Ahmaud Arbery Murder Trial: First Responding Officer Says Suspect Did Not Mention Citizen's Arrest at Scene

The first police officer on the scene of Ahmaud Arbery's killing testified Monday that no citizen's arrest was mentioned when he spoke to one of the three suspects at the crime scene.

Ricky Minshew was a Glynn County, Georgia police patrol officer when Arbery was killed on February 23, 2020. He was one of the first law enforcement officers to arrive at the scene.

Minshew told jurors that when he arrived on the scene, about a minute after the gunshots sounded, Arbery "appeared to be deceased."

Police Officer Admits No Citizen's Arrest Mentioned During Ahmaud Arbery Chase

According to NBC News, Ricky Minshew stated during the trial that he was able to talk to one of the three white men who were facing charges of murder and other crimes for the death of Ahmaud Arbery.

Minshew said when he arrived on the scene, he spoke with William "Roddie" Bryan Jr. The police officer noted that Bryan told him that he "blocked," "cornered," and "cut off" Arbery in Satilla Shores, a neighborhood located outside the port city of Brunswick.

Minshew said the suspect never told him that they were trying to make a citizen's arrest of Arbery, a testimony that appeared to undercut a vital element of the defense case.

The neighbors of Bryan, Gregory McMichael and his son Travis McMichael, were also standing trial after they armed themselves and used Travis' pickup truck to pursue Arbery after they spotted him running in their neighborhood.

Ahmaud Arbery's Death Caught on Cam

William "Roddie" Bryan Jr. joined the chase and recorded a cellphone video of Travis McMichael shooting Ahmaud Arbery in the street three times at a close range.

After the shooting footage leaked online, the McMichaels were arrested and charged with murder and aggravated assault in May 2020. Bryan, who has recorded the killing, has been charged with felony murder and a criminal attempt to commit false imprisonment.

The leaked video sparked national outrage, and Arbery's killing has been considered a modern-day lynching.

When prosecutor Larissa Ollivierre asked Minshew whether one of the suspects, Bryan, ever told him that he was trying to make a citizen's arrest of Arbery based on the claims of defense attorneys, Minshew denied the claim and responded, "No, ma'am."

The police officer noted that Bryan never mentioned joining the chase to help arrest Arbery for any possible crime. He also said that Bryan never told him that he saw Arbery with a weapon or even told Arbery that he was "under arrest" for anything as he pursued him.

Meanwhile, attorneys for the McMichaels have said that Travis only acted in self-defense after Arbery threw punches and attempted to grab his gun.

The defense attorneys noted that the men were justified to chase and try to detain Arbery because security cameras recorded him inside a nearby home that was under construction, and they suspected him to be a burglar.

The attorney of Bryan, Kevin Gough, has not yet delivered an opening statement, but he previously said the citizen's arrest defense would play a huge part in his client's case.

Each of the defense teams is expected to argue that the men were only making a citizen's arrest, which was then permitted under state law.

Minshew noted that Bryan was "cooperative" at the time, and he was allowed to leave the scene since he was initially considered a witness.

Ahmaud Arbery was fatally shot and killed while out for a jog in Brunswick City. He was accused of being one of the burglars in a series of local break-ins.

Reports said Gregory and Travis, armed with guns, confronted Arbery, prompting him to run. Arbery ran past the truck of another suspect, Bryan, who struck the victim with the side of his vehicle.

After seeing the McMichaels pursuing Arbery in a pickup truck, Bryan joined the chase. Eventually, the three men caught up with Ahmaud Arbery, and three shots were fired.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Jess Smith

WATCH: Former Police Officer Ricky Minshew Testifies in Ahmaud Arbery Murder Trial - From ABC News