Man Who Recorded Ahmaud Arbery Shooting Says He’s Received Threats

Lee Merritt, a lawyer representing the family of Ahmaud Arbery, poses for a photo by a mural in the likeness of Arbery painted by artist Theo Ponchaveli in Dallas on May 9, 2020. (Tony Gutierrez/AP Photo)

The man who captured footage of Ahmaud Arbery being shot dead in February says he’s been receiving threats since the footage began widely circulating online recently, leading to the arrest of the men who killed the 25-year-old.

Roddie Bryan and his family are receiving threats, his lawyer, Kevin Gough, said in a statement released after the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) said it was still investigating people linked to the killing, including Bryan.

“We investigate everybody involved in the case, including the individual who shot the video,” Vic Reynolds, the director of the agency, said last week.

Gough said his client cooperated with law enforcement, including showing the video he filmed to a police officer who responded to the scene.

Gough later went to the Glynn County Police Department with no lawyer accompanying him and answered every question asked of him. He also let officers search his cell phone.

Until Reynolds’s statement, Bryan wasn’t told that he was a target of the investigation into Arbery’s death.

“Such comments, which are unsupported by the evidence already in the possession of the GBI, have needlessly placed the lives of Mr. Bryan, his family, friends and neighbors in jeopardy, and in a matter of moments effectively destroyed his life,” Gough said.

This image from video posted on Twitter Tuesday, May 5, 2020, purports to show Ahmaud Arbery stumbling and falling to the ground after being shot as Travis McMichael stands by holding a shotgun in a neighborhood outside Brunswick, Ga., on Feb. 23, 2020. The AP has not been able to verify the source of the video. (Twitter via AP)

Gregory McMichael (L) and Travis McMichael. (Glynn County Sheriff’s Office)

“Mr. Bryan respectfully asks that the GBI promptly review the file again and clear his good name,” he added.

A Georgia Bureau of Investigation spokeswoman declined to comment.

The footage sparked widespread outrage and prompted a number of lawmakers, including Gov. Brian Kemp and President Donald Trump, to call for a new investigation.

The agency said last week it was conducting an independent investigation into the killing of Arbery. The original probe was conducted by the Glynn County Police Department, which requested the agency look into the public release of video footage related to the incident.

In an update over the weekend, the bureau said it was reviewing additional video footage and photographs as part of the active case.

“It is important to note that this footage was reviewed at the beginning of the GBI investigation and before the arrests of Gregory and Travis McMichael,” it stated.

Arbery was killed while jogging near Brunswick on Feb. 23, according to reports.

Investigators announced the arrest of the McMichaels, a father and son, late May 7. They’re facing murder and aggravated assault charges.

Jack Phillips contributed to this report.