Ahmaud Arbery’s Family Says Man Who Recorded Shooting Should Also Be Arrested
The family of Ahmaud Arbery, who was shot and killed as the neighbor of the men who pursued him recorded the incident, say that individual should be arrested although his lawyer says he was not involved in the shooting.
"We are going to continue to push for the arrest of William Bryan for recording and participating in the ambush of Ahmaud Arbery," Arbery family attorney Lee Merritt said during an appearance on CNN Monday night.
Bryan recorded father and son Greg and Travis McMichael, who suspected him of burglary and caught footage of the fatal Feb. 23 confrontation. The video was given to authorities and eventually fell into the hands of attorney Alan Tucker, who does not represent any of the parties, who leaked it publicly two weeks ago. That led to the arrest of the McMichaels on May 7 on felony murder and accessory charges.
Bryan has not been arrested or charged with any crime, but he is being investigated by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, according to The New York Times.
Kevin Gough, Bryan’s attorney, told CNN his client had taken a lie detector test showing that he was not involved in the shooting. Bryan himself told the Associated Press that he was also uninvolved, but has consistently received threats. “I truthfully need to be cleared of this because I had nothing to do with it,” he said.
Merritt balked at that, saying that Bryan should be arrested, believing that he participated in the pursuit of Arbery with the other two men.
“We know it’s not only the man who pulled the trigger,” Merritt said, according to the Times.
Gough is asking Arbery’s family to believe Bryan and to not pursue any charges against him. "Mr. Bryan is not your enemy," he said. "Please stop, if not for the sake of my client's family, then for the sake of the Arbery family and the cause you fight for.
"Killing off the star witness for the prosecution will not help bring Ahmaud's killers to justice."
