Lawyers for a Georgia father and son accused of pursuing and shooting dead an unarmed black man in street ambush have asked a court to forbid prosecutors from using the term “victim” at their murder trial. In a motion filed with the superior court of Glynn county on 30 December, attorneys for Gregory and Travis McMichael insist that use of the word to describe 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery would be prejudicial to their defense. Prosecutors allege that Gregory McMichael, 64, a retired police detective, and his son Travis, 34, chased Arbery in their truck and initiated a confrontation that ended with Travis McMichael shooting Arbery dead. A neighbour, William Bryan Jr, who recorded the shooting on his cellphone, denies charges of murder and an attempt to commit false imprisonment. The Guardian was unable to reach the Cobb county district attorney’s office, which is handling the prosecution, for comment.

Source: The Guardian January 04, 2021 13:01 UTC