 comments
John Kociuba
May 7, 2020 at 5:43 pm
Funny…because media and politicians could care less about black on black crime which is the #1 cause of black youth death.
Furthermore I’m sure Florida Politics which enjoys causing race division, promoting communism and anti hod rhetoric in their pieces are offering readers 100% accurate accounts.
In every Investigation facts and jurors make decisions. It’s not perfect. That said, I hope justice is served if this young man was murdered.
gary
May 8, 2020 at 3:55 pm
Well said John… one more thing… black on white crime is never mentioned in the demonic press either. According to the 2013 FBI Crime Report, that year the number of blacks killed by whites was at approximately 0.77 per 1,000,000 blacks, while the number of whites killed by blacks was at 9.83 per 1,000,000 whites. See the difference?
morstar
May 8, 2020 at 7:06 pm
John and Gary, stop making this us against them. This is a despicable act. It involves the murder of a young man based on his race.
Stop trying to justify the murder based on political irrationality. I am a conservative and Christian, but there comes a point where you have to understand the injustice.
It’s quite possible John and Gary, that this young man was murdered because he was black. The confessions of the shooters admit that they were trying to make a citizen’s arrest. Problem with that statement is that even if they were making a citizen’s arrest they did not witness any crime. What they witnessed was a young black man jogging down their street.
Try to imagine for a moment John and Gary, what it must be like to live in fear that one day, out of the blue, someone will decide that you look like a person who committed a crime, simply because of the color of your skin. Let that sink in John. Let it sink in Gary. With this senseless racial defect that hides under the guise of law and order, another young man is dead. This is not about black on black crime. It is about you defending the indefensible.
Yeah, there will be a trial. Maybe justice will prevail but tomorrow every young black man looks over his shoulder and wonders whether today is his day for someone like you, to say, “I’m not racist” but he looks like someone who committed a crime. Imagine having to live like that.
John and Gary, as a Christian this is a time for prayer and compassion. It is a time for a better understanding. May God bring us peace in our time.
jon
May 8, 2020 at 8:05 pm
What the hell are you talking about? You and the rest of DemoRAT race baiters are making it about race. Right now the facts are not even out! They deserve their day in court. That is how we do it in America!
morstar
May 8, 2020 at 11:01 pm
It’s incredible that responses continue to come in with this attitude that me, as a white man, must be a Democrat because I dare consider that this young man may have been killed because of the color of his skin. Nevermind the video tape of two armed white men confronting the victim while he was jogging.
The very fact that you jon, don’t consider the facts as they are known at this time and have NO SYMPATHY for a mother who has lost her child tells me all I need to know. And jon, you can’t even comprehend the fear and sorrow that a young black man faces when he has to walk through your neighborhood, because you have rationalized that there is “nothing wrong here. Just some black guy getting shot. He must have been trying to burglarize a house or something.”
Don’t tell me about being a Democrat. You know nothing about me except that I do not share your cavalier attitude that justifies your acceptance of selective ignorant racism. I am not a race baiter. I am a white American, conservative, Christian who is sick of idiots rationalizing indefensible action based on your prejudice.
In my previous comment, I was attempting to be rational to appeal to our Christian morals. Let’s make this clear. They don’t deserve their day in court. They deserve the wrath of the Lord. What they will get is a judicial circus that will point out that they are just former public servants who have served the public well in the past. And stupid statement from people like you who will listen to every foul word these programed racists have to say. Because they know there is no one to contradict their statements. They already killed that witness. But what was the conversation that started when this young black man jogged by the two white men with guns.
I guess we’ll never know. Dead men don’t talk.
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