Ahmaud Arbery suspects face hate crime charges on top of already existing murder claims

At the start of April we learned that evidence introduced in the already ongoing Ahmaud Arbery case shows that Arbery had a history of claiming to be a jogger as a cover for suspected criminal behavior. However this was separate from the denials last year made by police about Arbery being a “burglary suspect.”

For those who forgot: on February 23rd, 2020 Gregory and Travis McMichael made the headlines after it was revealed they shot and killed Ahmaud Arbery in what they claimed was self-defense. Since then, court proceedings have been ongoing.

Now at the end of this month we have new charges being brought against the father and son accused of murdering Ahmaud Arbery in the first place.

The Department of Justice put out a press release today announcing federal hate crime charges and “attempted kidnapping” charges over the death of Ahmaud Arbery. In addition, Travis and Gregory McMichael face separate counts of using firearms to commit violence.

These indictments were brought down today by a federal grand jury in the Southern District of Georgia. Alongside Travis McMichael and his father Gregory is William Bryan in facing kidnapping charges.

Per the announcement:

"Counts One and Two of the indictment allege that the defendants used force and threats of force to intimidate and interfere with Arbery’s right to use a public street because of his race. Specifically, Count One of the indictment alleges that as Arbery was running on a public street in the Satilla Shores neighborhood of Brunswick, Georgia, Travis and Gregory McMichael armed themselves with firearms, got into a truck, and chased Arbery through the public streets of the neighborhood while yelling at him, using their truck to cut off his route, and threatening him with firearms. Count One also alleges that the offense resulted in Arbery’s death. Count Two alleges that William “Roddie” Bryan joined the chase and used his truck to cut off Arbery’s route."

Alongside this is Count Three, which pertains to an “unlawful” restraint of Arbery against his will. Counts Four and Five are about the use of firearms by Travis (a Remington shotgun) and Gregory McMichael (a .357 Magnum revolver).

Some of you might be like “why isn’t this a double jeopardy thing?” The Department of Justice press release specifies. “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. No trial date has been set for the state case.”

This being in relation to the charges brought against the McMichael duo last year.