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We’re now at the finger-pointing stage of the Ahmaud Arbery case where the so-called “law enforcement” officials need to come up with some explanation on why it was almost swept under the rug.
Glynn County Commissioners Allen Booker and Peter Murphy started the blame game by telling the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that police wanted to arrest the suspects in Arbery’s murder but Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorney Jackie Johnson said, “No.” Their theory was Johnson wanted to protect George and Travis McMichael because the former used to the work in her office.
Johnson stuck up for herself late Friday claiming she’s as innocent as freshly fallen snow because police buggered things up.
“When two Assistant District Attorneys were contacted by the Glynn County Police Department on February 23, 2020, they immediately cited a conflict of interest and stated our office could not be involved,” she said in a statement. “Our office offered to facilitate getting assistance from another District Attorney’s office. At no time on February 23, 2020, did District Attorney Jackie Johnson have any conversation with any Glynn County police officer about this case. Further, no Assistant District Attorney in the office directed any Glynn County police officer not to make an arrest.”
AllonGeorgia.com noted three police department employees disagree with Johnson’s assessment.
Glynn County further sought to absolve its department with a timeline of the events of February 23rd to prove, once and for all, police wanted to arrest the McMichaels but were denied.
“Glynn County Police Officers sought the legal advice of the Brunswick District Attorney’s Office in reference to possible charges,” Glenn County’s commentary proclaims while pointedly mentioning Johnson’s office was involved in the investigation. “The DA’s office advised that there needed to be further follow up and the detectives would be contacted the following day by the DA from the Waycross Judicial Circuit. The McMichaels were deemed not to be flight risks and officers were advised by the DA’s office that no arrests were necessary at the time. Detectives met with DA George Barnhill, Sr. of the Waycross Judicial Circuit the following day and reviewed their findings with him. DA Barnhill, Sr. advised detectives before noon on February, 24th that the act was justifiable homicide and for detectives to continue their investigation and provide him with lab reports and any additional pertinent information.”
Why did Waycross DA George Barnhill Sr. rule it justifiable homicide, despite Glynn County’s ex post facto assertions of desiring the McMichaels behind bars? That’s a question for him to answer although the letter he sent to Glenn County shed some light on his decision making mainly the rather laughable claim the McMichaels and the man who filmed Arbery’s death were in “hot pursuit” of the 25-year-old. The video appeared to show otherwise.
The Glynn County Police incident report still raised questions on whether officers wanted to arrest the McMichaels and the narrative spun out of Arbery’s killing. Officers failed to mention any video of the shooting. The attorney for the man who took it claimed Friday to First Coast News in Jacksonville, Florida his client, “disclosed the existence of the videotape, and invited a responding Glynn County Police Officer to sit with him in his truck where they watched the video together.” One would think the video would be part of any report.
Questions remain on why Glynn County failed to ask the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s help from the beginning given Greg McMichael’s history with the police department. The county’s explanation left a bit to be desired. “[I]t was ultimately decided not to seek out the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) to review the case given that none of the officers involved in the case were employed with the Police Department, from 1982 to 1989, when Greg McMichael was employed by the department and the officers involved in the case had little to no contact with Mr. McMichael when he was employed by the Brunswick District Attorney’s Office.”
Uh-huh.
Perhaps Glynn County and DA Johnson’s past sins are finally catching up with them and they’re trying to take everyone down with them. Johnson enjoyed a cozy relationship with the police this past decade, including protecting two cops who shot an unarmed woman to death following a slow-speed chase. One of the officers involved in that chase would later go on to murder his estranged wife causing Johnson and Glynn County police to clash on whether police gave the murderous cop information on his wife. There are also questions on whether the former Glynn County police chief, who attempted to change the department’s culture, was charged with a crime when it’s possible all he did was violate department policy.
Whatever the case, it appears the entire peach is rotten with the disease of corruption. Too bad it took the death of an unarmed, 25-year-old black man out for a jog to bring all this to the national light.
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