Day Arbery News Today

Three white men chased ahmaud arbery down because he was black. and almost two years to the day arbery was murdered in south georgia, a jury found his convicted killers guilty of federal hate crimes. cnns nadia romero is outside the courthouse in brunswick, georgia. nadia, cameras werent allowed inside. you were there. walk us through what happened as this verdict was read. >> dana, it was an emotional morning for sure for everyone involved. guilty on all charges that the three defendants were f...

Those who prayed. most of all, the ones who prayed. >> reporter: the jury made up of nine white women, two white men, and one black man deliberated for more than 11 hours after eight days of testimony from 23 witnesses. earlier today before reaching the verdicts, the jury asked to see the two video clips-let one of them enhanced from the deadly february 2020 shooting. they also asked to hear the 9-1-1 call that gregory mcmichael made the day arbery was shot and killed. >> i am out here. there is...

The day arbery was shot and killed. >> right here and there is a black male running down the street. >> reporter: during the trial the three defendants had claimed had they were trying to make a citizens arrest the day they jumped in to a truck, chased arbery and killed him. they said that they suspected arbery had burglarized a construction site referring to video of him with an dearing inside the home months before being killed. >> they wanted to stop him for the police to detain him. >> repor...

Today, jurors heard two drastically different perspectives on what happened the day arbery died. during closing arguments, prosecutors said the three white men on trial assumed the worst about a 25-year-old black man running in their neighborhood, chased him down, and killed him. in contrast, one of the defense attorneys argued that the men had a duty to catch arbery, whom she described as a frightening burglar with -- and i quote -- long, dirty toenails. martin savidge has the latest from georg...

Profile people in the public gallery and gatherings outside the courtroom. . >> we are asking for a mistrial. >> reporter: all three denied. but today might be the last chance for either side to sway the jury. the man month fatally shot arbery was one of the last taking the stand. >> denied brandish any weapons? >> no, maam. >> didnt pull out any guns? >> no, maam. >> didnt pull out a knife? >> no, maam. >> never reached for anything, did he? >> no. >> he just ran? >> yes, he was just running. >...

He started striking. he was on me. he was tugging on my shirt. i had the gun. and i was too close to draw on him. >> so youre saying that all of that took place, hes not your shirt, hes striking you, youve got the gun up in this thing, and you cant draw down on him. and its a struggle, and hes on you and youre going back and forth in front of the truck. is that what youre saying? >> yes. >> reporter: the racial implications of three white men charged with murdering a black man have not going unn...

Who has just said, stop or ill blow your [ bleep ] head off, by trying to get in the truck? >> thats what the shows, yes, maam. >> gregory mcmichael, his father and william bryan. the prosecution has, however, reminded the court over and over again what the defendants told police after the shooting. >> during your statement to the police, did you say that you and your father were trying to arrest mr. arbery? did you? >> in the statement? >> yeah, to the police. >> no, maam. >> reporter: prosecut...

Acted in the way that he did. >> mj lee, appreciate it. thank. now, to the trial of three white men charged with the killing of a jogger, ahmaud arbery, a black man. during open statements today, prosecutors argued the defendants tracked down the 25-year-old, cornered him and shot him without any knowledge that arbery had done anything wrong even though they claim they were making a citizens arrest. also today, an emotional moment for arberys mom who saw the video of her sons death in its en...

Happened to ahmaud the last minutes of his life. >> reporter: at no time during the five-minute chase, the prosecutor says, did the defendants tell arbery they were performing a citizens arrest. instead, prosecutors say gregory mcmichael shouted threats. >> so, how do you know mr. ahmaud arbery was under attack by strangers with intent to kill him? because greg mcmichael told the police this. stop or ill blow your [ bleep ] head off. >> reporter: in the defenses opening statements, travis mcmich...

Neighborhood home under construction without permission. including, the day that arbery was killed. >> the evidence shows overwhelmingly that travis mcmichael honestly and lawfully attempted to detain ahmaud arbery according to the law and shot and killed him in self-defense. >> reporter: gregory mcmichaels attorney, also, argued his clients actions were well within the law. >> greg mcmichael was absolutely sure this was the guy. the same guy he had seen on surveillance videos inside a house mul...