Ahmaud Arbery's parents react to indictment of former Brunswick district attorney
ATLANTA - The family of Ahmaud Arbery reacted after learning of the indictment of former Brunswick DA Jackie Johnson for alleged misconduct related to the investigation into the shooting of Arbery.
Arbery’s parents said they're thankful that Attorney General Chris Carr took the case against Jackie Johnson to a grand jury.
25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery was shot and killed last February while jogging.
Arbery's parents tell us they were speechless after finding out about the indictment against Johnson.
The former DA now faces two charges including a felony.
"She didn't pull the trigger but she is just as much to hold accountable as the three guys that actually did this to Ahmaud," Wanda Cooper-Jones explained.
Ahmaud Arbery's family said they're grateful that Attorney General Chris Carr brought forth charges against Johnson - accusing her of misconduct.
However, they're still struggling daily with the death of their son.
"At the end of each day, Ahmaud is never coming home. They go off to jail but Ahmaud is never coming home," Cooper-Jones said.
Authorities charged Greg McMichael and his son, Travis, along with a third man, of killing the 25-year-old last February as he jogged through a Brunswick neighborhood.
"There's several cases against the McMichaels at this point," Attorney Lee Merritt explained. "This represents the third one. A federal one, a state one, and now from the attorney general's office. This is going to make each case stronger.
The indictment from a Glynn County grand jury claims Johnson showed favoritism toward the McMichaels after the deadly shooting.
Johnson initially recused herself from the case following public outcry.
The indictment states that she knowingly hindered Glynn County police officers from arresting the McMichaels.
"Ahmaud was stalked, gunned down, and his killers were allowed to freely walk the streets for months," attorney Ben Crump explained.
The indictment also accuses the former DA of failing to treat Arbery and his family fairly and with dignity.
Now that Johnson’s has been charged, the family's attorneys said the next step in the case is to get an indictment against the second DA to take over the case and then step down, George Barnhill.
"We had the terrible actions of the three men on the ground but their behavior was ratified by elected officials, by people who had a responsibility to the public to do justice and they failed that," Merritt detailed.
The indictment against Johnson charges her with violating her oath of office and hindering law enforcement.
Johnson was voted out of office last November.
She was defeated in a bid for re-election after months of public complaints about her handling of the Arbery case.
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