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Eric Terrell, vice president of the National Action Network, holds a banner with photos of William Roddie Bryan, Travis McMichael, Greg McMichal and former Brunswick District Attorney Jackie Johnson outside the Glynn County Courthouse as the jury deliberates in the trial of the killers of Ahmaud Arbery on November 24, 2021 in Brunswick, Georgia. (Photo: Sean Rayford/Getty Images)
This is a breaking story... Please check back for possible updates...
A Georgia jury on Wednesday found three men guilty as charged for the 2020 murder of unarmed Black jogger Ahmaud Arbery.
"A jury with only one Black juror, even with racial dog whistles from defense counsel, recognized and honored Ahmaud Arbery's humanity."
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports the nearly all-white jury convicted Gregory McMichael, his son Travis McMichael, and William "Roddie" Bryan Jr.--who recorded video of the fatal encounter--of 23 charges.
Cheers erupted in the Brunswick courthouse amid tears and hugs as the three men were found guilty. Arbery's mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones, silently prayed just before Judge Timothy Walmsley read the verdicts.
"I never thought this day would come," Cooper-Jones said outside the courthouse following the convictions, "but God is good."
\u201cBREAKING: "I never thought this day would come\u2014but God is good."\n\nAhmaud Arbery's mother Wanda Cooper-Jones reacts to the conviction of three men in the murder of her son. https://t.co/xANs0sbJ10\u201d— ABC News (@ABC News) 1637782697
"With their verdict, the jury rejected the vestige of Jim Crow and the assertion of white supremacy that was at the center of this case," Andrea Young, executive director of the ACLU of Georgia, said in a statement. "This is a vitally important step, brought about because of the determination of Ahmaud Arbery's family and his community and the public protests."
"Importantly, this movement led to the repeal of the citizen's arrest law, and we must continue to work for racial equality in the state of Georgia," she added.
\u201cA jury believed the evidence of their eyes and saw the meanness in the killers\u2019 hearts. May this verdict bring a small measure of peace to #AhmaudArbery\u2019s family and loved ones.\u201d— Stacey Abrams (@Stacey Abrams) 1637780573
Jesselyn McCurdy, executive vice president for government affairs at The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, said in a statement that "today's conviction is a bittersweet salve to the loved ones of Mr. Arbery and those of us who were horrified by his tragic murder."
"Too often the bigoted assumptions of white supremacists are prioritized over the actual lives of Black people and other people of color across this country," she continued. "Although nothing can bring Mr. Arbery back, we must dedicate ourselves to confronting the white supremacy that claimed Mr. Arbery's life and defend communities targeted for hate to ensure no more lives are tragically lost to such senseless, racist violence."
\u201cThis verdict upholds a sense of accountability, but not true justice.\n\nTrue justice looks like a Black man not having to worry about being harmed\u2014or killed\u2014while on a jog, while sleeping in his bed, while living what should be a very long life.\n\nAhmaud should be with us today.\u201d— Reverend Raphael Warnock (@Reverend Raphael Warnock) 1637780274
Travis McMichael was found guilty of all nine charges against him--which included malice murder, felony murder, and aggravated assault--while his father was convicted on eight of the nine charges. Bryan was found guilty of six of the nine charges he faced.
"A jury with only one Black juror, even with racial dog whistles from defense counsel, recognized and honored Ahmaud Arbery's humanity as much as it punished his murderers for their depravity," Damon Hewett, president and executive director with the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, said in a statement. "The jurors sent a signal about accountability for the racist violence and harassment that inherently ignores the humanity of Black people."
The three men convicted were immediately taken into custody of the Glynn County Sheriff's Office.
\u201c#AhmaudArbery should be here.\n\nThe McMichaels and Bryan are indeed guilty of taking his life for no other reason than for him being Black. \n\nI\u2019m praying for and thinking of Ahmaud\u2019s family, including his mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones, who in this moment, is still missing her son.\u201d— Be A King (@Be A King) 1637779780
Arbery was running in the Satilla Shores neighborhood of Brunswick, Georgia on February 23, 2020 when he was confronted by the McMichaels--who claimed they thought the unarmed man may have committed a burglary--and shot by the son as Bryan recorded the attack. There is no evidence that Arbery committed any crime.
According to Bryan, Travis McMichael called Arbery a "fucking nigger" as he lay dying.
After being briefly questioned by police, the three killers were allowed to go free for 74 days. Meanwhile, Waycross District Attorney George E. Barnhill defended the murder as an act of "justifiable homicide" under Georgia's "stand your ground" law. Outraged critics called Arbery's slaying a "modern-day lynching."
\u201cToday, Ahmaud Arbery\u2019s killers were named guilty for his murder. \n\nOnly a few years ago, it would have been difficult to even take cases like this to trial. But, while this verdict is a step toward accountability, justice would be Ahmaud Arbery alive and well today.\u201d— Rashad Robinson (@Rashad Robinson) 1637780534
In April, the McMichaels and Bryan were charged with federal hate crimes in connection with Arbery's killing.
Cooper-Jones said that her son "will now rest in peace."
"It's been a long fight. It's been a hard fight," she said outside the courthouse. "To tell you the truth, I never saw this day back in 2020."
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This is a breaking story... Please check back for possible updates...
A Georgia jury on Wednesday found three men guilty as charged for the 2020 murder of unarmed Black jogger Ahmaud Arbery.
"A jury with only one Black juror, even with racial dog whistles from defense counsel, recognized and honored Ahmaud Arbery's humanity."
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports the nearly all-white jury convicted Gregory McMichael, his son Travis McMichael, and William "Roddie" Bryan Jr.--who recorded video of the fatal encounter--of 23 charges.
Cheers erupted in the Brunswick courthouse amid tears and hugs as the three men were found guilty. Arbery's mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones, silently prayed just before Judge Timothy Walmsley read the verdicts.
"I never thought this day would come," Cooper-Jones said outside the courthouse following the convictions, "but God is good."
\u201cBREAKING: "I never thought this day would come\u2014but God is good."\n\nAhmaud Arbery's mother Wanda Cooper-Jones reacts to the conviction of three men in the murder of her son. https://t.co/xANs0sbJ10\u201d— ABC News (@ABC News) 1637782697
"With their verdict, the jury rejected the vestige of Jim Crow and the assertion of white supremacy that was at the center of this case," Andrea Young, executive director of the ACLU of Georgia, said in a statement. "This is a vitally important step, brought about because of the determination of Ahmaud Arbery's family and his community and the public protests."
"Importantly, this movement led to the repeal of the citizen's arrest law, and we must continue to work for racial equality in the state of Georgia," she added.
\u201cA jury believed the evidence of their eyes and saw the meanness in the killers\u2019 hearts. May this verdict bring a small measure of peace to #AhmaudArbery\u2019s family and loved ones.\u201d— Stacey Abrams (@Stacey Abrams) 1637780573
Jesselyn McCurdy, executive vice president for government affairs at The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, said in a statement that "today's conviction is a bittersweet salve to the loved ones of Mr. Arbery and those of us who were horrified by his tragic murder."
"Too often the bigoted assumptions of white supremacists are prioritized over the actual lives of Black people and other people of color across this country," she continued. "Although nothing can bring Mr. Arbery back, we must dedicate ourselves to confronting the white supremacy that claimed Mr. Arbery's life and defend communities targeted for hate to ensure no more lives are tragically lost to such senseless, racist violence."
\u201cThis verdict upholds a sense of accountability, but not true justice.\n\nTrue justice looks like a Black man not having to worry about being harmed\u2014or killed\u2014while on a jog, while sleeping in his bed, while living what should be a very long life.\n\nAhmaud should be with us today.\u201d— Reverend Raphael Warnock (@Reverend Raphael Warnock) 1637780274
Travis McMichael was found guilty of all nine charges against him--which included malice murder, felony murder, and aggravated assault--while his father was convicted on eight of the nine charges. Bryan was found guilty of six of the nine charges he faced.
"A jury with only one Black juror, even with racial dog whistles from defense counsel, recognized and honored Ahmaud Arbery's humanity as much as it punished his murderers for their depravity," Damon Hewett, president and executive director with the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, said in a statement. "The jurors sent a signal about accountability for the racist violence and harassment that inherently ignores the humanity of Black people."
The three men convicted were immediately taken into custody of the Glynn County Sheriff's Office.
\u201c#AhmaudArbery should be here.\n\nThe McMichaels and Bryan are indeed guilty of taking his life for no other reason than for him being Black. \n\nI\u2019m praying for and thinking of Ahmaud\u2019s family, including his mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones, who in this moment, is still missing her son.\u201d— Be A King (@Be A King) 1637779780
Arbery was running in the Satilla Shores neighborhood of Brunswick, Georgia on February 23, 2020 when he was confronted by the McMichaels--who claimed they thought the unarmed man may have committed a burglary--and shot by the son as Bryan recorded the attack. There is no evidence that Arbery committed any crime.
According to Bryan, Travis McMichael called Arbery a "fucking nigger" as he lay dying.
After being briefly questioned by police, the three killers were allowed to go free for 74 days. Meanwhile, Waycross District Attorney George E. Barnhill defended the murder as an act of "justifiable homicide" under Georgia's "stand your ground" law. Outraged critics called Arbery's slaying a "modern-day lynching."
\u201cToday, Ahmaud Arbery\u2019s killers were named guilty for his murder. \n\nOnly a few years ago, it would have been difficult to even take cases like this to trial. But, while this verdict is a step toward accountability, justice would be Ahmaud Arbery alive and well today.\u201d— Rashad Robinson (@Rashad Robinson) 1637780534
In April, the McMichaels and Bryan were charged with federal hate crimes in connection with Arbery's killing.
Cooper-Jones said that her son "will now rest in peace."
"It's been a long fight. It's been a hard fight," she said outside the courthouse. "To tell you the truth, I never saw this day back in 2020."
This is a breaking story... Please check back for possible updates...
A Georgia jury on Wednesday found three men guilty as charged for the 2020 murder of unarmed Black jogger Ahmaud Arbery.
"A jury with only one Black juror, even with racial dog whistles from defense counsel, recognized and honored Ahmaud Arbery's humanity."
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports the nearly all-white jury convicted Gregory McMichael, his son Travis McMichael, and William "Roddie" Bryan Jr.--who recorded video of the fatal encounter--of 23 charges.
Cheers erupted in the Brunswick courthouse amid tears and hugs as the three men were found guilty. Arbery's mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones, silently prayed just before Judge Timothy Walmsley read the verdicts.
"I never thought this day would come," Cooper-Jones said outside the courthouse following the convictions, "but God is good."
\u201cBREAKING: "I never thought this day would come\u2014but God is good."\n\nAhmaud Arbery's mother Wanda Cooper-Jones reacts to the conviction of three men in the murder of her son. https://t.co/xANs0sbJ10\u201d— ABC News (@ABC News) 1637782697
"With their verdict, the jury rejected the vestige of Jim Crow and the assertion of white supremacy that was at the center of this case," Andrea Young, executive director of the ACLU of Georgia, said in a statement. "This is a vitally important step, brought about because of the determination of Ahmaud Arbery's family and his community and the public protests."
"Importantly, this movement led to the repeal of the citizen's arrest law, and we must continue to work for racial equality in the state of Georgia," she added.
\u201cA jury believed the evidence of their eyes and saw the meanness in the killers\u2019 hearts. May this verdict bring a small measure of peace to #AhmaudArbery\u2019s family and loved ones.\u201d— Stacey Abrams (@Stacey Abrams) 1637780573
Jesselyn McCurdy, executive vice president for government affairs at The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, said in a statement that "today's conviction is a bittersweet salve to the loved ones of Mr. Arbery and those of us who were horrified by his tragic murder."
"Too often the bigoted assumptions of white supremacists are prioritized over the actual lives of Black people and other people of color across this country," she continued. "Although nothing can bring Mr. Arbery back, we must dedicate ourselves to confronting the white supremacy that claimed Mr. Arbery's life and defend communities targeted for hate to ensure no more lives are tragically lost to such senseless, racist violence."
\u201cThis verdict upholds a sense of accountability, but not true justice.\n\nTrue justice looks like a Black man not having to worry about being harmed\u2014or killed\u2014while on a jog, while sleeping in his bed, while living what should be a very long life.\n\nAhmaud should be with us today.\u201d— Reverend Raphael Warnock (@Reverend Raphael Warnock) 1637780274
Travis McMichael was found guilty of all nine charges against him--which included malice murder, felony murder, and aggravated assault--while his father was convicted on eight of the nine charges. Bryan was found guilty of six of the nine charges he faced.
"A jury with only one Black juror, even with racial dog whistles from defense counsel, recognized and honored Ahmaud Arbery's humanity as much as it punished his murderers for their depravity," Damon Hewett, president and executive director with the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, said in a statement. "The jurors sent a signal about accountability for the racist violence and harassment that inherently ignores the humanity of Black people."
The three men convicted were immediately taken into custody of the Glynn County Sheriff's Office.
\u201c#AhmaudArbery should be here.\n\nThe McMichaels and Bryan are indeed guilty of taking his life for no other reason than for him being Black. \n\nI\u2019m praying for and thinking of Ahmaud\u2019s family, including his mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones, who in this moment, is still missing her son.\u201d— Be A King (@Be A King) 1637779780
Arbery was running in the Satilla Shores neighborhood of Brunswick, Georgia on February 23, 2020 when he was confronted by the McMichaels--who claimed they thought the unarmed man may have committed a burglary--and shot by the son as Bryan recorded the attack. There is no evidence that Arbery committed any crime.
According to Bryan, Travis McMichael called Arbery a "fucking nigger" as he lay dying.
After being briefly questioned by police, the three killers were allowed to go free for 74 days. Meanwhile, Waycross District Attorney George E. Barnhill defended the murder as an act of "justifiable homicide" under Georgia's "stand your ground" law. Outraged critics called Arbery's slaying a "modern-day lynching."
\u201cToday, Ahmaud Arbery\u2019s killers were named guilty for his murder. \n\nOnly a few years ago, it would have been difficult to even take cases like this to trial. But, while this verdict is a step toward accountability, justice would be Ahmaud Arbery alive and well today.\u201d— Rashad Robinson (@Rashad Robinson) 1637780534
In April, the McMichaels and Bryan were charged with federal hate crimes in connection with Arbery's killing.
Cooper-Jones said that her son "will now rest in peace."
"It's been a long fight. It's been a hard fight," she said outside the courthouse. "To tell you the truth, I never saw this day back in 2020."