Grand jury to see if charges necessary in shooting death of unarmed man in Brunswick

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

WAYNESBORO, GA (WRDW/WAGT) -- We're steadily learning more about the unarmed Georgia man who was shot to death in Brunswick.

Ahmaud Arbery, 25, was shot on Feb. 23 while jogging in a neighborhood that had recently been the target of several break-ins.

Police reports say he was shot by a man who believed Arbery was the burglar.

Gregory McMichael told officers, according to those reports, that Arbery looked like the suspect in those break-ins. Gregory and his son, Travis, chased Arbery in the truck and claimed Arbery was shot in self-defense.

However, Arbery’s mother, Wanda Cooper, said her son did not have a weapon during the incident.

“He was not armed,” Cooper said.

Cooper, whose family lives in Waynesboro, has since talked about her son’s exercise routine and that she was never worried about the area he was jogging in.

“If he’s jogging, he’s not bothering anyone on his daily run, so I never worried about him jogging,” Cooper said.

Video of the incident has since appeared on social media.

One man is outside of the truck on the driver's side holding a shotgun and another man is in the bed of the truck with a handgun.

Arbery and one of the men are seen struggling before three shots go off. Arbery collapses, and the video ends.

But the video has caused protests to erupt in the past several days. In Glynn County where the shooting occurred, protesters marched Arbery.

Glynn County Sheriff Neal Jump addressed the protesters, saying he is upset that justice has taken too long.

"As the sheriff. I'm upset,” Jump said. “It shouldn't have taken that long as if that was my son. I'd be upset. I can only imagine what the mother and dad is going through. I can only imagine, and y'all can't imagine what they're going through."

There have been no arrests in connection with the case.

However, a grand jury will decide if criminal charges should be filed.

Hinesville District Attorney Tom Durden made the decision Tuesday after he was requested to review the case.

“I am of the opinion that the case should be presented to the grand jury of Glynn County for consideration of criminal charges against those involved the death of Mr. Arbery,” Durden said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the GBI says they have not been requested to investigate the shooting. Instead, they have been asked by the Glynn County Police Department to investigate the public release of the video and threats against the department.

“These investigations are active and ongoing,” a tweet from the GBI said.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has also offered help to ensure a thorough investigation.

Arbery was laid to rest on Feb. 28 in Waynesboro. He is buried there.