Veronica Waters
@MissVWaters
·
25m
Outside jury's presence, ADA Dunikoski objects to slides never seen before that Jason Sheffield plans to use. Sheffield tells the judge of course he can blow up his handwritten notes taken during Travis McMichael’s testimony.
No, Wanda Cooper-Jones says quietly about Sheffield's slides. She wonders why he didn't type it out. “It’s inappropriate,” Attorney Lee Merritt chimes in to her. GBI Agent Richard Dial sits on the back row with Merritt and Cooper-Jones.
Jason Sheffield begins closing: "Duty and responsibility and following the law will always be intertwined with heartache and tragedy. This case is about three things: watching, waiting, and believing."
JS: Travis McMichael spent almost a decade of his life learning about duty and responsibility, how to make decisions, as a petty and boarding officer in the Coast Guard in treacherous waters. He trained relentlessly.
JS: He talked to you about how to calm or de-escalate situations, control techniques of persons he investigated, & about weapons and the use of deadly force. Travis spent a long time going through this on testimony--I was writing feverishly to capture them
JS: Witnesses talked to you about what they experienced in this once-idyllic neighborhood, and how that began to lessen. Travis noticed how things started to change. Police cars patrolling at night. This neighborhood was covered in suspicious persons & extra watches
JS: It was on FB. A page so neighbors could help each other, and they talked about crime committed to them, to their neighbors. Some was reported but not all. They said, Why bother? The crime is over and people are gone. But it was unsettling.
JS: Travis explained to you he heard about a neighbor's purse stolen. He got his dad and went under bridge to where homeless person lived under bridge. He followed his training. Steps between man & machete. "Hey bud." He's looking around for evidence.
JS: Then they go home and call 911 to tell them about man under bridge. The white man was gone by the time police got there. But that idea of man living there never went away. That comes back in 2019.
But real problem Satilla Shores was trying to figure ouot was 220 Satilla Drive. A unique type of crime going on in it--different from what they'd been experiencing. There's a repeat offender coming at a time when he has no lawful reason for being there.
JS: On Oct. 25 Larry English calls the police & we learn a man is "plundering around," says he looks drunk or on drugs. Says I have a lot of valuables--tools, equipment. Never seen this gentleman before & it doesn't look good. Police come. No one found.
JS: What you need to understand about burglary is it includes any structure intended for occupancy for residential use. The State keeps saying "unoccupied unsecured construction site" which doesn't begin to tell the story of what this is.
JS: On 11/17/2019, 2 people are seen on video--white couple. English's report significance is not that these 2 stole something, we had something stolen about a week & a half ago. The next night, Mr. #AhmaudArbery returns, pitch black. Now English has cams inside.
JS: English sees #AhmaudArbery looking in boat. The same boat? No. He reports a situation with same guy a week and a half ago. He was on about 3 people's cameras. And on 12.1.2019 English calls again about somebody living under bridge. Idea still floating out there.
JS: On 2 occasions we have video of #AhmaudArbery in the residence. Once on dock 2nd inside house looking into the boat. Video ends. Travis McMichael has his own horrifying experience with a man he's about to learn has just been involved w/all this Larry English stuff
JS: He sees a man duck into the shadows, thru the trees, in front of this house. Travis backs up, splashes his headlights on it. Man steps behind PortaPotty, lifts up shirt, acts as if he's reaching in pocket and that totally freaks out Travis despite his training.
JS: Travis reversed car, goes home to tell his dad. Dad decides to go check it out. Diego Perez has been called and he goes. They take firearms. Travis tells you he said, Dad, whoa! This guy could be armed. But Dad's already walking down street.
JS: Travis goes back, puts headlights on the house, watching, waiting, believing this man could be dangerous, that his dad could be in danger, that something awful could happen so he posts up and waits on the police he himself called.
JS: Travis, why didn't you go in the house? I'm not going in there, when this guy did this? That was enough for me. I'm staying out here. That's a reasonable thing to do.
JS: Travis tells police, We've had a string of burglaries, this guy startles me. 911 asks, You all right hon? Travis: Yes he startled me. That's real--a guy going into a house after being seen at night w/headlights & reaching...
link:
https://twitter.com/MissVWaters