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BRUNSWICK, Ga. — The first police officer on the scene of Ahmaud Arbery's killing told jurors Monday that one of three white men charged with murder "cornered" Arbery before the Black 25-year-old was fatally shot.
Ricky Minshew, a former Glynn County Police Officer, said he spoke with William "Roddie" Bryan, who told Minshew he "blocked," "cornered" and "cut off" Arbery.
"Should I have been chasing him? I don’t know," Bryan said, according to a transcript of Minshew’s body-camera video read in court.
Monday marked the beginning of the first full week of testimony in the trial of Bryan and father and son Greg and Travis McMichael. In the morning, jurors heard from an investigator who documented the crime scene and took a series of graphic photos.
Jurors have been selected in trial over Ahmaud Arbery's killing: What we know about them
Attorneys for the state and Greg and Travis McMichael gave their opening statements Friday, and prosecutors called the first witness. An attorney for Bryan was expected to give his opening statement after the state finished calling witnesses.
The three defendants are accused of murder and other crimes in the death of Arbery, who was shot three times at close range with a shotgun. Video of the incident, captured by Bryan, was released by a Georgia attorney two months later, prompting national outrage and the defendants' arrests.
Minshew took the witness stand Monday morning. He said he was the first officer on the scene and saw two men pacing and Arbery's body on the ground.
"He appeared to be deceased," Minshew said, telling jurors he heard a noise he described as a "death rattle" coming from Arbery.
Minshew said he called for emergency responders but did not attempt any lifesaving measures because he "did not have the adequate medical training" and his patrol car did not have medical supplies or equipment.
As Minshew testified, jurors looked intently at their notebooks, seeming to write furiously.
Arbery's mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones, later told reporters she didn't understand why Minshew didn't render aid to her son. "I understand he had to go and secure the crime scene but, at the same time, he had a guy laying in the middle of the road in a pool of blood," she said.
On direct examination, Minshew said Bryan told him that he had "blocked" Arbery with his truck five times. On cross examination, Bryan's lawyer challenged Minshew on the number of times Bryan used his truck to block Arbery.
"He did mention on several occasions 'blocking,' and one time he said 'cornering him in,'" Minshew said.
Prompted by Bryan's attorney, Minshew also told jurors Bryan was "cooperative" and initially considered a witness who was allowed to leave the crime scene.
Investigator Sheila Ramos with the Glynn County Police Department took the witness stand Monday morning. Ramos took photos and collected evidence from the crime scene.
Prosecutors showed jurors the photos: The body covered by a bloodstained sheet lying in the street with a white truck in the background, a shotgun lying in the grass, bloodstains and shotgun shells on the driveway.
Prosecutors then showed jurors graphic close-ups of Arbery's wounds. Several jurors squirmed in their seats as the first few photos were shown. Arbery's mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones, exhaled quietly.
Jurors were also shown photos that Ramos took of a bullet that went through the window of a neighbor's house and was lodged in the living room wall.
"Wow," Cooper-Jones said as the photo was shown.
The predominantly white jury – only one person of color was seated – was finalized last week. The final panel consists of 12 jurors and three alternates: 11 white women, three white men and one Black man.
The demographic makeup of the panel has drawn scrutiny in a case several public figures have called a "lynching." The judge acknowledged "intentional discrimination" in the jury selection process but said the defense's decision to strike eight Black potential jurors was legal under Georgia law.
More than 26% of residents in Glynn County are Black, and more than 55% of residents in Brunswick are Black, according to Census Bureau data. Read more about the jury here. Here's what we know about the jurors.
