Arbery family lawyer calls for arrest of man who filmed shooting

An attorney representing the family of Ahmaud Arbery called Monday for the arrest of the man who recorded a video of Arbery’s shooting death, accusing him of taking part in the confrontation.

The New York Times reported that family attorney S. Lee Merritt accused William Bryan of having “corralled” Arbery, 25, into the street where he was confronted by the two armed men.

“We know it’s not only the man who pulled the trigger,” Merritt said, according to the Times.

Kevin Gough, a lawyer representing Bryan, countered that his client was unarmed at the time of Arbery’s death and had not spoken with the 25-year-old before the shooting.

“Without [William] Bryan,” Gough said, “there would be no video of the shooting of Ahmaud Arbery. Without that video there would be no case. Without purporting to speak for the prosecution, as that would not be my place, we believe Mr. Bryan is not just a witness for the prosecution but a key witness.”

Travis McMichael and his father, Gregory McMichael, remain the only people charged in Arbery’s case so far. The two were arrested earlier this month after weeks of growing outrage over Arbery’s death, which occurred in February. The two men have claimed they suspected Arbery of illegally entering a house in the neighborhood that was under construction, though the house’s owner says nothing was stolen.

Arbery’s family said he was out for a run when he was killed.

Protests in recent weeks have accused the McMichaels of targeting Arbery because of his race; Arbery is black, Gregory McMichael and his son are white. Some have also accused Georgia law enforcement of slow-walking an investigation into Arbery’s death due to racial motives.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has taken over the investigation into Arbery’s death in recent weeks, and on Monday the case was assigned to Superior Court Judge Timothy Walmsley after all five district court judges in the area recused themselves, according to The Associated Press.