The video capturing the killing of Ahmaud Arbery by Travis and Gregory McMichael in Georgia has captured the national spotlight and sparked discourse about race.
The already tragic story now takes another shocking twist as it is revealed that Gregory McMichael is the party who leaked the tape. It was previously reported that a lawyer connected to McMichael had released the footage to local media in Brunswick, Ga.
According to WSB-TV in Atlanta, McMichael gave the video footage to a local radio station himself in efforts to address rumors in the Satilla Shores neighborhood about the shooting. Arbery family attorney L. Chris Stewart acknowledged McMichael’s possession of the footage.
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“He had that tape by himself. He delivered it,” Stewart stated. “We have questions about the length of it.”
McMichael delivered the tape after seeking advice from attorney Alan Tucker.
McMichael came to Tucker for help to download the video with full intentions to give it to WGIG, a Brunswick radio station. Tucker says he was approached as a friend, not an attorney.
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“I didn’t want the neighborhood to become a Ferguson,” Tucker told WSB-TV reporter Mark Winne, who broke the story. “There was no reason in the world for Travis to pull a shotgun out of a damn truck. None.”
The alleged murder took place after a Glynn County police officer had encouraged neighbor Larry English to contact McMichael about any trespassing on their property, instead of police. McMichael is a retired district attorney investigator. TMZ confirmed the texts between English and the officer.
“I have no doubt that Mr. McMichael and his son believe what he did was OK,” Stewart continued. “It just wasn’t.”
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