The Georgia man who recorded the fatal shooting of Ahmaud Arbery was arrested Thursday on charges of murder and attempted false imprisonment, authorities said.
The man, William “Roddie” Bryan, 50, is the third person to be arrested in the death of Ahmaud Arbery, 25, on Feb. 23. Bryan will be booked into the Glynn County Jail, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said.
Gregory McMichael, 64, and his son, Travis McMichael, 34, were arrested this month after the video of Arbery’s fatal shooting was released. The McMichaels have said they believed Arbery was a burglary suspect.
Arbery’s family has said he was going for a run when he was shot to death in the coastal city of Brunswick.
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In a statement Thursday, lawyers for Arbery’s parents said the family was “relieved” that Bryan had been arrested. “His involvement in the murder of Mr. Arbery was obvious to us, to many around the country and after their thorough investigation it was clear to the GBI as well.”
A lawyer for Bryan, Kevin Gough, told NBC’s “TODAY” show earlier this month that Bryan was only a witness to the shooting and had fully cooperated with investigators.
Bryan was in his yard when he saw Arbery running, followed by a white pickup truck with the McMichaels in it, Gough said. Bryan followed them because he wanted a photo of Arbery, he said.
“There had been a number of crimes in the neighborhood, and he didn’t recognize him, and a vehicle that he did recognize was following him,” Gough said.
Gough added that Bryan voluntarily went to local police and answered questions during a “lengthy” interview without a lawyer.
Gough said Monday that Bryan took a polygraph test voluntarily without being asked, and he noted that such tests are inadmissible in court but can be used to guide the decisions of prosecutors.
The attorney said that test confirmed that Bryan was unarmed at the time of the shooting and that it confirmed he did not have any conversation with Gregory or Travis McMichael that day prior to the shooting.
Gough said Monday that Bryan was nothing more than a witness to the killing.
