Ahmaud Arbery death: Jury hears 911 calls made by two of the white men accused of murdering Black jogger
Prosecutors play 911 calls made by Travis and Gregory McMichael before they chased and killed Ahmaud Arbery on 23 February 2020
The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday
Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US
Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US
The jury in the trial of the three white men accused of murdering Black jogger Ahmaud Arbery has heard several 911 calls made by two of the suspects in the lead-up to the shooting.
Prosecutors called Glynn County 911 center operations coordinator Cara Richardson to the stand on Wednesday to testify about accusations Gregory and Travis McMichael made in multiple 911 calls between July 2019 and February 2020.
The McMichaels reported that there had been “a lot of break-ins” in the area and described seeing a Black male matching Mr Arbery’s description.
In one call, Gregory McMichael is heard telling the dispatcher there is “a real shady looking fella” in their predominantly white neighbourhood of Satilla Shores near Brunswick, Georgia.
Mr Arbery had been captured on surveillance cameras multiple times at a home under construction belonging to Larry English in the months leading up to his death.
The defence claims the McMichaels and their neighbour William “Roddie” Bryan Jr were trying to carry out a citizen’s arrest because they believed Mr Arbery was responsible for break-ins in the area. Travis McMichael then claims he shot Mr Arbery in self-defence.
However, the prosecution says the McMichaels had been told by police that Mr Arbery hadn’t stolen anything just days before he was killed.
They say that the suspect’s interviews with investigators reveal they had not seen Mr Arbery at the construction site on the day of his death and had no knowledge he had committed any crime before they chased him down and killed him.
Witnesses have also testified that the suspects made no mention of carrying out a citizen’s arrest following the shooting.
The McMichaels and their neighbour William “Roddie” Bryan Jr. are accused of chasing 25-year-old Mr Arbery in their pickups and shooting him dead in the street back on 23 February 2020.
The three defendants all face nine charges, including malice murder, four counts of felony murder, two counts of aggravated assault, false imprisonment, and criminal attempt to commit false imprisonment. They have all pleaded not guilty to the charges.
On day four of the trial, prosecutors played a 911 call by Gregory McMichael from 13 July 2019 where he says he is a retired investigator with the DA’s office and reports that he and his son “just discovered a guy”.
“We got a lot of break-ins in this area, automobile break-ins. And my son and I just discovered a guy,” he is heard saying.
“We think he may be living under Bluff Creek bridge.
“We just made contact with him, a real shady looking fella and a possibility he may be the one that has been breaking into all of these automobiles around here.”
In another call on 1 January 2020, Travis McMichael reported that his gun was stolen from his truck.
“I need a police officer, I need to report a stolen pistol,” he tells the dispatcher.
Just over a month later, on 11 February, Travis McMichael placed another 911 call to report a Black man he had “never seen before” inside Mr English’s construction site.
He is heard describing a “Black male in a red T-shirt and white shorts”, about “6 foot” tall and telling the dispatcher there have been “a lot of burglaries and break-ins” and his gun was recently stolen.
“We’ve been having a lot of burglaries and break-ins around here lately, and I had a pistol stolen January 1 actually, and I’ve never seen this guy before in the neighborhood,” he says.
The jury heard Travis McMichael telling the dispatcher he thinks the person may be armed.
“When I turned around and saw him and backed up, he reached into his pocket and ran into the house,” he says.
“So I don’t know if he’s armed or not, but he looked like he was acting like he was. So you know be mindful of that.”
Mr Arbery was not armed when Travis McMichael shot him dead.
On Thursday, prosecutors played a recorded deposition by Mr English to the court, where the homeowner said his surveillance camera had picked up several people on his property in the months prior to Mr Arbery’s death.