Southern Poverty Law Center demands federal investigation now in the death of Ahmaud Arbery

Montgomery, Alabama — Ahmaud Arbery, a 25-year-old Black man, was shot to death on February 23 by two white men while he was out for a jog in Satilla Shores, a community a few miles from where he resided in Glynn County, Georgia.
 
Arbery, who was unarmed, was seen jogging through the neighborhood by Gregory McMichael, 64, a retired Glynn County police officer and investigator for the Brunswick Judicial Circuit district attorney. McMichael later told police he suspected Arbery was a burglar.
 
According to media reports, McMichael and his son, Travis McMichael, 34, chased down Arbery in a truck. The elder McMichael had a .357 Magnum revolver and the younger had a shotgun. They attempted to stop Arbery and, according to reports, there was a struggle over the shotgun. Arbery was shot and killed by Travis McMichael.
 
More than two months later, no one has been arrested or charged for the murder. The McMichaels say they acted in self-defense. 
 
Southern Poverty Law Center President and Chief Executive Officer Margaret Huang issued the following statement:
 
“We join Ahmaud Arbery’s family and the Glynn County community in mourning his senseless death. 
 
“Absolutely no one should ever be targeted because they are Black or brown, and absolutely no family should ever endure the pain of losing a loved one at the hands of someone else as a result of their bias and hate. It is bias and hate that lead some white people to perceive threats where there are none and, within seconds, the life of a person of color can be taken.

“Any system that stands by as an unarmed man is gunned down in the street without any obvious justifiable reason, is also filled with bias and hate. At least on the surface, it appears that Ahmaud is the victim of a senseless violent act by people who are motivated by racist intent. That these people have not been charged or held to account in any way speaks volumes about the level of respect that law enforcement in Glynn County have for Black lives.
 
“We demand an immediate investigation by federal officials into Ahmaud’s death given local law enforcement’s failure to act. The killing of Black and brown people must stop, and it begins with each of us demanding accountability and justice.”