One of the men accused of murdering Ahmaud Arbery is fighting to ban from trial photos of his vanity license plate that features a Confederate flag

Taylor Ardrey
Updated ·2 min read

  • One of the men charged with the killing of Ahmaud Arbery is trying to ban a photo of his vanity plate during his upcoming trial.

  • Court documents say that the vanity plate is similar to an old Georgia state flag which has a Confederate emblem.

  • Arbery's death sparked a wave of anti-racism protests across the US.

  • Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

One of the men accused of chasing and murdering Ahmaud Arbery is fighting to ban photo evidence of his old Georgia flag-themed vanity license plate from his upcoming trial.

In response, the state asked the court to deny Travis McMichael's defense team's motion, stating that the plates were on the truck at the time of the incident where Arbery was shot and killed, court documents say.

"Defendant Travis Michael's choice, and the fact that this vanity plate was on the front of his pick-up truck on Feb. 23, 2020, are intrinsic evidence in this case and can be fully be used by the State to illustrate the intent and motive of Travis McMichael," according to the motion viewed by Insider.

According to court documents, the vanity plate "shows a representation to the State of Georgia State Flag from 1956 through 2001" - which includes a Confederate emblem.

In a separate motion, the prosecution also asked the court to deny the defendant's motion to suppress the body camera footage of a police officer who was the second to arrive at the scene. According to the prosecution, the footage includes the officer speaking with Travis McMichael, and Arbery's condition following the shooting.

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A painting of Ahmaud Arbery is displayed during a vigil at New Springfield Baptist Church on February 23, 2021 in Waynesboro, Georgia. Photo by Sean Rayford/Getty Images

Travis McMichael and his father Gregory McMichael were charged with murder last May for the shooting of Arbery, a 25-year-old unarmed Black man, who was jogging in his Georgia neighborhood in February 2020. His death sparked a wave of anti-racism protests across the country, calling for justice in his case. Another man, William Bryan, a neighbor who witnessed and filmed the fatal encounter, was also charged with murder, Insider previously reported.

The trial of the men charged with killing Arbery is slated to start on October 18.

Read the original article on Insider