Video of father and son fatally shooting a young black man compels inquiry

An eyewitness video of the fatal shooting of a young black man, Ahmaud Arbery, that was leaked on to social media seems to have forced a prosecutor to ask a grand jury if charges could be brought against the shooters.

On Tuesday, Georgia prosecutor, Tom Durden, released a statement saying he will present a case to a grand jury in Glynn County to consider charges against father Gregory McMichael and son Travis.

Georgia’s courts are currently unable to empanel a grand jury because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Arbery, 25, was shot and killed on February 23 while reportedly jogging. The older McMichael had told officers that they had chased Arbery after he thought Arbery looked like a suspect who had been connected to a number of burglaries in the Brunswick area.

When the father and son caught up with Arbery, the deceased struggled with Travis over the shotgun the younger McMichael was holding. Two shots were fired at Arbery during the scuffle before he fell down on the road.

Parts of Gregory McMichael’s statement seems to tally with the video that was leaked online this week.

But a district attorney, who saw Arbery’s autopsy report and has since recused himself from the case has reportedly told the police that Arbery had three wounds from that scuffle with Travis.

In an interview with CNN, too, Arbery’s mother, Wanda Cooper, said she was told by police in February that her son had been killed in a struggle over a gun with the son of the homeowner whose house Arbery had burglarized.

Meanwhile, Georgia governor Brian Kemp tweeted that “Georgians deserve answers” while police maintain there is an ongoing investigation.

The attorney for the bereaved family, S. Lee Merritt, however wants Gregory McMichael and his son, “taken into custody pending their indictment.”