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Jay-Z has provided a private jet to the attorney of Ahmaud Arbery, allowing him to attend the preliminary hearing of two men charged with his murder.
Father and son Gregory and Travis McMichael are accused of shooting Arbery, an unarmed black man, while he was out jogging in Brunswick, Georgia in February this year.
Lee Merritt, who is representing Arbery, confirmed that the rap mogul lent him the jet ahead of the preliminary court hearing, which commenced earlier this week.
Sharing photos of the jet, he wrote on Instagram: “When you absolutely have to be in Court to stand with your client and righteous protestors for justice … Jay Z sends his private jet. That’s part of the P.P.E plan to get us out of this Crisis (People Power Political Power Economic Power).”
Merritt was in attendance as the preliminary hearing revealed how Travis McMichael called Arbery a “fucking n****r” after firing the shot that killed him.
Magistrate Court Judge Wallace Harrell subsequently confirmed that there is enough evidence for the McMichaels to face a subsequent murder trial, alongside William Bryan who faces charges of murder and criminal attempt to commit false imprisonment.
Protesters gathered outside the Glynn County court where the preliminary hearing was held.
It comes in the same week as global protests against the death of George Floyd, who died in Minneapolis police custody. He was pinned down by the neck by officer Derek Chauvin, who has since been charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter. As well as Chauvin, three other officers now all face charges of aiding and abetting second-degree murder, and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter.
In the wake of Floyd’s death, Jay-Z and his entertainment company Roc Nation took out full-page adverts in newspapers across the US dedicated to his memory.
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