Governor warns ‘bad actors’ against disrupting hearings for those accused in Ahmaud Arbery killing
Preliminary hearings are scheduled Thursday for Travis McMichael, Greg McMichael and William “Roddie” Bryan Jr. in the shooting death of Ahmaud Arbery, according to the Glynn County Magistrate Court in coastal Georgia.
The hearings are scheduled for 9:30 a.m. ET.
Gregory and Travis McMichael were arrested May 7 in the February 23 shooting death of Arbery outside of Brunswick. They face murder and aggravated assault charges, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
Bryan, the man who recorded the fatal shooting of Arbery, was arrested last month on charges including felony murder.
“We will have a strong state law enforcement presence in the region to support the local government, including the Georgia State Patrol, the Department of Natural Resources officers, Georgia Guard troops, GEMA officials and other related state agencies,” Gov. Brian Kemp said during a news conference last week.
Kemp delivered a strong message to anyone seeking to disrupt the proceedings.
“We will take the appropriate actions to hold bad actors accountable if they try to infiltrate what (have) been very peaceful gatherings in that community for well over a month now,” he said. “Let me be clear once again: We will not tolerate disruptive or dangerous behavior, including criminal conduct, and we will put the safety of our citizens first.”
