The defence team for the three men on trial for the death of Ahmaud Arbery, who was killed after he ran through a mostly white neighbourhood in Georgia last year, rested on Thursday and prosecutors said they would not call any rebuttal witnesses.
The jury was told to return on Monday morning to the Glynn County Superior Court in Brunswick for closing arguments.
The people who spoke on behalf of the accused included six neighbors who shared their concerns over crime in the neighbourhood.
One of the accused, Travis McMichael, taking the stand for a second day on Thursday, acknowledged that he had not felt threatened by the black jogger when he shot him in February 2020.
Mr McMichael stated when gave evidence on Wednesday that he felt he was under attack from Arbery after he and two others chased the black jogger through a mostly white neighbourhood.
Under cross-examination, Mr McMichael acknowledged that Arbery did not yell at him, threaten him or show any weapons. Instead, he remained silent and kept moving.
“He just ran?” prosecutor Linda Dunikoski asked.
“Yes, he was just running,” Mr McMichael said.
But Mr McMichael said at one point he did perceive Arbery to be a threat.
“He was coming straight to me that first time. I was thinking, alright he’s going to try to get in this truck or he’s going to try to attack me or my dad or who knows what," he said.
"He was acting weird. He was acting funny when I was trying to talk to him prior so I’m on alert. He turns, runs off. Comes back. I don’t - I’m sure I saw Mr Bryan’s truck in this instance, but I was focused on what I perceived as a threat,” Mr McMichael said on Thursday.
The deadly encounter occurred outside the coastal city of Brunswick on February 23, 2020. Phone footage of the killing sparked outrage when it emerged two months later.
Mr McMichael has pleaded not guilty to murder and other crimes alongside two other accused: his father, Gregory McMichael, and their neighbour, William “Roddie” Bryan.
The prosecution asked on Thursday: "Do you think that Mr Arbery's crime deserved the death penalty?" This question led the defence to request a mistrial, which was denied.
It was the second time a mistrial request was denied in the proceedings.
“I shot him,” Mr McMichael, who is white, said on Wednesday in a trembling voice as he held back tears.
“It was a life or death situation.”
He said that in the final moments, he feared for his life when Arbery grabbed at the shotgun Mr McMichael pointed in his direction.
They grappled, with both men holding on to the weapon, and Mr McMichael pulled the trigger, he said.
The younger Mr McMichael's decision to take the stand was a risky legal manoeuvre as it opened him up to questioning by prosecutors, who have said they might ask him about evidence that he had “racial animus” against black people.
Mr McMichael said that he and his father thought Arbery was a burglar because he had been seen “creeping in the shadows” around a house under construction near by on the night of February 11, less than two weeks before the shooting.
Police had told him that nothing had been stolen from the site on that day, but Mr McMichael said he suspected Arbery may have committed theft on a different occasion, and that he may have been armed.
He and his father grabbed their weapons after Arbery ran past their driveway. They chased him in a pickup truck for five minutes.
“I ask him: 'Hey, what are you doing? What's going on?'" Mr McMichael said. He said he pulled alongside Arbery as he ran on the road.
He said Arbery did not spoke a word in reply and looked angry, with clenched teeth.
“He was mad, which made me think something's happened,” Mr McMichael said.
Prosecutors say the accused had unfairly assumed the worst about a black man out for a Sunday afternoon run.
Defence lawyers have said the men were legally trying to stop Arbery under a now-repealed Georgia citizen's arrest law, and the younger Mr McMichael shot him in self-defence.
They face life in prison if convicted of murder.
The owner of the half-built house where Arbery was seen on several nights in the months before February 2020 has said through a lawyer that the jogger may have stopped there to drink from a tap.
Arbery had nothing on him besides his running clothes and shoes on the day he was shot.
Mr McMichael earlier described law-enforcement training he had during nine years as a US Coast Guard mechanic.
Speaking calmly and often turning to address the jurors directly, he said he had arrest powers, was trained on using force and had reasonable suspicion of a crime.
He never used physical force in his military duties but Mr McMichael said he had been taught that aiming a gun at someone can be used to de-escalate a situation.
Tips on buying property during a pandemic
Islay Robinson, group chief executive of mortgage broker Enness Global, offers his advice on buying property in today's market.
While many have been quick to call a market collapse, this simply isn’t what we’re seeing on the ground. Many pockets of the global property market, including London and the UAE, continue to be compelling locations to invest in real estate.
While an air of uncertainty remains, the outlook is far better than anyone could have predicted. However, it is still important to consider the wider threat posed by Covid-19 when buying bricks and mortar.
Anything with outside space, gardens and private entrances is a must and these property features will see your investment keep its value should the pandemic drag on. In contrast, flats and particularly high-rise developments are falling in popularity and investors should avoid them at all costs.
Attractive investment property can be hard to find amid strong demand and heightened buyer activity. When you do find one, be prepared to move hard and fast to secure it. If you have your finances in order, this shouldn’t be an issue.
Lenders continue to lend and rates remain at an all-time low, so utilise this. There is no point in tying up cash when you can keep this liquidity to maximise other opportunities.
Keep your head and, as always when investing, take the long-term view. External factors such as coronavirus or Brexit will present challenges in the short-term, but the long-term outlook remains strong.
Finally, keep an eye on your currency. Whenever currency fluctuations favour foreign buyers, you can bet that demand will increase, as they act to secure what is essentially a discounted property.
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NATIONAL%20SELECTIONS
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The UAE's journey to space
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
The Gandhi Murder
- 71 - Years since the death of MK Gandhi, also christened India's Father of the Nation
- 34 - Nationalities featured in the film The Gandhi Murder
- 7 - million dollars, the film's budget
The specs
Price: From Dh180,000 (estimate)
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged and supercharged in-line four-cylinder
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 320hp @ 5,700rpm
Torque: 400Nm @ 2,200rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.7L / 100km
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
'Morbius'
Director: Daniel Espinosa
Stars: Jared Leto, Matt Smith, Adria Arjona
Rating: 2/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Sheer grandeur
The Owo building is 14 storeys high, seven of which are below ground, with the 30,000 square feet of amenities located subterranean, including a 16-seat private cinema, seven lounges, a gym, games room, treatment suites and bicycle storage.
A clear distinction between the residences and the Raffles hotel with the amenities operated separately.
French Touch
Carla Bruni
(Verve)
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
More on Quran memorisation:
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
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MATCH INFO
Juventus 1 (Dybala 45')
Lazio 3 (Alberto 16', Lulic 73', Cataldi 90 4')
Red card: Rodrigo Bentancur (Juventus)
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F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
RESULTS
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WEST ASIA RUGBY 2017/18 SEASON ROLL OF HONOUR
Western Clubs Champions League
Winners: Abu Dhabi Harlequins
Runners up: Bahrain
Dubai Rugby Sevens
Winners: Dubai Exiles
Runners up: Jebel Ali Dragons
West Asia Premiership
Winners: Jebel Ali Dragons
Runners up: Abu Dhabi Harlequins
UAE Premiership Cup
Winners: Abu Dhabi Harlequins
Runners up: Dubai Exiles
UAE Premiership
Winners: Dubai Exiles
Runners up: Abu Dhabi Harlequins
RACE CARD
6.30pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 Group 1 (PA) Dh119,373 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.05pm Handicap (TB) Dh102,500 (D) 1,200m
7.40pm Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (Turf) 1,800m
8.15pm UAE 1000 Guineas Trial (TB) Dh183,650 (D) 1,400m
9.50pm Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (D) 1,600m
9.25pm Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,000m
