Tom Brady, Anquan Boldin, More Athletes Sign Petition for Ahmaud Arbery Inquiry

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady and former NFL wide receiver Anquan Boldin are among the current and former athletes and coaches from the NBA and NFL who signed a petition urging United States Attorney General William Barr and the FBI to investigate the death of Ahmaud Arbery. 

Boldin, who co-founded the Players Coalition in 2017, posted a copy of the petition on Twitter with the note that the "local investigation into this case is marred by conflicts" and a request for national investigators to step in to "help us move toward" the basic promise of equal justice.

Arbery's murder, which occurred on February 23, gained national attention this week with the release of a cellphone video that appears to show the 25-year-old being shot and killed by two men while out for a run in his neighborhood in Brunswick, Georgia. 

Gregory McMichael spoke to police after the shooting, telling them he and his son, Travis, armed themselves, then followed and confronted Arbery because they believed he was involved in a series of recent break-ins in the neighborhood, per CNN's Angela Barajas, Amir Vera and Steve Almasy.

Following an outpouring of calls for action in the case, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced Thursday that Gregory McMichael and Travis McMichael were arrested and charged with murder and aggravated assault. 

Supporters organized a 2.23-mile run on Friday, which would have been Arbery's 26th birthday. The distance represents the date on which he was killed. 

The Players Coalition was founded by Boldin and Malcolm Jenkins to help promote social justice and racial equality at the federal, state and local levels.