(AllHipHop News) Jay-Z and Meek Mill lead the stars at Roc Nation lending their names to a petition for justice over the slaying of African-American jogger Ahmaud Arbery.
Arbery was out for a run near his home in Brunswick, Georgia back in February when he was chased down and confronted by two white men and fatally shot.
The males have been identified as Gregory McMichael and his son, Travis, who fired his shotgun twice, causing the 25-year-old to collapse and die.
The McMichaels told police they thought Arbery was a burglary suspect and claimed the shooting was in self-defense, and no charges were filed at the time.
However, authorities have since come under renewed pressure to take action after cellphone video footage of the incident went viral after it emerged on Tuesday, which appeared to show Arbery had come under attack first.
In an open letter to Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, Georgia Attorney General Christopher Darr, and District Attorney Tom Durden, stars including Alicia Keys and Yo Gotti write: “By now, we’ve all seen the crime’s disturbing video, so the facts here are not in doubt: He was unarmed and innocent and the victim of a hate crime.
“Which is why we call upon you today, as official leaders of the Great State of Georgia, and with the entire world watching, to ensure that a fair trial is conducted, as that can only lead to the appropriate felony convictions of both McMichaels,” they continued. “We also implore you to charge William Bryan (camera operator) as an armed accomplice to the crime.”
They added: “We truly appreciate that you have arrested and charged these men with Ahmaud’s murder, and are hopeful that a trial and conviction will show that, in the state that gave us Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and has been the site of the best and worst of the Civil Rights movement, Dr. King’s words do ring true: ‘The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.’”
The group is also asking for a special prosecutor to be assigned in the case, and are demanding proceedings be expedited.