Those accused of murder rarely testify. But like young Kyle Rittenhouse in Kenosha, Travis McMichael, one of three white men on trial for the murder of African-American jogger Ahmaud Arbery, in Georgia, wanted to “give [sa] version ”at the helm. On Wednesday, he assured jurors that he, his father and a neighbor had pursued, armed, the victim, whom they suspected of being the author of burglaries, to carry out a citizen arrest. He pleads self-defense, asserting that Ahmaud Arbery tried to take his rifle: “I shot him. It was a life and death situation. “
“I shot him. He grabbed my gun, he hit me, it was clear that if he took the shotgun from me, it was a life and death situation,” says Travis McMichael, tried for the murder of Ahmaud Arbery. Prosecutor’s cross-examination to come. pic.twitter.com/PFEAv83BWk
– Philippe Berry (@ptiberry) November 17, 2021
Travis McMichael testified that he saw “a black man” enter a nearby house under construction in early February 2020, and that the latter, after seeing him, “grabbed” his belt “as if he was armed” . He then calls the police, claiming that he may have been the perpetrator of several thefts in the neighborhood.
Two weeks later, on February 23, his father, Gregory McMichael, returned home restless, indicating that the same man is back. The father and son then jump in their pick-up, armed with a shotgun and a pistol. A neighbor follows them shortly after.
Cross-examination to come
Travis McMichael assures us that he wanted “just to ask for an explanation” from Ahmaud Arbery. At the wheel of his vehicle, he says he came to the jogger at low speed and tried to speak to him: “He looked very angry, his teeth clenched and did not respond. “
Two minutes later, Travis McMichael claims the jogger turns around, running towards the vehicle. He then puts it in play for the first time. “My experience (as a coast guard) is that pulling out a weapon usually tells the person that it is better to back up,” he insists – a point that could make him the aggressor. initial in the mind of the jury. Prosecutors could put him in difficulty during cross-examination, which had barely started on Wednesday and was due to continue on Thursday.
The altercation occurs soon after. Travis McMichael claims to have got out of his pickup because Ahmaud Arbery “rushed” towards the passenger side, where his father was. CCTV images do not show the fateful moment of the altercation. Wiping away a tear, Travis McMichael swore, “I shot him. He grabbed my gun, he hit me, it was clear that if he took the shotgun from me, it was a life and death situation. “