They would have gotten away with murdering Ahmaud Arbery had it not been for the video that was leaked this week, showing the former cop and his son confront the 25-year-old black man as he was jogging before they shot him to death in the middle of a residential street.
But now Gregory and Travis McMichael are sitting in the county jail on murder charges.
Before the video surfaced, the district attorney claimed they acted in self defense when they chased down the jogger and killed him, accusing him of burglarizing homes, even though there is no evidence to support that. The video, in fact, shows Arbery was the one trying to defend himself when the elder McMichael stepped into the street wielding a shotgun, ordering him to stop.
Greg McMichael spent seven years as a Glynn County police officer before spending two decades working as an investigator with the Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office, retiring on May 31, 2019, according to the Brunswick News.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation made the arrests, stating the following in a press release:
On May 7th, 2020, the GBI arrested Gregory McMichael, age 64, and Travis McMichael, age 34, for the death of Ahmaud Arbery. They were both charged with murder and aggravated assault. The McMichaels were taken into custody and will be booked into the Glynn County Jail.
On February 23, 2020, Ahmaud Arbery was in the Satilla Shores neighborhood in Brunswick, GA when both Gregory and Travis McMichael confronted Arbery with two firearms. During the encounter, Travis McMichael shot and killed Arbery.
This case is being investigated in partnership with District Attorney Tom Durden.
On May 5th, 2020, District Attorney Tom Durden formally requested the GBI investigate the death of Ahmaud Arbery. The Kingsland Office initiated an investigation on May 6th, 2020.
On April 29th, 2020, the Glynn County Police Department (GCPD) requested that the GBI investigate allegations of threats against GCPD and individuals involved in the active investigation.
On the morning of May 5th, 2020, GCPD requested the GBI investigate the public release of video related to Arbery’s death.
These investigations are all active and ongoing. If anyone has information related to these cases, please contact the GBI at 1-800-597-TIPS (8477).
A review of reported burglaries in the area came up with only one incident, a stolen handgun from McMichael’s truck on January 1, according to The Brunswick News.
Only one burglary, an automobile burglary, was reported to county police in the Satilla Shores neighborhood between Jan. 1 and Feb. 23, according to documents obtained by The News in a public records request to the Glynn County Police Department. It involved a Smith & Wesson M&P 9 mm pistol stolen Jan. 1 from a pickup truck outside 230 Satilla Drive, the home of Travis McMichael, according to the police report.
Gregory McMichael moved the 2011 Ford F-150 from one spot to another in front of the home at around 9:30 a.m. Jan. 1, forgetting to lock it afterward, Travis McMichael told police. About an hour later, Travis McMichael found the handgun’s empty holster on the unlocked truck’s seat, the report said.
The man who recorded it is named William “Roddy” Bryan. He gave the video to a defense attorney named Alan Tucker, who was the one who leaked it, according to First Coast News.
Alan Tucker, a Brunswick defense attorney says he obtained the video from a neighbor who was following Arbery. Tucker says he wanted to release it to show the public what exactly happened that day.
In the video, you see Arbery running down the street. Neighborhood residents Greg McMichael and Travis McMichael are seen waiting for Arbery in the truck.
Arbery appears to run around the truck soon after. Travis McMichael fires his shotgun and Arbery is killed, the attorney alleges.
According to a police report of the incident, Greg McMichael told police he and his son Travis got in the truck with guns to follow Arbery.
The police report goes onto confirm that Travis McMichael and Arbery got into an altercation over McMichael’s gun, at which point shots were fired.
A prosecutor overseeing the case who recused himself says shooter, Travis McMichael’s actions were justified under Georgia’s self-defense and citizen’s arrest laws.
A witness sent the above photo to News 4 Jax showing the pair getting arrested. Check out more photos of the arrest here. Watch the video of the shooting below.
