Wanda Cooper Jones, the mother of Ahmaud Arbery, has filed a civil suit against all parties involved in her son’s murder.
What We Know:
- It has been a year since Ahmaud Arbery was murdered while running in a neighborhood in Glynn County, Ga. He was killed by a former police officer and investigator, Gregory Mcmicheal, and his son Travis McMichael. The two were arrested almost two months later after a video recorded by William “Roddy” Brian was released. Brian was arrested later that month.
- The suit is claiming that there was allegedly malicious activity in the killing of her son. The complaint, provided by Braxton Cook of NPR and The United States District Court Of Georgia, shows that Jones is filing the suit against The McMicheals, William Bryan, Police Officer Ryan Rash, Police Cheif John Powell, John Doe Police Officials 1-10, Glynn County, Jackie Johnson, and George Barnhill.
- The deputation of the McMicheals by the Glynn County Police to oversee the recent crime happening in the neighborhood and their relationship with Former Brunswich General Attorney Jackie Johnson, Ware County District Attorney George Barnhill has caused Jones to believe there may be some foul play in the death of her son.
“For nearly three months, Glynn County police officers, the chief of police, and two prosecutors conspired to hide the circumstances surrounding Ahmaud’s death and to protect the men who murdered him,” the complaint said. “And none of this would have been discovered but for video footage leaked to the media, which showed the horrific and brutal murder of Ahmaud.”
- The complaint also includes alleged information about the Glynn Dale County Police history of protecting its officers unlawfully. The complaint cited a memorandum from the county manager in 2019 claiming that the Glynn Dale County Police Department was an ongoing culture of cover-up, failure to supervise, abuse of power, and lack of accountability.
- Eventually, the case was handed over to General Attorney Chris Carr, and he appointed the General Bureau of Investigation to look into the matter for potential foul play. The first arrest took place after the investigation was transferred over to GBI from the local authorities.
- The Lawyers of the McMichaels have filed a motion in limine (Latin for “at the threshold) in December. The motion asks that Ahmaud not be referred to as the victim because it will create a bias. They have also demanded that one photo strictly excluding anyone else be used in court and that the recordings that contain examples of racial prejudice not be allowed during the court hearing.
Ahmaud’s death was one of the many that ignited protests across the nation that called for an end to systematic racism and police brutality in the United States of America.
