The Georgia jury in the case involving the killing of Ahmaud Arbery, which began its deliberations on Tuesday, asked the next morning to view and listen to three pieces of evidence that were introduced during the trial.
Judge Timothy R. Walmsley revealed in the courtroom Wednesday that he received a note, signed by the jury foreperson, requesting that the panel view two videos of Arbery’s shooting and listen to the audio of a 911 call Gregory McMichael, one of the defendants on trial, made at the scene.
“We, the jury, request to see the following videos three times each: One, original video, short version. Two, the enhanced high contrast version. We would also like to listen to the 9-1-1 call on to 2/23 [2020] made by Greg McMichael,” the note read. They also asked to be allowed to spread out in the gallery while the evidence was being played.
The jurors were then escorted into the courtroom, where they viewed and listened to the evidence.
McMichael, his son Travis McMichael and William “Roddie” Bryan face charges of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, false imprisonment and criminal attempt to commit a felony over Arbery’s shooting death last year.
Video of the incident, taken by Bryan, was leaked in May 2020, catapulting the case into national headlines.
The McMichaels, both of whom were armed and in a pickup truck, started chasing Arbery after he left a house in their South Georgia neighborhood that was under construction while he was jogging, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The pair have said they were following the 25-year-old Black man based on Georgia’s now-repealed citizen’s arrest law because they believed he was fleeing a crime scene.
Bryan, a neighbor in the area, soon joined the chase from his own truck, closing in on Arbery as he made his way down the street.
Arbery eventually charged at Travis McMichael when the trucks pinned him in. McMichael shot Arbery three times as the 25-year-old was trying to take his shotgun.
The McMichaels were allegedly concerned about rising crime in the area.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) repealed the citizen’s arrest law in May.
An attorney representing Travis McMichael has also contended that his client was defending himself when he fired his weapon because he feared for his life.
Bryan’s attorney, on the other hand, has sought to disassociate his client from the McMichaels, arguing that he was not aware that a crime was underway when he joined the case and started recording and that he did not harm Arbery in any way.
The prosecution, however, has said the three defendants were not justified in their actions because they did not have evidence that Arbery committed any wrongdoing, instead arguing that they had preconceived notions about Arbery and decided to attack him “because he was a Black man running down their street.”