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Suspect in Shooting Death of Ahmaud Arbery Accused of Using Racial Slur

VOA News

   AhmaudArberywas called a racial slur as he lay dying shortly after
   beingchased andfatally shot by three white men,a Georgia Bureau of
   Investigationagent testifiedThursday.

   Gregory McMichael, 64, his son Travis McMichael and their neighbor
   William "Roddie" Bryan, now charged with felony murder, will face
   trialafterGlynn CountyMagistrate Court Judge Wallace
   Harrelldeterminedtherewas enough evidencetoproceed.

   Furthermore, their testimonies could contribute to deciding if there
   are enough grounds for a hate crime charge.

   "[Arbery] was chased, hunted down and ultimately executed,"special
   prosecutor Jesse Evans said. "I don't think it was self-defense by Mr.
   Michael. I think it was self-defense by Mr.Arbery."

   Arberywas out for his morning jog on Feb.23 when theMcMichaelsandBryan
   used two pickups to chase down 25-year-oldArbery.

   Arberyattempted several direction changes and even jumped into a ditch
   to avoid the trucks but was ultimately confronted by
   TravisMcMichael,who shotArberyfirst in the chest, thenin thehand and
   finally in the chest againandclaimedself-defense,Richard Dial, the
   leadGeorgiaBureau of Investigation agent on the case,testified.Bryan
   told investigators he heard Travis McMichael use the racial slur.

   No charges againsteither McMichael or Bryanwere brought untilMay 7,74
   days afterArbery'sdeathand two days after video evidence of the
   shooting surfaced.

   Georgia is one of the few statesthat does nothave a hate crime law.
   U.S. Department of Justiceofficialssaid May 11thatthey are "assessing
   all the evidence to determine whether federal hate crime charges are
   appropriate."

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