The father and son duo suspected of killing 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery — Gregory and Travis McMichael — have reportedly been arrested. The New York Times reports the two men were taken into custody on Thursday (May 7), shortly after a graphic video of the incident went viral.
Gregory, 64, and Travis, 34, were each charged with murder and aggravated assault and booked into a jail in Glynn County, Georgia where the incident occurred. In a press release, The Georgia Bureau of Investigation identified Travis as the shooter.
According to court documents obtained by the Times, prosecutor George E. Barnhill of Georgia’s Waycross Judicial Circuit — who had the case for weeks — ultimately recused himself over a conflict of interest.
He advised the Glynn County Police Department there was “insufficient probable cause” to issue arrest warrants for the McMichaels, noting the men were carrying their weapons legally under Georgia law.
He also cited Georgia’s citizen’s arrest and self-defense statutes. Barnhill also claimed Arbery initiated the fight with Travis, so he was “allowed to use deadly force to protect himself.” The case was ultimately handed over to another district attorney, Tom Durden.
The murder, which took place in February, sparked outrage after the McMichaels weren’t immediately arrested and charged. Campaigns on Twitter began to trend with people like NBA superstar LeBron James, Meek Mill and Waka Flocka Flame among those calling for justice. T.I. made an Instagram post with an image calling for strong action.
“AHMAUD ARBERY WAS RUNNING IN HIS NEIGHBORHOOD AND WAS CHASED AND MURDERED BY TWO WHITE SUPREMACISTS. CONTACT THE LIBERTY COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY TO DEMAND THAT GREGORY AND TRAVIS MCMICHAEL BE CHARGED FOR THE MURDER OF AHMAUD ARBERY.”
The shooting, once again, places a spotlight on the racial injustices that run rampant in the United States. A protest organized by the local chapter of the NAACP will take place outside of the Brunswick courthouse on Friday morning (May 8) on what would have been Arbery’s 26th birthday. Chapter vice president Gerald Grigg said the rally would continue as planned.
“We are going to send a message,” he said, “and the message is this: We will not allow unarmed African-Americans to be killed in this state with impunity. We will demand punishment within the fullest extent of the law.”
Good. fuck those inbred fucks.
These two deserve the full extent of the law. They were incorrect in their actions and didn’t have the right to stop Ahmaud. They could have easily followed him until the authorities got there. Ahmaud’s actions to defend himself were justified, and he did nothing wrong in this instance. Sadly, Ahmaud’s life was lost due to some backwoods used-to-be cop and his 34 year old stay-at-home son wanting to play vigilante. If anything, “Stand Your Ground” or “Self Defense” could only be claimed by Ahmaud; not these two. They pursued, impeded, and were the aggressors.
Fuckin rednecks… Don’t give a fuck whether the victim was guilty of any burglary a not. The video speaks for itself. And when the prosecutor claims the victim initiated the fight with one of the perpetrators so the latter was allowed to use deadly force to protect himself, this is bullshit. What the victim was supposed to do when he saw two men with guns going after him ? Serving them some pancakes ? FOH ! Dumb mothafuckin rednecks. They probably lost their virginity in a farm sodomizing pigs and shit.
These two deserve the full extent of the law. They were incorrect in their actions and didn’t have the right to stop Ahmaud. They could have easily followed him until the authorities got there. Ahmaud’s actions to defend himself were justified, and he did nothing wrong in this instance. Sadly, Ahmaud’s life was lost due to some backwoods used-to-be cop and his 34 year old stay-at-home son wanting to play vigilante. If anything, “Stand Your Ground” or “Self Defense” could only be claimed by Ahmaud; not these two. They pursued, impeded, and were the aggressors.
I love the US but you seriously need to sort out this racial killings, it’s a joke.
How you letting hill Billy’s kill this boy and then roam free for months.
Wa not a racial killing, dummy
Ok, lol, like ‘racial killing” is a new thing and solely happens in the US. Look at the racists in South Africa and their white farmer killings. That was not about taking land back. It was about taking farm land and giving it to the Chinese. The president of South Africa used a racial divide tactic and propaganda of colonialism to drive the people to carry out the massacres. All over the world this shit happens in masses and they call it “ethnic cleansing”. You must be really young or Ignorant of world history.
Fuckin rednecks… Don’t give a fuck whether the victim was guilty of burglary or not. The video speaks for itself. And when the prosecutor claims the victim initiated the fight with one of the perpetrators so the latter was allowed to use deadly force to protect himself, this is bullshit. What the victim was supposed to do when he saw two men with guns going after him ? Serving them some pancakes ? FOH ! Dumb mothafuckin rednecks. They probably lost their virginity in a farm sodomizing pigs and shit.
Acouple years ago, me and two dudes I work with was leaving the corner store near a busy main Street in daylight hours. And a white guy jump out his Ford truck holding up traffic pulling out a gun on us saying what’s up now niggas. Never seen dude ever, he drove off. Police had showed up after he drove off and run us for warrants… That’s Texas life.
It’s kind of funny how the BLM thing was HUGE before the last election. T.I., Killer Mike and several other gang meme we/convicted felons chimed in. Trump got elected. This stuff goes on ALL the time. They appear to be some racist morons. What it comes down to IMO is MURDER! There are countless occasions of black men robbing and killing a middle eastern or Asian liquor store owner. A Latino ribbing and killing a white person. I don’t see any protests. 3 black men robbed a dollar store in Atlanta last week. They shot and killed the security guard. He was black. That’s OK? More people are killed in Chicago some in one year, than people are killed in the ENTIRE US a year due to mass shootings. We ALWAYS see the mass shootings in the news. So, when exactly is a person being murdered news worthy? When it’s some redneck morons killing and innocent black man? I don’t see T.I., Killer Mike, Meek Mill or ANYONE protesting or doing shit for CHI. I wonder why? Seriously. I’m glad those two were arrested. I hope they rot in prison BTW.
Way to put things in perspective. Objective thinking is crucial. Unfortunately most people aren’t capable.
No excuse for this. It’s cold Blooded murder and purely race driven as well. The fact that they clearly tried to cover up for the father since he was a former detective and tried to use the robbery suspect/probable cause excuse as justification. Even more shameful that it took a meds uproar to trigger an arrest instead of the proper criminal justice channels.
1. It was not cold blooded, they were fighting for the gun. 2. Wasnt race driven at all. There was a crminal suspect in the neighborhood, dude fit the description and they stopped him to confront him. Race has absolutely nothing to do with this.
Are you serious?? You know how many times I’ve “fit the description” for no reason at all? You sound crazy
This is the dumbest one yet ! This mans white privileged lets him make such a stupid statement and really believes it. THEY WERE NOT LAW ENFORCEMENT!!!!!! You said they were fighting for a gun ? Well maybe the reason was because they pulled not one, but two guns on the dude and eventually killed him. The biggest Lie ever told by the police is you fit the description, that allows the white man to pull you over, frisk or even kill.
A few things: (1) These guys are human garbage. It’s pretty clear they both at least deserve life sentences. (2) …But why is this on a hip hop site? (3) Interracial violence is significantly more likely when its black-on-white than the opposite. More than twice as likely, according to the FBI expanded homicide data table 3. Don’t let these individual cases that the media blows up confuse you.
Not necessarily doubting you, but I’m not familiar with those stats… Can you please send me links of news stories and the stats?
I don’t think you can post links here. Just Google those exact words: FBI expanded homicide data table 3. Look at all crime statistics, in fact. Incredibly disproportionate. That doesn’t take anything away from the criminals mentioned in this article. But perspective is everything.
The intent to kill Arbery will be impossible to prove. Folks are going to be angry.
Arbery got shot fighting for control of a shotgun. The man holding that gun had no right detaining Arbery, so Arbery died during the commision of a crime, maybe this can be proved. Murder 1 this is not, murder 2? maybe.
This isn’t going to end well no matter how it’s decided.
The video footage is trash for 2020. None of this makes any kind of sense. Use your brains people.
They are supposedly ex cops too.
While this an important social issue worth discussing , it is not hip hop and should not be on this site .
If the initial confrontation with guns was legal then shooting a guy fighting for your gun in legal. These guy will get off unless they admit to something later.
They killed him because thats what they wanted to do and of course because they’re white they’re going to use self defense as the plead to get off like i said before when its a black vs white issue the black person is in the wrong but when its white vs black they get off because thats how white privilege works 9 times out of 10 they’re getting off without consequences it dosent matter if it video or not and for the white people that’s going to be mad at what is being said u know it’s true and really don’t care because the system works for them
Dog bites man, not newsworthy. Man bites dog, newsworthy because it’s so unusual. That principle is the reason why the media never blows up stories about black people killing white people, but every few years they blow up a story about the opposite. Nobody should follow this story, it’s just media driven “anger porn” being used to divide and conquer, like they did with Trayvon Martin and Black Lives Matter (and like they perpetually do with politics). It’s about three people you’ve never met or heard about, but the media will have you extremely invested in the outcome of the trial. Don’t be a sucker.
Also, not one of the major news outlets bothers to show the same level of outrage for the countless “ dog bites dog” incidents that happen everyday either.
atlanta georgia eh. black civil rights movement was founded there and about fifty or so years later still a recipe for a race war. you wait, speaking of race wars, it ain’t going to be pleasant. when that txt bomb drops it will be all on. when that time comes, may the best race win. part white part latino here.
Totally agree with you.. to add to what you said.. the first undocumented civil rights marches were in Selma and Montgomery Alabama during the 1950s My grandmother was part of those marches. Civil rights movement didn’t get televised or even attention until the politicians got involved.. but as u said it’s Georgia we as ppl.of color are living in 1950s America again.
Just another sad case of our black youth being taken from us. This makes me sad, enraged and fearful for my own son. This young brother was far from the stereotypical stamp put on us.. I truly hope these trumpsters pay for the injustices for Trayvon,mike brown, philandro Castillo and others. Rest in power my brother!??
Why is this hip hop news? Cause the guy was black? Stop the race baiting. You all don’t post s_it about the blacks beating on Mexican street vendors (women and old men) in South Los Angeles and robbing them, which is happening a lot right now. NOW you pick and choose, like always, which sob stories to post. Maybe the race war wanting media sees nobody cares about Coronavirus anymore and need a new story to push. All I know is they post these pics of the guy in a tux and completely re-write the story. NOBODY in these comments knows what really happen. Stop being outraged over everything.
It’s hip hop news because… part of being black is HIPHOP. Everyone has a right to thier own opinion but we are always in the media for negative attention along with our brown brothers.. knowledge is power and self education is the best tool to have as endangered species the know where you’ve been to know where your going!