The U.S. Justice Department will look for evidence to launch a hate crime investigation into the shooting death of Ahmaud Arbery, according to family attorney S. Lee Merritt.
Lawyers for Arbery’s family revealed the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia Bobby Christine and his office will probe the case’s handling in order to determine why it took almost three months to make an arrest.
Arbery’s death investigation, which only became a national concern after his last moments were captured in a viral video, has taken a series of important turns over the last three weeks after the video’s release.
Last week, William Bryan, the man who shot the video, was arrested after investigators concluded he was not merely a witness who wanted justice for Arbery’s family.
When Arbery was shot and killed on February 23, the presiding District Attorney of Glynn County, Jackie Johnson, recused herself from the case.
