A man says he ran 2.23 miles while holding a flat-screen television to show “that being a suspicious character isn't enough that someone should be shot down,” referencing the shooting death of Ahmaud Arbery.
His video has gotten more than a million views on TikTok. Richard Demsick, could be seen running with a television in hand through a neighborhood in Florida.
“All right, I’ve figured it out,” he says in the clip. “I got my hat on backwards, I’m shirtless, like I’m on some episode of ‘Cops,’ I’m running with a TV, someone’s going to stop me now for sure cause, if not, what was the problem with Ahmaud?”
Arbery was was fatally shot in Brunswick, Ga. His family said he had been out for a jog at the time and was unarmed. Father and son Gregory and Travis McMichael were arrested last week on charges of murder and aggravated assault, claiming they followed and confronted Arbery because they thought he was a burglary suspect.
Demsick said he was inspired to make the TikTok after learning of Arbery’s death, which has prompted outrage from a number of lawmakers and much of the public in recent weeks.
Shortly after, Demsick said he came with the idea to “run with a TV to show that being a suspicious character isn't enough that someone should be shot down. Being a white person, that's just not going to happen to me,” he said.
Demsick ran 2.23 miles in solidarity with other supporters of Arbery who ran the same mileage, which is symbolic of the day he died.
“People have been incredibly kind, undeservedly kind,” he said. “There are people who are daily working trying to correct the injustice. I just made a video."
Photos by Getty Images