Ahmaud Arbery’s mother to attend George Floyd’s funeral service
Legal team is working to connect Black families impacted by police-involved violence, so they can become a support system to each other
Attorney Lee Merritt says his client, Wanda Cooper-Jones, Ahmaud Arbery's mother, will be attending funeral services for George Floyd next week in Houston.
Attorney Lee Merritt tells TMZ that his client, Wanda Cooper-Jones will be attending funeral services for George Floyd next week in Houston.
Cooper-Jones is the mother of Ahmaud Arbery.
READ MORE: Protesters break out in dance as they honor George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Abery
Currently, there are no plans for Cooper-Jones to speak at the service. However, the program is still being outlined.
Merritt told TMZ that Cooper was connected to Floyd’s family through their attorney, Benjamin Crump. Cooper has also recently reached out to the family of Trayvon Martin to discuss their shared grief. Merritt hopes that the families will be able to encourage each other. He further believes that Martin’s parents, Tracy Martin and Sabrina Fulton, could be able to provide guidance to Cooper on handling the upcoming legal battle.
The cases between Arbery and Martin are similar in that each young, Black man was shot by private citizens acting in a law enforcement capacity. George Zimmerman was acquitted of killing Martin using a “stand your ground” defense.
https://open.spotify.com/episode/3ZuyOfTmcLfkxzqMdftiCV
The deaths of Arbery and Floyd have sparked national outrage and calls for justice in the slaying of the unarmed men.
Ahmaud Arbery was shot on February 23 after being pursued by Gregory McMichael and Travis McMichael while jogging through the mostly-white neighborhood of Satilla Shores in Brunswick, GA. After two months, the McMichaels were charged with murder.
Cooper-Jones told NBC Nightly News that she was in a “numb state” while waiting for two months and two weeks for an arrest in the case.
READ MORE: Roc Nation hosts press conference on murders of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery
George Floyd was killed by police when officer, Derek Chauvin, knelt on his neck for over eight minutes. Chauvin and three other police officers were charged this week. The most serious charge of second-degree murder was reserved for Chauvin while the other three were charged with aiding and abetting murder.
Cooper-Jones told the Good Morning Britain that the video of Floyd’s death had a “dramatic” impact on her grieving process.
‘I was beginning to heal, beginning to feel better but once I viewed the video of Mr. Floyd being murdered it sent me back.’
Ahmaud Arbery was shot dead by two white men while jogging in February.
His mother Wanda Cooper-Jones speaks to @Piersmorgan and @Susannareid100. pic.twitter.com/vw2hky5bVE
— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) June 2, 2020
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