Ahmaud Arbery death: Three charged with federal hate crimes and attempted kidnapping

Three men have been indicted by a federal grand jury in the Southern District of Georgia and charged with hate crimes and attempted kidnapping in relation to the death of Ahmaud Arbery.

Travis McMichael; his father, Gregory McMichael; and William “Roddie” Bryan were each charged with one count of interference with rights and with one count of attempted kidnapping.

Both of the McMichaels were also charged with one count each of using, carrying, and brandishing — and in Travis’s case, discharging — a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

Mr Arbery, who was Black, was killed by the McMichaels, who are White, after they chased him down their street, where he was jogging, and began an altercation with him. The incident ended with Mr Arbery fatally shot.

A statement from the Justice Department says that counts one and two of the indictment allege that the defendants used force and threats of force to intimidate and interfere with Mr Arbery’s right to use a public street because of his race. 

Specifically, the first count alleges that as Mr Arbery was running in the Satilla Shores neighborhood of Brunswick, Georgia, the McMichaels armed themselves with firearms, got into a truck, and chased him through the streets while yelling at him.

They allegedly used their truck to cut off his route, and threatened him with their weapons. This offence resulted in Mr Arbery’s death.

Count two alleges that Mr Bryan joined the chase and used his truck to cut off Mr Arbery’s path. 

In addition to the hate-crime charges, a third count alleges that all three defendants attempted to unlawfully seize and confine Mr Arbery by chasing after him in their trucks in an attempt to restrain him, restrict his free movement, corral and detain him against his will, and prevent his escape. 

Counts four and five allege that during the course of the crime of violence charged in count one, the younger Mr McMichael “used, carried, brandished, and discharged a Remington shotgun”, and his father “used, carried, and brandished a .357 Magnum revolver”. 

All three defendants have also been charged in a separate state proceeding with malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, false imprisonment, and criminal attempt to commit a felony. 

An autopsy showed that Mr Arbery was shot twice in the chest and had a third wound on his wrist. No drugs or alcohol were found in his system and his death was ruled a homicide.

While the killing occurred on 23 February 2020, it was only after a video of the incident shot by Mr Bryan went viral after being leaked online in early May that arrests were made.

The video sparked international outrage and was described at the time as a “modern-day lynching”.

Prior to the emergence of the video, there had been little progress in the investigation, much to the frustration of the Arbery family.

While the state of Georgia does not have a hate crimes law, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation cooperated with federal authorities in their investigation of the case.

No trial date has been set for the state case.