SAVANNAH, Ga. – In the wake of the Ahmaud Arbery killing, a bipartisan group of Georgia state representatives plans to introduce a bill to repeal the state’s citizen arrest law.
Representative Carl Gilliard (D-Garden City) said Georgia’s law dates back to 1863 and it needs to be repealed to prevent civilians from taking the law into their own hands.
Rep. Gilliard said, “When you are an individual that’s 20-some-odd years of age, and individuals are running after you, blocking you in with cars, that’s called hunting. That’s the wild wild west that we talked about, and you’re determined to track them down. It hurts me to my heart to see this mother that has to go through, you know, hearing what her child went through the last couple of hours, of running away, being blocked in and being hunted down.”
In addition to Gilliard, the bill’s other Democrat sponsors are Representatives Roger Bruce of Atlanta and William Boddie of East Point.
Republican Representatives Don Hogan of St. Simon’s Island and Gerald Greene of Cuthbert are also signed on as co-sponsors.
© 2024 KOBI-TV NBC5. All rights reserved unless otherwise stated.