Ahmaud Arbery killer made racial slur over jogger’s body, court hears

The man who shot Ahmaud Arbery stood over his body and was heard saying a racial slur, according to the lead investigator.

Special prosecutor for Georgia Richard Dial said on Thursday that evidence showed Mr Arbery was boxed in by two pickup trucks before Travis McMichael shot him in the chest.

Mr Dial said the driver of the second pickup truck, William Bryan, said he heard the alleged shooter say a racist epithet as he stood over the body of Mr Arbery: “F***ing N-word”.

The allegation was made during a preliminary hearing to support murder charges against Mr McMichael, 34, and his father, Greg McMichael, 64.

Special prosecutor Jesse Evans said during the hearing that Mr Arbery “was chased, hunted down and ultimately executed”.

Mr Bryan, 50, who filmed video of the shooting and made the allegation of the racial slur, is also charged with felony murder and using a vehicle to confine and detain Mr Arbery.

All three were arrested just days after the video leaked online, but months after Mr Arbery’s death on 23 February.

The new details of the killing emerged during preliminary hearings requested by the defence to make prosecutors show whether they have probable cause to charge the men with murder.

Glynn County Magistrate Judge Wallace E Harrell will determine if authorities have enough evidence of murder to take the case to trial.

According to the prosecutor’s testimony, body camera footage also showed a Confederate flag sticker on the toolbox of Mr McMichael’s truck.

Mr Dial outlined the events that lead to Mr Arbery’s death, and said that before the shooting the three men engaged in an elaborate chase and hit the 25-year-old with a truck as he tried to evade them.

While attempting to flee he was allegedly struck by the truck of Mr Bryan, with investigators testifying they found a palm print on the rear door and cotton fibres above a dent that “we attribute to contact with Mr Arbery”.

While the defence for Mr Bryan has said he was only a witness to the killing, Mr Dial told the court that he yelled “do you got him” when he saw his neighbours chasing Mr Arbery, before joining the chase himself.

Mr Bryan “made several statements about trying to block him in and using his vehicle to try to stop him,” Mr Dial said. “His statement was that Mr Arbery kept jumping out of the way and moving around the bumper and actually running down into the ditch in an attempt to avoid his truck.”

While none of the men have entered formal pleas, attorneys for each have previously said that they are innocent and that judgements shouldn’t be rushed to.