Lawyers: Arbery not targeted because he was Black

ATLANTA >> Ever since Travis McMichael gunned down Ahmaud Arbery, he and his father have been condemned by many as white racist vigilantes who targeted a Black man running down their street. Nothing could be further from the truth, lawyers for both Travis and Greg McMichael recently told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

“He is not a stereotype, he is not a caricature of a Southern vigilante racism that he’s been made out to be,” attorney Bob Rubin said of Travis McMichael. “He’s actually a man who’s lived a very good life, a life of helping others.”

A recently filed bond motion says that McMichael likely saved the lives of six people, one when he was a teenage lifeguard and the others when he patrolled the waters for the U.S. Coast Guard.

The 25-year-old Arbery was killed by three shotgun blasts on Feb. 23 near coastal Brunswick, Georgia. Greg McMichael, who was repairing boat cushions in his front yard, saw Arbery run past him. He called to his son, saying he saw someone he believed had been breaking into houses.

Travis McMichael grabbed his shotgun and hopped into his pickup with his dad, who had his .357 magnum revolver. Minutes later, neighbor William “Roddie” Bryan joined in the chase and videotaped the end of it. The encounter left Arbery dying on the pavement.

Attorney Frank Hogue, who represents Greg McMichael, said Arbery had been filmed at least two times on a security video inside a house under construction a few doors down.

“This is what was in their head,” Hogue said. “Not the narrative you’re hearing: Ah, there’s a Black man running in our neighborhood. Let’s go track him down and shoot him.’ It’s far from that.”

Rubin agreed. “This case is not about race,” he said. “Mr. Arbery was not targeted because he was Black.”