Travis McMichael, his father Gregory McMichael and William Bryan, the three white men who were found guilty of murdering Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia, got more bad news on Wednesday after prosecutors announced they will return to court in February for a federal hate crimes trial, after the US Department of Justice determined they targeted the Black Georgia man because of his race.
Citing the federal indictment, The Independent reported that the McMichaels had “armed themselves with firearms, got into a truck and chased Mr Arbery through the public streets of a neighborhood while yelling at him using their truck to cut off his route and threatening him with firearms.” The indictment also alleges that the men “attempted to unlawfully seize and confine [Mr Arbery] by chasing after him in their trucks in an attempt to restrain him, restrict his free movement, corral and detain him against his will, and prevent his escape”.
According to the report, jury selection in the hate crimes trial is scheduled to begin on 7 February, 2022 in US District Court in Brunswick, Georgia.
The killing of Arbery took place on 23 February, 2020. The men were arrested on 7 May and convicted on November 24, 2021. They face life in prison without the possibility of parole.
