Ahmaud Arbery: 3 Georgia Men Charged With Hate Crimes Over Killing

Three men from Georgia, who are previously indicted in the killing of Ahmaud Arbery, have been charged with hate crime and attempted kidnapping charges by a federal grand jury, the Justice Department announced on Wednesday.

The three white suspects allegedly armed themselves, chased, and shot Ahmaud Arbery after they spotted the 25-year-old Black man running in their Georgia neighborhood, Associated Press reported.

It can be recalled that Ahmaud Arbery was fatally shot on Feb. 23, 2020. The incident happened while the African-American was out for a jog in Brunswick City. Arbery was accused of being one of the burglars in a series of local break-ins.

In June last year, the three Georgia men were indicted on malice and felony murder charges by a grand jury in Georgia. Each suspect was also charged with aggravated assault and false imprisonment, and criminal attempt to commit a felony.

Georgia Men and Federal Hate Crimes

The three suspects were identified as Travis McMichael, 35; his father, Gregory McMichael, 65; and William "Roddie" Bryan, 51.

In the new charges filed against them, the three Georgia men face one count of interference with rights and one count of attempted kidnapping.

The Justice Department further noted that Travis and Gregory 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," NBC News reported.

Federal prosecutors said the three Georgia men "used force and threats of force to intimidate and interfere with Ahmaud Arbery's right to use a public street because of his race."

While Ahmaud Arbery was jogging, prosecutors said the McMichaels "armed themselves with firearms, got into a truck, and chased Arbery through the public streets of the neighborhood while yelling at him, using their truck to cut off his route, and threatening him with firearms."

After seeing the McMichaels pursuing Arbery in a pick-up truck, Bryan joined the chase and used his truck to cut off Arbery's route, prosecutors added.

The Justice Department noted that "all three defendants 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."

In a Twitter post, Lee Merritt, a lawyer representing the family of Arbery, said the family is grateful for the federal hate crimes charges against those responsible for Arbery's murder.

"These charges will serve as a fail-safe to the state prosecution. Hate claimed Ahmaud's life. Our justice system must combat intolerance," Merritt added.

Meanwhile, lawyers of the McMichaels argued that Travis only pursued Arbery as he has been suspected as a burglar after security footage recorded him entering a house that is under construction. They also emphasized that Travis McMichael shot Arbery as "he was fearing for his life."

However, Richard Dial from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) testified that Bryan told investigators that he heard Travis McMichael say "f - -ing n ---er" while Arbery was on the ground. McMichaels' lawyers have denied the accusation.

Ahmaud Arbery Shot and Killed

The Associated Press reported that three short-ranged shotgun blasts killed Ahmaud Arbery.

Gregory, a retired police officer, helped leak the video recorded by Bryan because he wanted "the public to know the truth, his lawyer earlier said.

The Associated Press noted that the case is the most significant civil rights prosecution undertaken to date by the Justice Department under the Biden administration.

WATCH: Justice Department Indicts 3 Men on Federal Hate Crime Charges in Death of Ahmaud Arbery - From FOX 4 Now