A GEORGIA district attorney allegedly blocked police from arresting a white father and son accused of murdering an unarmed black jogger because she was pals with one of them.
Ex-cop Gregory McMichael, 64, and his son Travis McMichael, 34, were charged on Thursday with murder and aggravated assault - more than two months after the death of Ahmaud Arbery, 25.
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The investigation into the killing, which took place on February 23, appeared stalled until this week, when a video of the shooting was leaked and shared widely on social media, prompting national outrage.
The McMichaels made their first court appearance on Friday via a video link from inside the Glynn County jail after they were charged.
A judge ruled that bond on both charges would have to be set by a superior court judge.
Police investigating the scene of the fatal shooting told Brunswick District Attorney Jackie Johnson's office they had cause to arrest the father and son.
But two Glynn County commissioners have alleged that Johnson told them at the time not to make the arrests.
It has transpired that murder suspect Gregory McMichael had worked as an investigator in her office until his retirement in 2019.
She shut them down to protect her friend McMichael
Glynn County Commissioner Allen Booker
Glynn County Commissioner Allen Booker told The Atlanta Journal Constitution: "The police at the scene went to her, saying they were ready to arrest both of them.
"These were the police at the scene who had done the investigation.
"She shut them down to protect her friend McMichael."
Commissioner Peter Murphy, who said he also spoke directly to Glynn County police about the incident, added: "They were told not to make the arrest."
Johnson has not commented on the allegation.
District Attorney George Barnhill also revealed Friday that Gregory McMichael had "helped with the previous prosecution" of Arbery while he was an investigator in the DA's office.
The arrests this week of the McMichaels at their at their $280,000 two-bed property in Brunswick only came after the video, recorded by McMichael's neighbour William Bryan, was leaked.
The public outrage prompted Georgia Bureau of Investigations to get involved and arrests were made.
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At a press conference on Friday, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation described how it only took 36 hours to find "probable" cause for felony murder charges against the McMichaels, and would not rule out charging Bryan.
Earlier President Donald Trump spoke out about the "very disturbing" footage of the deadly shooting and said law enforcement was "gonna do what's right".
His daughter Ivanka also tweeted about "why it seemingly took months, the release of a video and corresponding public outrage to catalyse action'”.
Arbery was jogging in February when the two men confronted him before he was shot.
At the time Gregory told detectives they believed Arbery was involved in "recent home burglaries," which is why they followed him.
But there is no evidence to suggest that Arbery was responsible for any burglaries in the area, the Glynn County Police Department said.
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On Friday, protesters angered by Arbery's death gathered outside the courthouse in Brunswick — what would have been the victim's 26th birthday.
A furious crowd of several hundred people, most wearing masks, sang Happy Birthday in his honor outside the Glynn County Courthouse.
Many expressed frustration at the long wait before any arrests were made.
NFL stars Tom Brady and Anquan Boldin were among dozens of prominent players and coaches who called for a federal investigation into the slaying.
Speaking about the arrests, S. Lee Merritt, an attorney representing Arbery's parents, described the arrests as a "huge, huge step but it's only a first step on a very long road to justice."
"A case like this breeds mistrust within the community," he said.
"It hurts the people involved, it hurts the law enforcement community, the prosecutorial community, the black community, everyone."
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https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMicWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnRoZXN1bi5jby51ay9uZXdzLzExNTgyMjUzL2dlb3JnaWEtZGEtYmxvY2tlZC1hcnJlc3QtZXgtY29wLWZyaWVuZC1tdXJkZXItYmxhY2stam9nZ2VyLWFobWF1ZC1hcmJlcnkv0gF1aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cudGhlc3VuLmNvLnVrL25ld3MvMTE1ODIyNTMvZ2VvcmdpYS1kYS1ibG9ja2VkLWFycmVzdC1leC1jb3AtZnJpZW5kLW11cmRlci1ibGFjay1qb2dnZXItYWhtYXVkLWFyYmVyeS9hbXAv?oc=5
2020-05-09 04:57:51Z
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