A Police Officer Describes the Scene of Ahmaud Arbery's Death

U.S.|‘There was humor each over’: A constabulary serviceman describes the country of Ahmaud Arbery’s death.

• Nov. 5, 2021Updated 5:27 p.m. ET

When William Duggan, a Glynn County constabulary officer, arrived connected the country of Ahmaud Arbery’s shooting, what helium observed was gruesome.

Officer Duggan said that helium saw Mr. Arbery lying connected the crushed with radical milling about. Seated connected the crushed adjacent was Travis McMichael, 1 of the 3 men accused of execution successful his death.

“I could spot helium was covered successful blood,” Mr. Duggan said. “There was humor each over, and I retrieve astatine immoderate constituent asking if helium was OK.”

Mr. McMichael replied, “No I’m not OK,” Mr. Duggan testified. “I conscionable effing killed somebody.’”

Mr. Duggan was the archetypal witnesser called by the prosecution connected Friday, the opening time of the trial.

The prosecution played a video of Officer Duggan’s assemblage camera footage from the infinitesimal helium arrived connected the country of the shooting. The defence had tried to support the video retired of the trial, but Judge Timothy R. Walmsley ruled that it could beryllium admitted arsenic evidence.

Before the video was played successful court, Judge Walmsley warned that the images could provoke reaction, and immoderate of Mr. Arbery’s relatives stepped retired of the courtroom.

The video showed Mr. Arbery bleeding retired connected the street, his achromatic T-shirt drenched successful his ain blood.

When different officers get astatine the scene, Officer Duggan told them that helium turned Mr. Arbery’s assemblage implicit and that helium had taken his past enactment moments earlier.