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'Probable Cause Was Clear': Georgia State Investigator Takes Jab At Handling Of Ahmaud Arbery Killing
Gregory McMichael and his son Travis are accused of murdering an unarmed black man in Georgia.
A state investigator seemingly criticized how local officials handled the killing of an unarmed black man in Georgia , whose death has caused fury across the country.
Ahmaud Arbery, 25, was shot to death while running unarmed through Glynn County in February. National outrage ignited after video footage which appears to capture his death was leaked online.
The video shows a man, believed to be Arbery, jogging down a road before trying to pass a white truck stopped in the middle of it. A man meets Arbery at the front of the truck while another stands in the truck's bed. Arbery appears to then struggle with a man holding a shotgun as several gunshots go off before he stumbles forward.
The men by the truck had allegedly chased Arbery down, telling authorities they thought he was a burglar.
Arbery's family has said he was only out for a jog.
Arrests in the case were only made after the video was released earlier this week. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced Thursday that Gregory McMichael, 64, and his son Travis McMichael, 34, have been arrested and charged with felony murder and aggravated assault.
Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Vic Reynolds seemingly took a bit of a jab at Glynn County investigators, who have been criticized for neglecting to make arrests in the case, during a press conference.
"I can't answer what another agency did or didn't see but I can tell you that, based on our involvement in this case, considering the fact that we hit the ground running Wednesday morning and within 36 hours, we had secured warrants for two individuals for felony murder,” Reynolds said. “I think that speaks volumes for itself and that probable cause was clear to our agents pretty quickly.”
Gregory is a former employee of the Glynn County District Attorney’s office and he is also a former police officer, WXIA-TV reported. He allegedly told police that when he saw Arbery “hauling ass” down the road, he believed he was a burglar, according to a Glynn County police report obtained by NBC News.
Glynn County Commissioner Peter Murphy claimed Friday that District Attorney Jackie Johnson had blocked Glynn County Police officers from arresting the father and son, the Brunswick News reports. He had previously recused himself citing a conflict of interest — before the next prosecutor on the case did the same. The third district attorney, assigned by the state's attorney general, announced Tuesday that a grand jury should decide if the men will go to trial for Arbery’s death.
The attorney representing Arbery’s family, S. Lee Merritt, has described the killing as a "modern-day lynching." Arbery’s death has sparked outrage and conversations about racism in America.
