BRUNSWICK, Ga. — The Ahmaud Arbery case garnered national attention sparking an outrage heard across the nation. The case turned around Thursday. The two men involved in Arbrey's death, Gregory McMichael and Travis McMichael were arrested, surprising community leaders.
"It is long overdue, " said Pastor John Perry who also heads the Brunswick chapter of the NAACP.
"I believe they( law enforcement) had the video so what stopped them from making an arrests," said Perry.
The shooting death of 25 year old Arbrey took place on Feb. 23 in the Satilla Shores Community, two and half months ago.
The men suspected Arbrey of committing break ins and pursued him while he was running through the neighborhood. The father and son were armed.
Arbrey was unarmed but there was a confrontation and the young black man was shot to death.
This week the Georgia Bureau of Investigation got involved after a video of the incident went viral.
"While we are excited that an arrest has been made we are still cautious," said Perry," we understand it could go to trial and turn out a different way."
Perry and hundreds of supporters gathered on Friday for a rally the day after the arrests of the McMicheals.
Now they're calling for the Glynn County Police chief and prosecutor George Barnhill to be fired. Barnhill was assigned the case and declined to file charges, citing the armed men were defending themselves.
"The justice system that failed to make that initial arrest has to be tried as well," said Pastor Perry.
Perry said the community will continue to keep watch of the legal process.
"As citizens we can no longer stand for injustice," he said.
Making reference to the Trayvon Martin shooting. In 2012 he was walking thought his central Florida community when George Zimmerman approached him and treated him as a suspect of a crime.
Zimmerman a member of the neighborhood watch got into a confrontation and shot the teenager to death; he was charged by was not convicted.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, 'injustice anywhere is threat to justice everywhere."
Dr. John Perry said that will be the community's mantra going forward as this case goes through the legal process.
"The American judicial system is now on trial," said Perry.
