Ahmaud Arbery’s killers ask that he not be called a ‘victim’

Defense attorneys requested that the word be banned from court proceedings

According to TMZ, the defense attorneys for Travis and Gregory McMichael — the father and son who shot and killed 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery on Feb. 23, 2020 — don’t want to the word “victim” used in court.

Graphic video footage captured the two men chasing Arbery in their trucks before fatally shooting him. New bodycam videos show that no medical treatment was provided for him as he lay dying in the street.

Gregory McMichael, 64, and his son Travis McMichael, 34, were each charged with murder and aggravated assault in the shooting death of Ahmaud Arbery, a 25-year-old black man. (Photo by Glynn County Sheriff’s Office via Getty Images)
Gregory McMichael, 64, and his son Travis McMichael, 34, were each charged with murder and aggravated assault in the shooting death of Ahmaud Arbery, a 25-year-old black man. (Photo by Glynn County Sheriff’s Office via Getty Images)

Gregory, who spoke to the officer, pointed to his son Travis, who was covered in blood, saying, “He had no choice.”

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According to documents obtained by TMZ, the McMichaels have filed new motions asking that prosecutors be prevented from referring to Arbery as a victim in order to prevent the jury from reaching a conclusion before the matter is deliberated upon.

William “Roddie” Bryan, the man who recorded the incident and was also subsequently charged with murder, said that Travis said, “f—ing n—–” after firing his shotgun.

The two men have also requested that Black Lives Matter face masks not be allowed in the court, that their calls from jail not be used as further evidence, and that Arbery’s criminal record be discussed, the New York Post reports.

A trial date isn’t currently set and a judge hasn’t addressed the new motion.

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People on social media expressed their anger including user @EyeGeeOhDee who tweeted, “So, the animals who hunted and murdered Ahmaud Arbery don’t want him to be referred to as a victim in court.”

Twitter user C. Alexander tweeted, “The sheer Caucasity of all these requests from the murdering dad and son of #AhmaudArbery’s accused killers want ‘loaded words’ like ‘victim’ banned at trial. Can we still call you both murderers?! #whiteprivilige #BlackLivesMatter.”

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