Ahmaud Arbery shooters found guilty of murder by Georgia court

‘‘I never thought this day would come, but God is good. [My son] will rest in peace,’’ said Arbery’s mother, Wanda Cooper-jones, outside the courthouse, where crowds cheered the decision.

The jury for the two-week trial consisted of 11 white jurors and only one black juror, and there had been concerns that an acquittal could lead to violent, racially-charged protests.

During the trial, prosecutors argued that the defendants chased Arbery because he was black, then provoked a confrontation with him and killed him. Defence lawyers claimed the three white men were acting in self-defence.

US civil rights leader the Rev Al Sharpton said outside court: ‘‘Let today prove that all whites are not racist. And all blacks are not worthless.

‘‘A jury of 11 whites and one black in the Deep South stood up in the courtroom and said that black lives do matter.’’

On February 23, 2020, the Mcmichaels grabbed guns and jumped into a pickup truck to pursue Arbery after seeing him running near Brunswick, Georgia. Bryan joined the pursuit when they passed his house.

It was Bryan who recorded the graphic mobile phone video which later became public.

The footage showed Travis Mcmichael shooting Arbery at close range with a shotgun as the victim threw punches and grabbed for the weapon.

The Mcmichaels later told police they suspected Arbery was a fleeing burglar. – The Times