Georgia prosecutor, state investigators to explore charges in shooting death of Ahmaud Arbery


A Georgia prosecutor, Tom Durden, announced Tuesday that he will seek to impanel a grand jury to consider criminal charges in the Feb. 23 killing of Ahmaud Arbery, an unarmed 25-year-old black jogger who was shot after being confronted by two white men on a suburban street in Glynn County. On Tuesday morning, a graphic video of Arbery's final encounter was posted online, prompting Gov. Brian Kemp (R) to pledge the help of state law enforcement "to ensure justice is served." Durden accepted the help of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
The two men who stopped Arbery, Greg McMichael, 64, and his 34-year-old son, Travis McMichael, told police they had suspected he was responsible for a series of break-ins, armed themselves, and followed him in their truck. The video shows Arbery jogging down a residential street in the Satilla Shores neighborhood just outside Brunswick, trying to run around the truck blocking his path, then apparently wresting over a shotgun held by Travis McMichael. Three shots were fired and Arbery tried to run away, collapsing a few feet later, never to recover.
Police have had access to the video since Feb. 23, and the GBI, before noting Durden's request for help, tweeted Tuesday that it was investigating how the video came to be released to the public on behalf of the Glynn County Police Department. Greg McMichael had worked for the Glynn County police for seven years before joining the Brunswick district attorney's office as an investigator. He recently retired.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Durden is the third prosecutor assigned to the case. Brunswick District Attorney Jackie Johnson recused herself, and the next prosecutor, George Barnhill, told police that charges weren't warranted because the video supported Greg McMichael's claim his son had acted in accordance with the state's citizen's arrest and self-defense laws when he shot Arbery, The New York Times reports, citing documents. Barnhill then recused himself because his son had worked with Greg McMichael in the D.A.'s office.
"This is murder," S. Lee Merritt, a lawyer for Arbery's family, said in a statement. "The series of events captured in this video confirm what all the evidence indicated prior to its release." No grand juries will be called in Georgia until at least June 12 because of the coronavirus pandemic.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
How medical imposters are ruining health studies
Under the Radar Automated bots and ‘lying’ individuals ‘threaten’ patient safety and integrity of research
-
‘How can I know these words originated in their heart and not some data center in northern Virginia?’
instant opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Can Trump deliver a farmer bailout in time?
Today's Big Question Planting decisions and food prices hang in the balance
-
Thieves nab French crown jewels from Louvre
Speed Read A gang of thieves stole 19th century royal jewels from the Paris museum’s Galerie d’Apollon
-
Arsonist who attacked Shapiro gets 25-50 years
Speed Read Cody Balmer broke into the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion and tried to burn it down
-
Man charged over LA’s deadly Palisades Fire
speed read 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht has been arrested in connection with the fire that killed 12 people
-
4 dead in shooting, arson attack in Michigan church
Speed Read A gunman drove a pickup truck into a Mormon church where he shot at congregants and then set the building on fire
-
2 kids killed in shooting at Catholic school mass
Speed Read 17 others were wounded during a morning mass at the Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis
-
Australian woman found guilty of mushroom murders
speed read Erin Patterson murdered three of her ex-husband's relatives by serving them toxic death cap mushrooms
-
Combs convicted on 2 of 5 charges, denied bail
Speed Read Sean 'Diddy' Combs was acquitted of the more serious charges of racketeering and sex trafficking
-
Sniper kills 2 Idaho firefighters in ambush
Speed Read A man started a wildfire, then fired a rifle at first responders when they arrived