‘He will now rest in peace’: Ahmaud Arbery’s mother thanks God, supporters after guilty verdicts

2 years ago 183

BRUNSWICK, Ga. – Following the guilty verdicts for the 3 Georgia men successful the decease of Ahmaud Arbery, the parents of Arbery walked retired of the courthouse with their hands raised high.

They were greeted by a ample radical of cheering supporters who were besides celebrating the verdict handed down by a assemblage Wednesday afternoon.

Arbery’s parent Wanda Cooper-Jones thanked the supporters erstwhile she addressed them and the media.

“It’s been a agelong fight. It’s been a hard fight, but God is good,” Cooper-Jones said. “To archer you the truth, I ne'er saw this time backmost successful 2020. I ne'er thought this time would come, but God is good. And I conscionable privation to archer everybody, convey you. Thank you to those who marched...most of each the ones who prayed. Thank you. Now ‘Quez’ — which you cognize him arsenic Ahmaud, I cognize him arsenic ‘Quez’ — helium volition present remainder successful peace.”

Cooper-Jones was flanked by Arbery’s father, Marcus Arbery Sr., arsenic good arsenic Rev. Al Sharpton and household attorneys Benjamin Crump and Lee Merritt.

“Let america convey each of the radical that believed, and fto america much than thing convey the parent and begetter of Ahmaud,” Sharpton said. “They mislaid a lad but their lad volition spell down successful past arsenic 1 that proved that if you clasp connected that justness tin come.”

After deliberating for astir 10 hours implicit 2 days, the assemblage successful the lawsuit against 3 achromatic men charged with execution successful the decease of Ahmaud Arbery returned with a verdict Wednesday afternoon, uncovering the shooter, Travis McMichael, blameworthy of malice execution and the different 8 counts against him.

Travis McMichael’s father, Greg, was recovered blameworthy of 8 of the 9 counts against him, and William “Roddie” Bryan was recovered blameworthy of each but 3 counts against him.

As the justice work the archetypal blameworthy verdict aloud, Cooper-Jones wept arsenic Sharpton held her hand. Marcus Arbery astatine the aforesaid infinitesimal leaped up and cheered. The justice asked sheriff’s deputies to region him from the courtroom for the outburst.

“It’s been a agelong clip coming,” Marcus Arbery said arsenic helium near the room.

Cheers could beryllium heard from the hallways wrong the courtroom and the ambiance extracurricular the courthouse was jubilant, arsenic Black Lives Matter flags waved and supporters chanted.

“Let the connection spell distant each implicit the satellite that a assemblage of 11 whites and 1 Black successful the Deep South, stood up successful the courtroom and said that Black lives bash matter,” Sharpton said.