Ian Patrick, FISM News
The mother of the late Ahmaud Arbery has decided to file a civil lawsuit against the three men who were charged with killing her son last February, as well as the police officers involved. The suit includes 14 counts that altogether seek $1 million dollars in damages from all of the plaintiffs.
Last year, during the wake of the Black Lives Matter riots, video of the fatal altercation between Arbery and these men circulated on social media. Taken by one of the three men charged with his murder, the graphic video shows Arbery struggling with the other two men as he is shot multiple times. The three men had followed Arbery for a considerable time, believing him to be a burglary suspect, before the confrontation. They were later arrested and charged with murder, pleading not guilty to the crimes.
His mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones, filed for damages including “survival and wrongful death” as well as law-provided “punitive and exemplary damages.” Some of the counts include excessive force, failure to intervene, failure to due process, and conspiracy to obstruct justice.
The lawsuit also lists several factual allegations, detailing the account of Arbery’s death and what followed. Included in this list is how Travis and Gregory McMichael, the father-son duo who shot Arbery, were deputized and not immediately arrested following the police response to the crime scene. In fact, it further insinuates that the Police Department and Glynn County were actively involved in covering it up.
The defendants included in the case are Travis and Gregory McMichael, William Bryan (the man who shot the whole altercation on video), as well as multiple police officers and two district attorneys allegedly responsible for concealing “Arbery’s death and the deputization of the neighbors” from the public.
February 23 was the anniversary of his death, which was remembered by the President and Vice President:
A Black man should be able to go for a jog without fearing for his life. Today, we remember Ahmaud Arbery’s life and we dedicate ourselves to making this country safer for people of color.
— President Biden (@POTUS) February 23, 2021
A year ago, Ahmaud Arbery was shot and killed while on a run. As we remember Ahmaud today, we commit to building a future where Black Americans no longer have to live in fear— simply because of the color of their skin.
— Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) February 24, 2021