Joe Biden.Photo: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty
PresidentJoe Bidenspoke out after three men charged with the murder of Ahmaud Arbery — a Black jogger they said they thought was a burglar when they saw him running on a suburban Georgia street in February — werefound guilty Wednesday.
In a statement released minutes after the verdict was announced, Biden, 79, called Arbery’s killing “a devastating reminder of how far we have to go in the fight for racial justice in this country.”
“Mr. Arbery should be here today, celebrating the holidays with his mother, Wanda Cooper Jones, and his father, Marcus Arbery,” the statement read. “Nothing can bring Mr. Arbery back to his family and to his community, but the verdict ensures that those who committed this horrible crime will be punished.”
Biden’s statement continued, noting that the guilty verdict alone is “not enough,” and that the administration would do further work to ensure equal justice under the law.
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“While the guilty verdicts reflect our justice system doing its job, that alone is not enough. Instead, we must recommit ourselves to building a future of unity and shared strength, where no one fears violence because of the color of their skin,” Biden’s statement read. “My administration will continue to do the hard work to ensure that equal justice under law is not just a phrase emblazoned in stone above the Supreme Court, but a reality for all Americans.”
Prosecutors alleged the white suspects — Greg McMichael, 67; his son Travis McMichael, 35; and neighbor William “Roddie” Bryan, 52 — chased and confronted Arbery with two firearms after they saw him running, and that Travis fatally shot Arbery during a struggle over Travis' shotgun.
On Wednesday, all three men were found guilty of murder.
Each faced nine criminal charges, according tothe indictment. Travis McMichael, who pulled the trigger and shot Arbery three times, was convicted on all of them, including one count of malice murder and four counts of felony murder.
His father, Greg McMichael, was cleared of only the malice murder charge, while Bryan was cleared of malice murder and one felony murder charge, as well as one of the aggravated assault charges.
All three now face life in prison when sentenced.
source: people.com
