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The protests took place in the city of Brunswick, Georgia, on Friday, after two men were arrested for the murder of a 25-year-old black runner.
Ahmaud Arbery was shot dead in Brunswick on a Sunday afternoon in February, after two men chased him in a truck, with a shotgun and pistol.
But despite a police investigation into the murder at the time, no arrests were made. Video footage of the shooting emerged on social media this week, sparking widespread public outcry.
On Thursday night, Georgia police arrested Gregory McMichael (64) and his son Travis (34).
McMichael is a former police officer and investigator who retired last year.
According to the original police report submitted after the incident, the elderly Mr. McMichael told officers that he believed Mr. Arbery was a person suspected of breaking into various houses in the area. When she saw him jogging near his house, he called his son and the two chased Mr. Arbery in his truck. He alleges that his son asked Mr. Arbery to stop, but then the runner attacked him and shot him.
However, the video images that emerged showed that this was not the case. Travis McMichael appears to be in an altercation with Mr. Arbery. Three shots are fired and the victim falls to the ground.
Ahmaud Arbery was shot dead in February in Brunswick, Georgia. Photograph: Arbery family via New York Times
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation confirmed that two men had been arrested. Both were charged with murder and aggravated assault and were detained before being transported to the Glynn County Jail. The director of the investigative office said the video was “compelling evidence.” “It was extremely annoying,” he said. “On a human level, it’s worrying.”
The arrests followed growing protests about the incident after the images appeared. Demonstrations in support of the deceased man, who would have turned 26 on Friday, took place in Georgia on Friday.
“Very disturbing situation”
When asked about the case, President Donald Trump said: “It is a very disturbing situation … my heart goes out to the parents.”
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden described the murder as “serious injustice” during a video conference event with African-American leaders in Florida on Thursday.
He previously tweeted: “The video is clear: Ahmaud Arbery was killed in cold blood. My heart goes out to his family, who deserve justice and deserve it now. It is time for a quick, complete and transparent investigation into his murder.
Speaking to CBS news this week, Arbery’s mother said she expected the video to “prove that my son was not committing a crime.” He ran daily and was hunted down like an animal and killed. “
Actor Whoopi Goldberg was one of those who asked Trump to comment on the case.
Arbery’s murder has revived memories of Trayvon Martin, a 17-year-old African American who was shot dead in Florida eight years ago when he was returning home from a convenience store.
The case sparked the Black Lives Matter movement and shed light on disproportionate attacks on black men by law enforcement officials.
Gun ownership is legal in the state of Georgia. It also operates a controversial “defend your territory” law that states that a person does not have a duty to withdraw if they reasonably believe that force is necessary to defend themselves.
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