Justice vowed in black man’s killing
DECATUR, Ga. — The Atlantaarea prosecutor now handling the fatal shooting of Ahmaud Arbery spoke for the first time about the case on Friday, pledging to “make sure that we find justice” for the family of the victim and the community.
Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Vic Reynolds also appeared alongside Cobb County District Attorney Joyette Holmes, saying that “at this point we feel confident the individuals who needed to be charged have been charged.”
Their news conference at GBI headquarters in Decatur followed the arrest on Thursday of William “Roddie” Bryan Jr. on charges of felony murder and criminal attempt to commit false imprisonment.
Bryan, 50, is the man whose cellphone video of Arbery’s shooting prompted a national outcry. Gregory and Travis McMichael were arrested on murder and aggravated assault charges after the video spread on social media, more than two months after the slaying.
“We are going to make sure that we find justice in this case. We know that we have a broken family and a broken community down in Brunswick,” Holmes said.
Asked how Bryan could be charged with murder if he didn’t pull the trigger on the weapon, Reynolds referred to Bryan’s arrest warrant, which says he tried “to confine and detain” Arbery without legal authority by “utilizing his vehicle on multiple occasions” before Arbery was shot.
Bryan’s attorney, Kevin Gough, has said his client played no role in Arbery’s death, asserting that “Roddie Bryan is not now, and has never been, more than a witness to the shooting.”
Under Georgia law, a felony murder charge means that a death occurred during the commission of an underlying felony and doesn’t require intent to kill. A murder conviction in Georgia carries a minimum sentence of life in prison, either with or without parole.
Reynolds said that the investigation into Arbery’s killing is still active and ongoing but that he expects his investigators will finish soon and hand the case over to Holmes. He said he also expects the investigation into the handling of the case by two local prosecutors to be completed soon and turned over to the attorney general’s office.
Arbery was slain Feb. 23 when the white father and son armed themselves and pursued the 25yearold black man running in their neighborhood. Gregory McMichael told police that he suspected Arbery was a burglar and that Arbery attacked his son before being shot. Bryan lives in the same subdivision, just outside the port city of Brunswick.
After Bryan’s video leaked online May 5, Gov. Brian Kemp called the slaying “absolutely horrific.” The GBI took over the case from local police, and the arrests of the McMichaels followed on May 7.
Attorneys for the father and son have urged people not to rush to judgment.