The three white men who have been charged with the murder of black jogger Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia pleaded not guilty this morning, in a c...
The three white men who have been charged with the murder of black jogger Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia pleaded not guilty this morning, in a case that sparked a nationwide outrage after cellphone video of the shooting appeared online.
A former law enforcement officer, Gregory McMichael, 64, and his son Travis, 34, are charged with murder and aggravated assault in the February 23 killing of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery.
Arbery was unarmed while jogging outside the coastal town of Brunswick when he was shot by the father and son.
Their neighbor who took the cellphone video of the killing, William 'Roddie' Bryan Jr., 50, was charged with murder and attempt to illegally detain and confine.
Cobb County prosecutor Jesse Evans said in court Bryan was facing a separate state criminal investigation into possible sex crimes.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation then tweeted: 'On Wednesday, July 15, 2020, the Glynn County Police Department requested that the GBI initiate a sex crimes investigation based on allegations made against William “Roddie” Bryan, Jr. The investigation is active and ongoing.'
The GBI said the alleged crimes occurred in Camden County, Georgia.
It was also alleged in court that Bryan struck Arbery with his vehicle and had messages on his phone that were 'replete' with racist remarks, a prosecutor said in court Friday.
Gregory McMichael, 64, and his son Travis, 34, on Friday morning pleaded not guilty to murder and aggravated assault charges in the killing of Ahmaud Arbery
Neighbor William 'Roddie' Bryan Jr., 50, who took video of the killing, pleaded not guilty to murder and attempt to illegally detain and confine
Arbery was killed February 23 when the McMichaels armed themselves and pursued the unarmed jogger through a Georgia town
Police say Gregory McMichael saw Arbery running through his neighborhood and believed he looked like a burglary suspect. The elder McMichael called his son and the two armed themselves and drove after Arbery.
Bryan joined the chase in his own vehicle, police say, and took video of the incident on his phone, which appears to show the McMichaels confronting Arbery before Arbery was shot with a shotgun.
Judge Timothy Walmsley accepted the not guilty pleas and waived arraignment at the request the defendants' lawyers.
No court date was immediately set, but there were several motions pending for later Friday morning on behalf of Bryan, including a request for bond.
'Keeping him in jail isn't going to accomplish anything,' Bryan's attorney, Kevin Gough, told reporters on Thursday.
Wanda Cooper-Jones, Arbery's mother, center, walks to the Glynn County Courthouse with attorney Lee Merritt, right, and chief investigator Charles Prescott III on Friday
It was not until May 7 - two days after Bryan´s cellphone video leaked online and stirred a national outcry - that the McMichaels were arrested
Arbery is seen in a video stumbling and falling to the ground after being shot as Travis McMichael stands by holding a shotgun
'Going in and out of jail is difficult because of the virus, and being in jail is tough with the virus,' Gough said.
Arbery's parents addressed the court after noon, urging the judge to deny Bryan's bond request, according to Atlanta Journal Constitution.
'He must remain in custody,' Wanda Cooper-Jones, the victim's mother, said. 'He’s dangerous and unapologetic.'
One of the motions filed by the defense attorney seeks to submit more than 50 questions to prospective jurors concerning their opinions on race and personal biases, reported TMZ.
The list of questions includes 'What in your opinion is the principal cause of crime in America today?' and 'What steps do you think people who are frightened about crime should take to protect themselves?'
Gough also asked that the state replace the lead prosecutor, Cobb County District Attorney Joyette Holmesy, but Judge Timothy Walmsley denied his motion.
During the hearing, Gough took issue with Arbery family attorney's face mask bearing the name 'George Floyd,' the unarmed black man who was killed by a white police officer in Minnesota in May, reported NBC News.
'If we are permitted to wear masks making political statements, then Mr. Evans and I and his office should be free to wear MAGA masks if we wanted to in the courtroom,' Gough said, referring to prosecutor Evans.
'I imagine the court wouldn’t appreciate that,' he added. 'And I think the same rules should apply and any political statements whether on masks, on lapels, bumper stickers, T-shirts.'
Bryan and the McMichaels were arrested in May and indicted in June on nine felony counts
The presiding judge rejected Gough's request that only 'content-neutral' masks be allowed in the courtroom.
No arrests were made in Arbery's killing for three months. It was not until after Bryan's recording of the shooting was leaked online and went viral that police arrested the father and son. Bryan was arrested two weeks later.
All three were indicted in June on nine felony counts, including malice and murder.
During a probable cause hearing, Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent Richard Dial testified that Bryan told investigators Travis McMichael said 'f***ing n*****' as he stood over Arbery, moments after he fatally shot him.'
Arbery’s death has often been invoked during protests against racial injustice that have broken out across the nation since Floyd’s death. Arbery’s death also fueled a renewed push for a state hate crimes law in Georgia, which state lawmakers passed in late June.
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