A Georgia father and son who have been charged in the shooting death of Ahmaud Arbery were denied their bond request by a judge. Gregory McMichael and his son Travis have been indicted on nine charges, including malice murder, for allegedly killing an unarmed Arbery after chasing him through their neighborhood in Brunswick in their pickup truck.
During a two-day hearing, which began on Thursday (November 12), prosecutors told the court that the two men pose a "significant danger" to the community, citing Gregory's "vigilante views."
While the McMichaels claim they wanted to question Arbery because he fit the description of a suspect in a string of recent robberies, prosecutors said that racism was a key factor in what happened. They said that the two men "chased, hunted down and ultimately executed" Arbery.
They cited several racist online communications that Travis made to another friend.
"These men are proud of what they have done," Arbery's mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones, told the court. "They want to go home because they think in their selfish minds that they are the good guys."
The McMichaels' defense team brought several witnesses to defend the pair, but the judge decided that they will remain behind bars until their trial to face charges of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, false imprisonment, and criminal attempt to commit false imprisonment.
Photo: Glynn County Detention Center