Three Georgia men previously charged in the killing of Ahmaud Arbery were indicted Wednesday by a federal grand jury and charged with hate crimes and attempted kidnapping.
Arbery was killed last year while jogging during an encounter with Travis McMichael, 35, his father, Gregory McMichael, 65, and William “Roddie” Bryan, 51. The men were each charged with one count of interference with rights and with one count of attempted kidnapping.
The Department of Justice said in a statement that the defendants “used force and threats of force to intimidate and interfere with Arbery’s right to use a public street because of his race.”
They also attempted to unlawfully seize and confine Arbery by chasing after him in their trucks in an attempt to restrain him, restrict his free movement, corral and detain him against his will, and prevent his escape, the DOJ said.
Travis and Gregory McMichael were also charged with one count each of using, carrying, and brandishing—and in Travis’s case, discharging—a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, the statement said.
Gregory and Travis, were previously each charged with murder in May 2020 for the death of Arbery.
