The Use And Abuse Of ‘Outdated’ Citizen’s Arrest Laws Set’s The Stage For Vigilantism – Ahmaud Arbery’s Accused Killers Go To Trial
Seth W. Stoughton, University of South Carolina
The murder trial of three men accused in the death of unarmed Black jogger Ahmaud Arbery gets underway on Oct. 18, 2021, with the issue of what makes for a lawful citizen’s arrest set to be central to court arguments.
Arbery was shot dead on Feb, 23, 2020, after being pursued through a residential area of Brunswick, Georgia.
The three men accused in his killing – Greg McMichael, Travis McMichael and William Bryan – contend that they had reason to believe Arbery was responsible for home break-ins in the area. Arbery, they claim, was shot as he tried to resist a legal citizen’s arrest by wrestling a shotgun from Travis McMichael.
Whether the defendants acted lawfully will depend, in large part, on the strength of their citizen’s arrest clai...