Joe Biden says Ahmaud Arbery verdicts alone ‘not enough for racial justice’

US President Joe Biden expressed confidence in the “justice system doing its job” after the guilty verdicts in the trial of Ahmaud Arbery’s killing, but said more remained to be done for racial justice in the country. “Arbery should be here today, celebrating the holidays with his mother, Wanda Cooper Jones, and his father, Marcus Arbery. Nothing can bring Arbery back to his family and to his community, but the verdict ensures that those who committed this horrible crime will be punished,” the White House quoted Biden as saying in a statement.

Ahmaud Arbery trial: All accused found guilty by jury

Biden sought to reaffirm his administration’s commitment to do “the hard work to ensure that equal justice under law is not just a phrase emblazoned in stone above the Supreme Court, but a reality for all Americans.”

US Vice President Kamala Harris said the verdicts send an important message, especially since the jury had not been influenced by tactics of the defense counsel who “chose to set a tone that cast the attendance of ministers at the trial as intimidation and dehumanized a young Black man with racist tropes.”

Ahmaud Arbery case handed over to jury after two-week trial

“Ahmaud Arbery was a son. He was a brother. He was a friend. His life had meaning. We will not forget him. We honor him best by continuing the fight for justice,” she added in a statement.

William Bryan Jr and the father-son duo of Gregory and Travis McMichael were ordered to remain in the custody of the sheriff after being found guilty in a jury-approved verdict on Wednesday in the trial of Ahmaud Arbery’s killing.

The nine-count indictment charged all three with one count of malice murder, four counts of felony murder, two counts of aggravated assault, one count of false imprisonment and one count of criminal attempt to commit false imprisonment.