Former prosecutor charged in Ahmaud Arbery's case

Brut America

In February 2020, Ahmaud Arbery, an unarmed Black man, was fatally shot while he was jogging. Two months and a viral video later, an investigation was launched.  Now, a former prosecutor has been charged for mishandling the case ...

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00:00I think we as a society need to fear how desensitized we may become when we hear of another black

00:07man die today.

00:09We shouldn't have to have a video to launch an investigation.

00:34This is not law and order.

00:35This isn't some mystery.

00:37They admitted to doing it.

00:40They admitted to killing this young man.

00:43They admitted that he was unarmed.

00:45They admitted that they were the ones who tracked him down, confronted him with guns,

00:52and they admitted to shooting him.

00:55So I don't know any other place that this is going to happen except between when there

01:00are white parties and a black man.

01:02I believe it was self-defense by Mr. McMichael, I believe it was self-defense by Mr. Auburn.

01:27They're claiming self-defense while they were trying to make a citizen's arrest to

01:43apprehend him.

01:45Now I don't know about you, but if there was a jogger running down my neighborhood and

01:51somebody in pickup trucks and a shotgun decided to run after them just to talk to them, and

01:59this person ended up dead, I don't know how you can stay in that community.

02:04We are obviously like protesting in the means of running because he ran for his life and

02:13he was killed, and we want to protest against injustices done in America against blacks

02:18in America.

02:19Say his name.

02:21Say his name.

02:23It feels great to know that we have support for change and justice.

02:28It feels great.

02:29As you all know, May 5th last year, a viral video shocked the world.

02:54The horrific killing of Ahmaud Arbery shook a Georgia community to its very core.

02:59And as I've said many times since that tragic day, people in every community across our

03:05state felt anger, disbelief, and a deep sorrow, but none more than Ahmaud's family and his

03:12loved ones.

03:14Ahmaud was a victim of vigilante style of violence that has no place in Georgia.

03:20And some tried to justify the actions of his killers by claiming they had the protection

03:25of an antiquated law that is ripe for abuse.

03:28That is why today my administration is introducing significant reforms to our state citizen's

03:34arrest statute to close dangerous loopholes that could be used to justify future acts

03:40of vigilantism.

03:50Mr. Brian said that after the shooting took place, before police arrival, while Mr. Arbery

04:05was on the ground, that he heard Travis Michael make the statement.

04:20I looked at the date and February 23rd is three days away from Trayvon Martin's murder.

04:46Something that happened in 2012.

04:49So eight years from what happened ago.

04:53Something that swept the nation and the world with how a young black man can be treated

04:59and killed in his own neighborhood.

05:03We're still dealing with that same problem now and have had a series of events that have

05:08happened since.

05:10So this is nothing new.

05:12Black men have always been treated a certain way in America.

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