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'I was thinking of my son': Georgia man who killed Ahmaud Arbery breaks down as he relives the 'life or death situation' when they tussled over shotgun before he pulled the trigger

  Gunman Travis McMichael broke down in court as he testified about the 'life or death situation' when he and Ahmaud Arbery wrestled...

 Gunman Travis McMichael broke down in court as he testified about the 'life or death situation' when he and Ahmaud Arbery wrestled over the shotgun before he shot the jogger dead. 

McMichael took to the stand on the eighth day of the trial where defense attorneys are expected to present evidence tried to prove that he shot the black jogger in self-defense as he, his father, Gregory McMichael and neighbor, William 'Roddie' Bryan Jr, attempted to conduct a citizen's arrest of Arbery under their suspicion that he committed a burglary at a nearby property.

'I want to give my side of the story,' Travis McMichael, 35, said at the start of his testimony. 

The former Coast Guard petty officer said he was in a 'life or death' battle with Arbery in the roadway as the pair tussled for control of his shotgun, before he finally pulled the trigger.

'I was thinking of my son,' he told the jury. 'It sounds weird, but that's the first thing that hit me.'  

  • Travis McMichael took to the stand the day after the jury was shown graphic post portem photos of Ahmaud Arbery 
  • The prosecution presented evidence it said showed the McMichaels and neighbor William 'Roddie' Bryan wrongly assumed the worst about Arbery 
  • Gregory McMichael told investigators after the shooting that the three defendants had Arbery 'trapped like a rat' with their pickup trucks 
  • Arbery was shot three times and medical examiner, Dr. Edmond Donoghue, determined his cause of death was the result of multiple shotgun wounds   
  • Donoghue told the jury the shot that struck Arbery's his left chest and armpit alone was enough to kill him 
  • 13 shotgun pellets exited his back and 11 more were recovered from his wounds
  • Meanwhile, defense attorney Kevin Gough openly opposed the presence of black pastors at the trial, arguing that civil rights icons like Rev. Al Sharpton and Rev. Jesse Jackson were influencing the jury
  • Gough has motioned for a mistrial four times, however the judge denied has request
Travis McMichael took to the stand on the eighth day of the trial where defense attorneys are expected to present evidence to prove that he shot the black jogger in self-defense as he, his father, Gregory McMichael and neighbor, William 'Roddie' Bryan Jr, attempted to conduct a citizen's arrest of Arbery under their suspicion that he committed a burglary at a nearby property

Travis McMichael took to the stand on the eighth day of the trial where defense attorneys are expected to present evidence to prove that he shot the black jogger in self-defense as he, his father, Gregory McMichael and neighbor, William 'Roddie' Bryan Jr, attempted to conduct a citizen's arrest of Arbery under their suspicion that he committed a burglary at a nearby property

Travis McMichael then started to tear up as he said: 'I was thinking of my son, it sounds weird but it's the first thing…' His voice tailed off as he fought back sobs. Asked by his attorney Jason Sheffield what he did next, McMichael said: 'I shot him. He had my gun. He struck me. It was obvious that he was attacking me, that he would have got the shotgun from me, it's a life or death situation

Travis McMichael then started to tear up as he said: 'I was thinking of my son, it sounds weird but it's the first thing…' His voice tailed off as he fought back sobs. Asked by his attorney Jason Sheffield what he did next, McMichael said: 'I shot him. He had my gun. He struck me. It was obvious that he was attacking me, that he would have got the shotgun from me, it's a life or death situation

He confirmed he and father Gregory, 65, had followed Arbery in his white pick-up truck after suspecting him of being behind thefts in their neighborhood.

Arbery, 25, had switched back three times and the pair had interacted as Travis said he had repeatedly asked him to stop, at one point yelling.

Eventually Arbery went out of sight around a dogleg bend in the mainly-white community of Satilla Shores in Brunswick, Georgia, the court heard.

Travis McMichael parked his pick-up, which his father in the flatbed, telling jurors at that point he did not want to 'escalate' the situation. But just then Arbery ran back into sight and towards the younger McMichael, jurors heard.

The defense for one of the white men accused in the murder of Ahmaud Arbery (pictured) has asked the judge for a fourth time to declare a mistrial. The judge, again, denied the request

The defense for one of the white men accused in the murder of Ahmaud Arbery (pictured) has asked the judge for a fourth time to declare a mistrial. The judge, again, denied the request

He said: 'He turns and he's on me.. in a flash. He grabs the shotgun and I believe I was struck on that first instance that we made contact.'

Travis McMichael then started to tear up as he said: 'I was thinking of my son, it sounds weird but it's the first thing…' His voice tailed off as he fought back sobs.

Asked by his attorney Jason Sheffield what he did next, McMichael said: 'I shot him. He had my gun. He struck me. It was obvious that he was attacking me, that he would have got the shotgun from me, it's a life or death situation.

'I wanted to stop him from doing this so I shot him.' Asked if Arbery stopped when he was shot, McMichael replied: 'He did not.'

Earlier, McMichael said there had been thefts in Satilla Shores, his neighborhood outside the small coastal Georgia city of Brunswick, that put residents on edge.

He continued: 'I know that I got hit… I got struck, I got hit on the top of the head. And he had the weapon in his hands so I pushed and pulled. Still getting hit.'

Sheffield: 'Did you get it free from his grip?'

McMichael: 'I don't believe I did. I don't know if and when and where he continued grabbing but we were together, we were locked up. He was on that shotgun.

Asked about the positions of each man at the time, McMichael said: 'I didn't know where I was at but I knew that he was on me. I knew that I was losing this.

'I knew that if I was getting tripped, or he would have got a lucky strike on my head, or if I would have lost that grip on that shotgun that I would have been shot or in serious trouble.

'I knew that he was overpowering me. But I didn't know which direction or what mechanics he was doing to overpower me.'

He continued: 'I thought I shot twice until later on speaking with the investigator that I realized it was three shots. The first shot, I knew I shot.

'But then the second shot, I shot again because I was still fighting, I was still ... he was all over he, he was still all over the shotgun. And he was not relenting. So I shot again to stop him.' 

The trial in the February 2020 fatal shooting of Ahmaud Arbery entered its ninth day of testimony on Wednesday (Pictured: Body camera footage of the scene following the shooting)

The trial in the February 2020 fatal shooting of Ahmaud Arbery entered its ninth day of testimony on Wednesday (Pictured: Body camera footage of the scene following the shooting) 

The defense is expected to present evidence to prove that Travis McMichael shot the black jogger in self-defense (Pictured: McMichael and Arbery fighting before shots were fired as captured on William 'Roddie' Bryan's cellphone)

McMichael said after the third shot 'he (Arbery) disengaged'. He added: 'At that point he let go, he turned and continued to run down Satilla (Drive). I was in shock. I turned around, I don't know where I was going. My dad came out and he was yelling that he's (Arbery) has got his hand under him.

'I turned around, we got over there and pulled his hand out from under him and realized that he was deceased. The police were right there. I stood up, realized that I got a gun here and that he has passed away. So I walked over to the side and put my shotgun down.

'After that it was a blur.'

Earlier, Travis McMichael said he'd had a prior encounter with Arbery on the night of February, 11, 2020, less than two weeks before the Sunday afternoon shooting that killed Arbery.

That night, he said, he saw Arbery outside an unoccupied, half-built house in the neighborhood. Prosecutors said Arbery was an avid runner out for one of his regular jogs.

McMichael said Arbery, was 'creeping through the shadows' and then seemed to put his hand in the waistband or pocket of his shorts.

'It freaked me out,' he said. 'I'm under the assumption that he's armed.' He ran home to grab his gun and called the police, but Arbery had vanished by then.

Travis McMichael takes the stand in Arbery murder trial
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McMichael testified that he believed Arbery might have stolen fishing equipment that had been reported missing by the owner of the half-built house and was returning on Feb. 11 to take more things. 

No evidence has emerged that Arbery took anything from the house. The property owner has previously said through a lawyer that Arbery may have stopped at the construction site to drink from a water faucet. Arbery had nothing on him besides his running clothes and shoes the day he was shot.

McMichael said he had considerable law enforcement training while in the US Coast Guard, which included extensive drills on de-escalating potentially dangerous situations such as boarding suspect vessels.

This included a specific program that went from level one, which would be entirely verbal, to level six which was deadly force.

The former veteran – who told jurors ‘I carry a weapon everywhere’ – described how the tragedy began to unfold.

He said he lived with his parents in Satilla Drive – and his father Gregory had come into the house ‘in a frantic state’ saying: ‘The guy who has been breaking in has run by the house’.

The court has already heard Arbery was filmed on home security video on night-time visits to a partly-constructed home two houses away being built by Larry English, 51 – who believed he was having items stolen from it.

Defense lawyers have also painted a picture of Satilla Shores being an community on edge, fearful of an increasing crime wave sweeping over it.

Arbery was spotted at the unfinished house again at lunch time on that fateful Sunday, with neighbor Matt Albenze calling the non-emergency police line to report him.

Travis, who had his two-year-old son staying with him for a weekend visit, said his father grabbed a weapon - which the jury has been told was a Magnum .357 handgun. Travis picked up a shotgun. 

He said he went outside the family home 'to see what was going on' and Albenze made an arm gesture down the road in the direction Arbery had run. Then Gregory McMichael came out of the house and he and his son set off.

Travis wedged his shotgun in a crease in the truck's bench front seat, with the barrel facing down, with his dad sitting next to him.

Grainy video footage of Ahmaud Arbery roaming around a partly-constructed home on five occasions in the months before he was shot dead last year was played in front of the jury Thursday

Grainy video footage of Ahmaud Arbery roaming around a partly-constructed home on five occasions in the months before he was shot dead last year was played in front of the jury Thursday

The above map shows Ahmaud Arbery's approximate path and locations of the events that occurred on February 23, 2020

The above map shows Ahmaud Arbery's approximate path and locations of the events that occurred on February 23, 2020

They proceeded fairly slowly down Satilla Drive and eventually came across Arbery in adjoining Burford Road. 'When I first see him, I'm trying to see if I recognize him,' Travis told jurors. Both McMichaels had seen videos in the English property.

'He's running, he's got long strides, he's athletic,' added Travis. 'I continued to drive up to him as I get closer I recognize his haircut. At that point I was probably riding the brake. I got closer to him.

'At this point I'm realizing this is most likely the same guy I saw. I watched his hands, make sure he's not armed. I don't know what I'm going to be into. If this is the same guy… I have suspicions he may be armed.'

McMichael said he pulled alongside and definitely recognized Arbery from the videos. He said he told the jogger: 'Hey, what are you doing, what's going on? I'm coasting, I'm staying with him, he's right there at my door. I'm trying to de-escalate. I know this can go any way.'

The accused said he repeated his request for Arbery to stop, telling him 'I want to talk to you… at this point he is still running but I notice he looks very angry. It wasn't what I expected for just coming up and talking to him. Clenched teeth, closed brow. He was mad. Which made me think, something's happened.

'I ask him again, hey will you stop for a second. He turns and starts jogging back. I back up and match up with him again. As I come up to him, I started asking what's going on? He turns and runs.'

McMichael said he and Arbery 'made eye contact' the first time he asked the jogger to stop. 'Second time, I'm not sure, I was watching his hands,' he said, emphasizing that he never tried to block Arbery with his truck.

The Coast Guard veteran said he followed and was 'trying to figure out what was happening, watching his demeanor'. He added: 'I decided to come up to him again and try one more time.

The 25-year-old is seen above at the same home on February 23, 2020 - the day he was chased and killed

The 25-year-old is seen above at the same home on February 23, 2020 - the day he was chased and killed

'I want to talk to you, I want to know what's going on. And he finally stops. He never says anything to me… this could be volatile. He's not squaring up, he's just standing. And I said hey, the police are on the way. As soon as I said police, he turned and ran straight back down Burford (Road) towards Holmes (Road)… sprinted.'

McMichael said at no point during these interactions with Arbery did he brandish the shotgun, which remained in the truck cab

Bryan – who would eventually take the shocking video of Arbery's death – then comes into play. McMichael, who said he did not know Bryan before this incident, next spotted his black Chevrolet Silverado shadowing the young black man.

He said at one point it appeared Arbery was trying to get into the vehicle and thought: 'Why is he attacking a truck?' He added he was thinking: 'Once again this is getting out of hand. Looks like this guy is trying to get in this vehicle.

Eventually Arbery and Bryan in his truck headed in McMichael's direction as they dodged back and forth among the neighborhood roads. Arbery split away and ran past McMichael's passenger side. Then he and Bryan vanished around a dogleg in the road.

McMichael parked, saying he was under the impression the police were on their way and 'this guy, he seems dangerous to me… I can give them a good description of what's happening'.

He said he got out of his truck and asked his father 'where are the police?' Gregory McMichael's answer indicated he hadn't called them. Travis continued: 'I go to reach for my phone and look back and I see Mr Arbery running back towards me.

'I yell at him to stop, stop where you're at. He's continuing. He's getting closer and I'm thinking he's not looking left, he's not looking right… not a sprint not a jog. I need to do something about this.

'I'm at my truck, the door's open, I'm on the inside of my door. I see he's coming and I go to grab my shotgun. As soon as I turn to get my shotgun, her turns.. about 10ft form the back of my truck. My dad yells at him and he runs back. My action going into my truck is what made him turn.. back down Satilla (Drive).

'I pulled the shotgun out and I started going down there to see what's happening.' McMichael then decided against it, adding 'I need to stay where I'm at. My dad's up here in the back of the truck.

'I put the shotgun right back, pick up the phone, call 911. As I dial, the phone up to the ear, I see Mr Arbery come back (down Holmes Road).

'He was like a running back, ready to bolt. He was focused on me. This is that moment. I am pretty sure that he is going to attack… his eye contact on me.'

McMichael had his shotgun in his hands again and this time raised it, jurors heard. 'He was closing in. At this point I had yelled at him to stop several times,' he said.

'He is focused in on me. I wouldn't have time to react if he wanted to get on me, or to pull the gun. This is when I needed to show him, to deter him, to state 'do not come at me'.' He said he knew this because of his previous Coast Guard training.

'Mr Arbery is running at a pretty good clip, he's directed at me. He sees that I have a weapon, I'm yelling at him to stop. And he's continuing. I had the weapon down at this point.'

McMichael then raised the weapon, the court heard. 'As soon as I drew a weapon on him, you can see in the video, that he darts to the left, darts to the right.' He added he would have been happy for Arbery to run across a nearby yard to clear out of the area at that point. 'At this point I know the police are coming now.

But Arbery returned in the direction of the truck, with McMichael's father in the open on the flatbed. 'At this point I am a little past my door,' he said. 'I don't know what he's going to do. I moved to the front of my truck… this is the point that is critical.' Travis said he feared Arbery could get in his truck or put his father in peril.

'Still under the impression that he might be armed, he's close to my father,' said McMichael, who said he had his shotgun pointed downwards. 'I was going to get to the front, the center of the vehicle. By the time I get to the front of the truck he is at the front quarter panel on the right hand side.

'And he turns and is on me.. in a flash.'

William 'Roddie' Bryan Jr, who filmed the pursuit on his cellphone, was sworn in Wednesday. He is also accused of striking the jogger with his truck
Travis McMichael's father, Gregory McMichael , who is accused partaking in the pursuit of Arbery, was also sworn in. The Michaels' attorneys have not not disclosed if their clients will take the stand

William 'Roddie' Bryan Jr (left), who filmed the pursuit on his cellphone, was sworn in Wednesday. Gregory McMichael (right), was also sworn in Wednesday to possibly testify. Their attorneys have not disclosed if they will take the stand or not

Earlier on Wednesday, before the defense started their opening arguments, they defense filed several motions Wednesday morning, including a request for a mistrial, a verdict of acquittal on the malice murder charge, and a request to limit pastors from the courtroom.

Superior Court Judge Timothy Walmsley denied all motions. 

All three of the accused were sworn in to possibly testify in their defense. It's not clear whether all three men will testify in their defense.

The prosecution closed its case Tuesday saying the men assumed the worst of Arbery and were not attempting a valid citizen's arrest, which required that someone have 'reasonable and probable' suspicion that a person is fleeing a serious crime they committed.

Bryan's attorney, Kevin Gough, delayed making an opening statement at the start of the trial so that he could address the jury after the prosecution rested. 

He attempted to disprove the prosecution's argument that the defendants assumed the worst about Arbery, painting his client as an innocent man who was unaware of what was going on.

Gough said Arbery never asked Bryan for help as he ran by his home and, similar to how the state argues Bryan assumed worst about Arbery, he claimed the jogger assumed the worst of Bryan too by not asking for help.

'Mr. Arbery has the opportunity before Mr. Bryan even figures out what's going on, [to yell] help, call 911, there's crazy people chasing after me. He does not do that,' Gough stated.

'The evidence would suggest Mr. Bryan hasn't assumed the worst about anyone. Mr. Arbery has assumed the worst about Mr. Bryan.'

He also argued that Bryan did not know the McMichaels well and was not pertinent to the surveillance footage alleging showing Arbery at the nearby property.  

Gough says Bryan recorded the incident to provide evidence to authorities and has been fully cooperative with authorities.

'Mr. Bryan has a rifle in his house. He leaves it. He walks out the house with a cell phone. That speaks volumes about the intentions of Mr. Bryan,' the attorney argued. 

In court Wednesday, attorney Franklin Hogue - who is representing accused Gregory McMichael - asked for a directed verdict of acquittal on the malice murder charge for McMichael and his son, Travis McMichael.

He alleged the charge includes specific intent to kill, which doesn't apply to the defendant.

Hogue contends that asking the jury to find an individual guilty of malice murder, which is intentional, and of felony murder, which is unintentional, is 'inconsistent'.

Prosecutor Linda Dunikoski argued that 'but for' the defendants actions, Arbery would still be alive.  

Gough also filed his fourth motion for a mistrial in the case - his second this week - under the grounds that the presence of high-profile civil rights leaders, including Rev. Jesse Jackson, and the atmosphere inside and outside courtroom haven't allowed for fair trial. 

The judge, again, denied the request.

Defense attorney Robert Rubin also asked Judge Walmsley to keep an eye on juror 12 whom he alleges has 'nodded off' repeatedly throughout the trial and is seemingly struggling to keep her eyes open. 

The judge said he would he address the jury about being attentive. 

Defense attorney Kevin Gough (pictured) made his opening statements on Wednesday after, for a second time, filing a motion for mistrial - which was denied

Before the trial resumed Wednesday, clergy members and faith leaders gathered outside Brunswick Superior Court for a prayer vigil

Before the trial resumed Wednesday, clergy members and faith leaders gathered outside Brunswick Superior Court for a prayer vigil

Rev. Jesse Jackson sat with Arbery's parents in the back row of the courtroom Wednesday for the second time this week. Attorneys for the defendants have said Jackson's presence and that of others who have spoken out in support of convictions in the case could unfairly influence the jury.

'They represent part of a national conversation' on racial injustice that has advocated for 'conviction of the defendants,' said Jason Sheffield, an attorney McMichael. 'And for that reason I do not think they should be present in the courtroom.'

In an interview outside the courthouse, Jackson said that by bringing up the issue of his attendance and that of other Black pastors who have supported the Arberys, the defense attorneys are 'looking for a diversion.'

'They don't want a trial,' he said. 'They want a mistrial.'

Before the trial resumed Wednesday, clergy members and faith leaders gathered outside the courthouse for a prayer vigil.

Participants sang songs and offered up prayers for the Arbery family, asking the Lord for mercy and justice.

'We gather this morning to pray for peace, love, and justice,' said Rev. Dewayne Cope. 'We're creating a space where you can unload your burdens.' 

'We know the whole world is watching us. We know they're watching to see if we as a community can pull together beyond this moment,' Rabbi Rachael Bregman echoed. 'We're here to hold on to the pain and to hold each other through it. This is hard and we're doing it together.' 

Prosecutors rested their case Tuesday afternoon eight days of testimony from 23 witnesses. 

The jury was shown images of Arbery's clothing on Tuesday, torn apart by bullet holes, for a second day in a row

The jury was shown images of Arbery's clothing on Tuesday, torn apart by bullet holes, for a second day in a row

According to the medical examiner's testimony, the shot that struck Arbery's left chest and armpit (pictured) alone was lethal enough to kill the jogger.

According to the medical examiner's testimony, the shot that struck Arbery's left chest and armpit (pictured) alone was lethal enough to kill the jogger.

An x-ray image presented to the jury Tuesday showed Arbery's injuries

An x-ray image presented to the jury Tuesday showed Arbery's injuries


Walmsley told the disproportionately white jury that defense lawyers for the three men would begin presenting their cases Wednesday morning at the Glynn County courthouse in the port city of Brunswick, where prominent civil rights leaders have joined Arbery's parents in the gallery.

Father and son Gregory and Travis McMichael armed themselves and jumped in a pickup truck to pursue Arbery after he ran past their home from a nearby house under construction Feb. 23, 2020. 

Their neighbor, William 'Roddie' Bryan Jr, joined the chase in his own truck, telling police that he tried to run Arbery off the road and then recorded cellphone video as Travis McMichael fired three shotgun blasts before Arbery fell facedown in the street.

The McMichaels told police they suspected Arbery was a burglar because security cameras had recorded him several times in the unfinished house on their street. 

Defense attorneys said Travis McMichael opened fire in self-defense after Arbery attacked him by throwing punches and trying to grab his gun.

Prosecutors sought to rebut arguments that the defendants were attempting a valid citizen's arrest, which required that someone have 'reasonable and probable' suspicion that a person is fleeing a serious crime they committed.

They showed the jury multiple security-camera videos of Arbery walking around a half-built house on an unoccupied, unfenced property near the McMichaels' house.

They also showed police body-worn camera video of a police officer telling the McMichaels that no one knew who the young Black man walking around the property was, but that nothing was ever taken on the days he was seen there.

Additionally, they had the defendants' own words to investigators read aloud in court, in which they said they did not see Arbery before he ran past their driveways and did not know what he had been doing before.

McMichael also said he shouted out a graphic threat mid-chase that he would shoot Arbery's head off if he did not stop.

Jurors were also shown graphic video and photographs of two gaping shotgun wounds in Arbery's chest. 

The trial began on Oct. 18 in Glynn County Superior Court with nearly three weeks of jury selection, resulting in a jury that prosecutors complained was disproportionately white.

Defense lawyers struck all but one black person from the jury panel, drawn from a county where about a quarter of residents are black, but told the court the strikes were for reasons that had nothing to do with race. 

Arbery, 25, had enrolled at a technical college and was preparing to study to become an electrician like his uncles when he was killed. 

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