Jay-Z Sends Private Jet to Ahmaud Arbery’s Lawyers to Fly to Court Hearing

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Blerim Elmazi and S. Lee Merritt — lawyers representing Ahmaud Arbery, who was fatally shot while jogging in February — found themselves found themselves without transportation on June 4 when they needed to attend a court hearing in Brunswick, Ga. Luckily, rapper Jay-Z was there to help.

Elmazi revealed on Instagram that he and Merritt received a call at 1 a.m. from Roc Nation, Jay-Z’s entertainment agency, who allowed them to use their private plane.

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“At 1 am we started losing hope till we got a call from Jay Z’s people at Roc Nation who chartered a flight for us to attend this hearing with the family of Ahmaud Arbery,” Elmazi wrote in an Instagram post. “Thankful for their support.”

 

Merritt also shared his gratitude 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,” he wrote on Instagram.

Sure enough, the two lawyers made it to the hearing on time and were able to stand with Arbery’s family as details of his murder were laid out before the court.

Arbery was fatally shot on Feb. 23 while jogging in a Georgia neighborhood by Gregory McMichael and his son, Travis McMichael. Arbery’s death was ruled a homicide by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and both Gregory and Travis, as well as William Bryan, who filmed the killing, have been charged with murder.

At Thursday’s hearing, new information was added to the case when Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent Richard Dial testified that Travis, who fired the three shots that killed Arbery, used a racial slur as Arbery was dying. At the end of the hearing, it was determined that all three men will remain in police custody.

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