BRUNSWICK, Ga. — Prosecutor Linda Dunikoski fired off a series of questions to the man who shot Ahmaud Arbery to death and her point was clear. Dunikoski questioned Travis McMichael for several hours Thursday morning about what happened in Satilla Shores on Feb. 23, 2020.
Through a series of events that has been rehashed over the last three weeks in Glynn County court, McMichael ended up face-to-face with Arbery that day before shooting him to death with a shotgun.
It's also clear that McMichael pursued Arbery as the 23-year-old man ran through the neighborhood. Dunikoski replayed the video leading up to the shooting asking the defendant his recollection of the events.
She paused the video moments before the fatal encounter.
"At this point right here, he hasn't said anything to you?" Dunikoski asked McMichael.
"No, ma'am," McMichael responded.
"Hasn't verbally threatened you?" she asked
"Verbally, no," he responded.
"Still running with his hands at his side ... and hasn't shown you a weapon the entire time ... hasn't said a word the entire time. All he has done is run away from you?"
"Run past me. Yes, ma'am," McMichael said.
"And you pulled out a shotgun and pointed it at him?"
McMichael then began characterizing what he observed Arbery doing and previous events in the neighborhood to justify his actions.
"... I was under the impression and at this point this guy can be a threat ... I pointed a shotgun at him," he said.
McMichael says Arbery was running toward him at one point and he thought he might attack.
Dunikoski responded, "A man who spent five minutes running away from you now wants to engage with you with a shotgun and your father who just said 'Stop or I'll blow your f***ing head off?'"
McMichael's father, Greg McMichael is also on trial for Arbery's death. He was armed with a .357 magnum, police said. The father and son, along with their neighbor, William "Roddie" Bryan, are accused of chasing Arbery down with their trucks before he was killed.
The defense rested its case Thursday and the jury will likely hear closing arguments Monday.
