A week after Ahmaud Arbery's fatal video became viral, people are coming after the man who stood by and filmed the whole incident. According to Glynn County police, William Roddy Bryan and his fiancee are getting death threats.
The authorities were told that Bryan unsuccessfully tried to block Ahmaud Arbery with his car before following the 25-year-old victim who was jogging away. He was driving behind when Arbery ran toward a stopped pickup truck and was recording the whole incident with his cellphone. The suspect, Travis McMichael, shot Arbery with a shotgun as the two struggled over McMichael's gun.
Accomplice or innocent bystander?
A defense attorney said that Bryan is now under investigation by police even though he turned over his video and cooperated with authorities from day one. Attorney Kevin Gough said that it was Bryan who videotaped the incident, disclosed the existence of the videotape, and invited a responding Glynn County Police Officer to sit with him in his truck where they both watched the video together.
In the video, it shows that Arbery and the McMichaels had a confrontation before the father and son shot Arbery and left him dead in Brunswick. The suspects, Travis McMichael, 34, and his father, Gregory McMichael, 64, were arrested on May 7 and they now face charges of murder and aggravated assault in Arbery's killing that happened on February 23, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
According to GBI Director Vic Reynolds, the footage was a very important piece of evidence. When asked whether Bryan will also be arrested, Reynolds said that the investigation is still active.
Death threats
The comments by authorities are not good enough for the public because Bryan's attorney said in a statement that Bryan's life is now in danger, along with his family, friends, and neighbors. He added that his client lost his job despite being innocent, volunteering to share his video with law enforcement, and fully cooperating with the investigation.
Amy Elrod, Bryan's fiancee, said that she knew something was wrong the day of the shooting, based on Bryan's demeanor when he got home. Elrod said that Bryan was so emotional. Since the video's release, she said that she and Bryan have only returned to the Satilla Shores neighborhood where the shooting happened to grab essential items.
Bryan and Elrod live near the McMichaels but they were not aware of the connections of the suspects to law enforcement and the District Attorney's office. Bryan said that he is scared for his life and that he and his fiancee are now living in their car because they can't go home.
Gough said that Bryan videotaped what was going on and because he did, there is a prosecution. If there was no videotape of the incident, the only person who could speak to what happened is the victim. Gough added that the video is the prosecution.
According to Elrod, even their family members and their neighbors have received death threats since the video surfaced. She expressed her concern that Bryan might end up in jail with the two men who murdered Arbery.
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