Probable cause hearing on 3 Georgia men accused of killing Ga. jogger Ahmaud Arbery
, a previous prosecutor on the case, had argued the suspects’ actions were lawful — that they were making a citizen’s arrest of a man they believed to be involved in area burglaries and that Arbery was shot in self-defense.
GBI Special Agent in Charge Richard Dial, who was called as a witness by the prosecution, spent several hours Thursday morning giving a narrative of the events of Feb. 23, describing how Gregory and Travis McMichael armed themselves and chased Arbery through Satilla Shores, a marshy enclave near his home where he often jogged. The McMichaels’ attorneys have told reporters there are more exculpatory details that will come out in court proceedings.On Feb. 23, Gregory McMichael saw Arbery running through the neighborhood and suspected he was responsible for recent burglaries, Dial said.Dial said McMichael called for his son, Travis McMichael, and the pair hopped into a pickup truck and gave chase — the son armed with a rifle, the father carrying a .357 magnum. Soon after, Dial said, they were joined by a neighbor, Bryan, who helped corner Arbery and later recorded his death on his cellphone camera. None of the men called 911 before pursuing Arbery, Dial said. Dial said Gregory McMichael told authorities he shouted at Arbery: “Stop! Stop! We want to talk to you.” Then, according to their statements, they pulled up beside him and Travis McMichael got out of the truck. The younger McMichael and Arbery struggled over the rifle on the street, before three shots were fired.In his testimony, Dial described aspects of the case that have been debated among prosecutors and people across the country.He said Arbery was shot after trying to evade Bryan and the McMichaels for several minutes and engaged only after he appeared run out of options to flee, Dial said. He also gave testimony that disputed Bryan’s version of events — that he was just a witness and a bystander. Gregory McMichael “described that Mr. Bryan was trying to block him in as well,” Dial said. “Mr. Bryan admits to joining the pursuit of Mr. Arbery. He admits to trying to block Mr. Arbery in, trying to detain him several times.” Authorities worried that the day’s testimony would fuel more potentially violent protests in a nation already on edge after the killing of Floyd on May 25. Floyd died after a Minneapolis police officer held his knee on the black man’s neck for more than eight minutes.A day before the hearing, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said security around the demonstrations in the state would be increased. “We will take appropriate action to hold bad actors accountable if they try to infiltrate peaceful gatherings to cause chaos,” Kemp said. “Let me be clear: We will not tolerate disruptive, dangerous behavior or criminal conduct. We will put the safety of Georgians first.”An earlier version of this report stated that all three defendants appeared via video at the hearing. Only Gregory and Travis McMichael appeared. The reference in the article and an earlier secondary headline have been corrected.
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