Mother of Ahmaud Arbery Files Lawsuit Against Glynn County Police Officials
The mother of Ahmaud Arbery has filed a civil lawsuit against several individuals after her son was gunned down in Glynn County, Georgia, last year. The lawsuit comes exactly one year after Arbery died.
The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia, naming three men for their direct involvement in Arbery’s death. The men are father and son duo Gregory, 64, and Travis McMichael, 34, and a neighbor, 50-year-old William Bryan. Gregory McMichael was a former Georgia police officer, and Bryan captured cell phone footage of the moment Arbery was confronted by the McMichaels.
Also named in the lawsuit are law enforcement officials including officer Robert Rush, the former Police Chief John Powell, additional police officials including Glynn County police officers, former Glynn County District Attorney Jackie Johnson, and Waycross Judicial Circuit District Attorney George Barnhill.
Ahmaud Arbery’s mother, Wanda Cooper Jones, alleges that the defendants named in the suit were responsible for her son’s death. The lawsuit explains “These men believed that they had the authority to pursue the man on the construction lot because they had been deputized by the Glynn County Police Department."
On the afternoon of February 23rd, 2020, Ahmaud Arbery was jogging through a residential neighborhood in Glenn County, Georgia. During his jog, Arbery was followed by three white men who lived in the neighborhood. As he was pursued by the men, Travis McMichael confronted Arbery and fatally shot him.
The lawsuit alleges, “Three armed white men defendants Gregory McMichael, Travis McMichael and William Bryan - entrusted by local law enforcement to respond to recent trespasses in the area and armed with a police department-issued revolver and a 12 gauge shotgun - hunted Ahmaud down in their trucks.” The lawsuit explains that the three men targeted Arbery because they thought he was responsible for a recent string of robberies in the neighborhood. The three men are described to have "willfully and maliciously conspired to follow, threaten, detain and kill Ahmaud Arbery." The complaint also alleges that after Arbery was shot, Travis McMichael called him racially derogatory names. The men claimed that race had nothing to do with Arbery’s death. Instead, they insist that Arbery fit the description of another black man who was suspected of carrying out the robberies in the area.
A total of 14 actions are listed in the complaint. They include excessive force, failure to prevent harm, and willful and wanton misconduct.
Arbery Family Seek Justice After Messy Investigation
The lawsuit comes after a muddy battle between the Arbery family and police officials. The investigation into Arbery’s death was slow to start. It wasn’t until 10 weeks after the shooting that Gregory and Travis McMichael were arrested for their participation in the killing. The investigation that was prompted by the local law authorities yielded no charges, and two District Attorneys recused themselves during the course of the investigation. The two prosecutors were accused of mishandling the investigation because of their personal relationship with Gregory McMichael.
After the Georgia Bureau of Investigation took charge of the case, the father-son duo was arrested and charged with aggravated assault and murder. Bryan was arrested several days later for his involvement as well.
None of the three men were granted bail after they were arrested. In a statement in front of the judge, Arbery's mother shared, "In the name of justice, decency and fairness, please keep these men behind bars until they can answer for what they did. Ahmaud wasn't allowed to go home. Ahmaud wasn't even allowed the chance to live."
As the McMichaels prepare for their day in court, their lawyers have petitioned the court to refrain from using the term “victim” during the trial. The motion reads in part, “The purpose of this motion is to prevent the prosecution from ignoring its duty to prove beyond reasonable doubt that crimes were actually committed and that McMichaels committed the crimes as charged.”
McMichaels' defense explains, “Use of terms such as "victim" allows the focus to shift to the accused rather than remain on the proof of every element of the crimes charged.”
McMichaels' lawyers have also asked the court to ban spectators from participating in the trial while wearing clothing with racially-charged slogans such as "Black Lives Matter," "I can't breathe," and "Justice for George Floyd."
Lawyers for both Travis McMichael and William Bryan share that they expected a lawsuit to be filed. However, they have pushed back against Arbery's mother's claims. Travis McMichael’s attorney, Robert Rubin, shared in a statement, "Obviously, the plaintiff lawyers are seeking a substantial sum of money from any party they think has deep pockets. I don't expect Travis McMichael will give them the money they are seeking."
Bryan's Lawyer, Kevin Gough, has shared with ABC News that his client acted within the confines of the law and that he played no part in the death of Arbery. All three men have pleaded not guilty and will be tried later this year.
