ATLANTA — The jury selected for the trial of the three men charged in the death of Ahmaud Arbery has been given the case for deliberation on Tuesday following a final argument from the state’s lead prosecutor.
State prosecutors offered a rebuttal to the defense attorneys’ closing arguments, which were given on Monday. Both counsels closed their cases last week after testimony from 30 witnesses — 23 from the state and seven from the defense, including Travis McMichael.
Arbery was shot and killed on Feb. 23, 2020, after being chased through the Satilla Shores neighborhood outside coastal Brunswick, Georgia, in Glynn County. Travis McMichael, who shot Arbery twice with a shotgun, his father Greg McMichael, who initiated the chase, and their neighbor Roddie Bryan all face murder charges in the death.
The attorneys for the McMichaels and Bryan contend the three men were attempting to make a lawful citizen’s arrest because they suspected Arbery of entering a vacant home under construction. The state has pushed back against those claims, saying Arbery never took anything from the house.
Following the state’s rebuttal, Judge Timothy Walmsley provide the jury with the relevant laws that should guide their deliberations. This included the Georgia citizen’s arrest law that was repealed last year and the laws guiding justified self-defense.
Meanwhile, more than 300 miles away, the Atlanta Police Department is monitoring the trial in preparation for any protests that may occur following a verdict.
“We will continue monitoring the court proceedings and we stand ready to respond to demonstrations to ensure the safety of those in our communities, of those exercising their first amendment right or to address illegal activity, should the need arise,” the agency said in a statement.
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