KEY POINTS

  • Ahmaud Arbery, 25, was killed after allegedly being chased down by two men in a pickup truck while out jogging
  • Gregory McMichael told police he and his son, Travis, confronted Arbery because they believed he was the suspect in a series of recent break-ins around the same neighborhood the shooting occurred
  • The shooting has drawn the attention of Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp

A Georgia district attorney on Tuesday said charges should be brought in the fatal shooting of Ahmaud Arbery, a 25-year-old African-American man, who was allegedly chased down by a white former police officer and his son.

"After careful review of the evidence presented and after exchanging information with the Glynn County Police Department, the FBI, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia, and the Prosecuting Attorney’s Council of Georgia, I am of the opinion that the case should be presented to the grand jury of Glynn County for consideration of criminal charges against those involved in the death of Mr. Arbery," Tom Durden, a prosecutor for Georgia’s Atlantic Judicial Circuit, wrote in a statement.

The shooting took place on Feb. 23, when Arbery was jogging outside of Brunswick, a city located in southeast Georgia. Arbery was allegedly chased down by Gregory McMichael, 64, and his son, Travis McMichael, 34, in their pickup truck. Travis McMichael reportedly exited the truck and threatened Arbery with a shotgun. A confrontation then ensued between Arbery and Travis McMichael, while Gregory McMichael armed himself and watched the struggle from the truck’s bed.

The confrontation ended with Arbery being shot multiple times before collapsing to the ground. The Glynn County Police Department responded shortly after the shooting and declared Arbery dead at the scene.

Gregory McMichael is a former police officer and district attorney’s investigator. He told police he believed Arbery was the suspect in a recent series of break-ins around the neighborhood.

Gregory McMichael was carrying a .357 Magnum revolver, while Travis McMichael had a shotgun.

Brunswick District Attorney Jackie Johnson was the first prosecutor assigned to the case but recused herself to avoid a conflict of interest since Gregory McMichael was her office’s investigator.

The case was then assigned to Ware County prosecutor George Barnhill, who wrote a letter to the Glynn County police saying he believed the shooting was justified as self-defense. However, Barnhill also recused himself over a conflict of interest because his son had worked in the same office as Gregory McMichael before the latter retired.

Durden was assigned to the investigation on April 13.

The investigation was compounded by the release of an alleged video of the shooting by civil rights activist Shaun King on Twitter. It was filmed by a witness who drove up as Arbery and Travis McMichael struggled over the shotgun. Two shots can be heard before Arbery tries running before he collapsed to the ground.

International Business Times has deemed this video too graphic to show and could not verify the video’s authenticity.

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden commented about the shooting, saying that it clearly showed Arbery being "killed in cold blood."

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp also responded, saying the Georgia Bureau of Investigation “has offered resources & manpower” to Durden’s office and that “Georgians deserve answers.”

The Atlanta branch of the NAACP also demanded the resignation of Johnson for not charging Gregory McMichael and Travis McMichael.

police tape
In this picture, a piece of police tape is strung across North Camden Street, Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. on June 24, 2018. Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images
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