Former Georgia legal professional charged with obstruction in Arbery case

A Georgia grand jury on Thursday indicted a former prosecutor on two counts related to her delay in prosecuting suspects who were being videotaped and fatally shot and killed a black man jogging in the coastal city of Braunschweig.

The men charged with the murder of Ahmaud Arbery on February 23, 2020 were arrested only weeks after the video was released, causing outrage across the country. Civil rights activists said it was another example of a targeted attack on a black man. The video showed Arbery, 25, jogging down a two-lane road and then being shot with a rifle when confronted by two men who stopped their pickup truck on his way. A third man in another truck made a phone video of the incident.

Former Braunschweig prosecutor Jackie Johnson told Glynn County police not to make arrests in the case, indictments said that they had one of the men accused of the shooting, a former Glynn County police officer, with whom she worked, showed favor. The indictment also states that she failed to “treat Ahmaud Arbery and his family fairly and with dignity”.

After the video was released, Johnson pulled out of the case and another prosecutor charged the murder suspects. Johnson lost her offer for re-election last November. Johnson was charged with obstructing a police officer and violating her oath of office. She was not immediately available for comment.

In a statement from their office at the beginning of the investigation, Johnson’s office said, “We are confident that any investigation will show that our office acted appropriately under the circumstances.” The statement added, “There is a public misunderstanding about this case due to false accusations made against our office by those who have an agenda.”

Former Police Officer Gregory McMichael, 65, his son Travis McMichael, 35, and William “Roddie” Bryan, 51) are each charged with murder, federal hate crimes, and other charges related to Arbery’s death. All have pleaded not guilty and are due to be tried in October.