thursday hundreds of faith leaders came from as far away as seattle, a direct response to roddie bryant's attorney's attempts to keep them from the courtroom. among the crowd, hometown hero and mlb star, adam wainwright. he like others are considering how this town will accept a verdict. >> have you started to give thought to that process? >> i don't know how to react until we see what happens happens. i know i'll be here to uplift, to love and support those in the community that need help. > reporter: abc news learned that a plea deal offer from kevin goff who represents william roddie bryant was rejected by the state before each side rested. monday closing arguments are expected to last all day, meaning the ry debes as elys,eoia >>> there have been violent protests across europe against new covid restrictions going into effect. police in the netherlands and belgium used water cannons to suppress demonstrators. europe is considered the world's epicenter as covid cases spike. i spoke with dr. patel earlier. dr. patel, thanks so much for joining us. i want to get to europe where things are

you had roddie bryant in the pickup truck. and that is what kept arbery in that street, where he went up and down that street four times. and the prosecutor making that point time and time again that there were any number of alternatives that the defendants could have taken. and now, we have what is this ongoing strategy by the defense to keep asking for the mistrials. yesterday, as the court adjourned, the defense was asking for a mistrial on the quote-unquote protests. it caused the defense attorneys to cry foul and ask for a mistrial. that has been ongoing. >> but, sara, it's normal to ask for a mistrial, we see it all the time, don't we? >> do we do, stephanie, but there still has to be a basis otherwise you look like a jack ass, this motion to pull black people from a public trial, i lost count how many times he made that motion when he knew damn well it would be denied. it was frivolous, as a criminal defense attorney in the year 2021 your job is not to defend the client and uphold the constitution but you also have to p

travis, did you ever, ever coordinate with roddy bryant to box in ahmaud arbery? >> no, sir. >> did you ever use him as a beak end to corner ahmaud arbery? >> i did not. >> did you want to stop ahmaud arbery and talk to him? >> i did? >> did you want to hold him -- >> i did. >> not -- >> objection. leading. >> yes. >> don't answer. sustained. it's sustained. other than the time that you put your shotgun on your shoulder and the time that you had it in your hands, when mr. arbery grabbed it, did you ever pull out your gun. >> no, i did not. i had my gun out and was walking towards the dogleg on satilla and on holmes. he was already running away. >> fair enough. i think you explained this. did you leave the house that day with the intention to kill the guy? >> i did not. >> that your dad mentioned to you? >> i did not. >> did you leave the house -- >> objection leaving. i'm not telling him he did leave the house. did you leave. >> it's sustained. answer a yes or no question. >> it's not leading in the answer could be yes or no. but i'll -- >> debate it all you want.

roddy bryant, he doubled down about comments about black pastors in the courtroom. let's listen to what he said to chris cuomo. >> chris, let me put it to you this way. if every time a police officer is killed we're going to allow the police department to stack the courtroom with uniformed police officers, i think you'd agree that that would be inappropriate. would you not? >> i don't know that it would be inappropriate, but i know it's not an analogy. having black pastors there to support the family, i don't think is going to have a chilling effect on a jury. nor should it. >> i don't think of pastors in terms of black and white. and let's be clear. if you were in that courtroom sitting in my chair representing roddy bryant, you would be doing the same thing. >> no, i wouldn't. >> in the penalty phase where a police officer died, and they do stack the courtroom with police, that is not a great analogy. what do you make of this? >> i don't know why he's so fixated on this. i don't know what audience he's playing to, where he thinks it gets him. if he's worried about

the one with a that was more surprising than any others was that of roddie bryant. i thought that he, if anybody, would have been found not guilty of more of the charges it would have been him. because of his role, his limited role in the filming, and at one stage of trying to block mr. ahmaud arbery's path. there is some things that are going to be appealed and successfully, perhaps, but the majority of these cases of guilties are going to stand. >> mike: andy, what do you expect on appeal? >> i think it's going -- the big issue, mike, is going to be did the judge give too narrow a legal instruction on the concept of citizen's arrest. what the defense tried to argue in the trial was that there was enough evidence, the totality of the evidence, not just what happened on february 23rd but surveillance and other stuff leading up to that point. that they had broad latitude to conduct an arrest based on everything that they knew. the judge made it a much narrower instruction where he almost essentially told the jury look, if they haven't seen a crime, then there is no b

also today the attorney for roddie bryant jr. saying his client will not testify in his own defense. >> mr. bryant has no intention of testifying at the trial of this case. if the state wants the testimony of mr. bryant they can dismiss the indictment in this case against him with prejudice as to all counts. then there would be something to talk about. >> reporter: for a third time, he was denied when calling the reverend's sharpton and jackson to be kept out of the courtroom. the judge once again denying the motion. later on objecting to this question from the state. >> do you believe that someone stealing is deserving of the death penalty? >> irrelevance, your honor. >> reporter: calling for a mistrial. >> given all the time that we've put into this trial -- >> reporter: it was denied but the judge admonished the prosecutor and instructed the jury to disregard the question. >> now we're hearing from inside the courtroom that the defense teams for gregory and travis mcmichael are resting, but as you know, this is a complicated c

bryant who filmed the deadly moment travis mcmichael shot arbery after he had made multiple attempts to get away. >> didn't pull out any gun. >> no, ma'am. >> didn't pull out any knife. >> no, ma'am. >> never reached for anything did he? >> no. >> he just ran. >> yes, he was just running. >> reporter: the defense claims self-defense, that the three defendants were being vigilant neighbors, had spotted arbery walking through a house under construction, and followed him to investigate. they claim arbery tussled with mcmichael for his gun and that is when fatal shots were fired. >> the most dramatic event i have ever been through in my life. i don't know how, i've never been through a situation like this. >> reporter: deliberations in georgia will begin on the heels of another controversial case closed. >> we the jury find the defendant kyle h. rittenhouse not guilty. >> reporter: friday kyle rittenhouse was acquitted on all charges after killing fwo men and shooting a third during civil unrest in kenosha, wisconsin. the veteran prosecutor says while the facts are very different between

that came from defense attorney kevin goff who represents william roddy bryant, jr. he complained about the presence of reverend al sharpton being in the public space in the courtroom the day before. here's what he said. >> we don't want any more black pastors coming in here or jesse jackson whoever was in here earlier this week sitting with the victim's family trying to influence the jury in this case. a bunch of folks came in like colonel sanders sitting in the back with white masks. >> reporter: this is a case surrounded by the issue of race. and to complain there are too many black pastors, the judge didn't know what to make of it. there was no formal motion. and so he moved on. christine and laura? >> martin savage, thank you for that report. >>> two pennsylvania teens are charged with murder for the death of an 8-year-old girl who was killed by police gunfire. three police officers opened fire last august on a car they believed was involved in a shootout, killing fantability and wounding three others. 16-year-old angelo ford and 18-year-old hassan strands start

remember, it was one of the defendants, roddy bryant who recorded the killing. they thought it would clear them. gregory mcmichael dropped a copy off at a radio station. a host posted it online, it went viral, and instead of clearing them it led to their conviction, and in all likelihood life in prison. cnn's martin savage was outside the courtroom in brunswick. >> reporter: good morning, christine. i was in the courthouse when the verdict was read. many people were listening to what was going on inside the courtroom on their cell phones. the moment they heard guilty, it was like an emotional dam burst. people shouted, people cried, people hugged one another. it was clear guilty was the word they feared they might never hear in this case. it's understandable why. because for 74 days nobody had been arrested, despite the fact that law enforcement had from day one the video that showed the murder of ahmaud arbery. it was only after that video was made public that there was public outrage across the nation, and then state investigators got involved, and within 36 h

of course there is extensive instruction, lesser as to roddie bryant. this is not the rittenhouse type of deliberation. and yet there is this concern about the belief system of these jurors and are they at all struggling? are they looking at this as the bogey man who invaded this community and these guys were heroes? you know, keeping the community safe and black free? or are they actually going to take the time and alaw the law to the facts and reach the correct verdict? i think thanksgiving, it is possible we get a verdict tomorrow but i can't read the tea leaves. i never can. >> let me just say, real quick, don't ever, don't ever try to predict what a jury is going to do. they are a jury of your peers. we know 12 people are as inconsistent and unpredictable as we can possibly imagine. they may be here for a long time or until breakfast tomorrow. >> noted. we look forward to speaking to you both again when we do get a verdict. thank you. >> thank you. >>> we have a tragic update to report on sunday's deadly suv crash in wisconsin. also more of what in

bryant approached them for a plea deal in the ninth hour. the prosecutor let us know he felt confident about the case. we shared his confidence. so we wanted to turn down roddie bryan's request for a plea. so far the prosecution has granted this jury more than enough evidence to find these men guilty on all charges. these men are each facing a felony murder charge, which in the state of georgia bears a mandatory minimum of a life sentence. >> mrs. cooper jones, i know how much an emotional toll this trial has been on you and your family. on monday you were seen crying in the courtroom, which the judge swiftly denied. the idea that the defense tried to use you, the victim's mother -- it's all right he wanted to attack me and civil rights leaders, we're in the public. but you, the tears as an excuse to say it would sway the jury, i mean, it's a cheap shot at best. what was going through your mind when you heard about this? >> once again, the defense team are trying to find any and every excuse to use for a mistrial. they're using me crying as

in both of these cases, both the rittenhouse trial and the case of the mcmichaels and roddy bryant, it's all about who can claim self-defense. that's the key issue in both of these cases. but i think in the travis mcmichael case, his claim is far, far weaker. you heard him there in his testimony say that he remembers arbery grabbing the gun. but when he's cross-examined later today, watch the prosecution bring up what he said to police. i want to say he did, but i honestly cannot remember. that is fatal to his defense. i think you're going to see the prosecution hammer him on that today. >> all right. let's go to kenosha, wisconsin, where it is day three watch of the kyle rittenhouse homicide trial. the jury spent day two revisiting evidence. they watched a video that triggered a second motion for mistrial from the defense. sarah sidner is in kenosha, wisconsin. >> reporter: day two of the kyle rittenhouse double homicide trial, the jurors asked to review evidence. what they wanted in particular were several videos, very pertinent videos to this case that show in one case the killing of

bryant. >> that's it. we don't want any more black p pastors coming in here, jesse jackson whoever was here earlier this week, sitting with the victim's family trying to influence the jury in this case. >> reporter: that comment in response to reverend al sharpton thursday, not jesse jackson, he did apologize, but today. >> we have all these community leaders the city is going to burn down. >> reporter: this time civil rights icon jesse jackson was in the room and goff again taking issue. >> which pastor is next? is raphael warnock going to be the next person appearing this afternoon? we don't know. your honor, i would submit with all respect to the reverend jesse jackson that this is no different than bringing in police officers or uniformed prison guards in a small town where a young black man has been accused of assaulting a law enforcement officer or corrections officer. >> i've heard the motion. i understand what your position is. and if it's simply to point out that an individual is in the gallery, i

" bryant watching from the defense table, at times taking notes as their attorneys take their turn. >> this is a regular map of it. >> reporter: travis mcmichael's attorney talking about a community on edge after a rash of burglaries and home security video of arbery in his words lurking around the neighborhood. >> there was probable cause to believe a felony had been committed and that this man was attempting to escape or flee. >> reporter: describing the situation after travis and his father chased down arbery in their pickup truck. >> ahmaud arbery makes a left, not a right. makes a left and is on travis such that travis has no choice but to fire his weapon in self-defense. >> reporter: the court hearing two dramatically interpretations of a deadly shooting framed by racial tensions in a small southern town that now has the attention of the nation. look, also in the courtroom today we saw a lot of contention between the two legal teams, both interrupting the other's open with objections at one point the defense even calling for a mistrial that was quickly denied by the judge. one r

i would be surprised if -- >> joyce -- >> -- roddy bryant took the witness stand. >> the questioning has resumed. >> i believe it was 2008 when it happened. passagoula was destroyed by hurricane katrina. they had an atm machine in the vacant lot. coming through to get cash for the launch of the station, i pulled in, i see two younger males next to the side. thought it was a little weird, they're paying attention to me and paying attention to people going in and out near there. so i stepped out of the truck and went to the atm. as soon as i went to the atm -- >> did you have a gun on you at the time? >> i did. >> what kind of gun was it? >> a 1911 u.s. army service pistol. >> did you have a permit or a license to carry? >> yes, i had a concealed carry permit and it was a concealed especially when. >> all right. so you were at the atm. what happened? >> as soon as i put my card in, the two males approached on either side. one of them told me to give me his money. all i did was pull up my shirt and showed that i had a weapon. and they turned and jumped the fence and was gone. i pulled t

. >> reporter: travis mcmichael, his father gregory mcmichael and a neighbor william roddy bryant junior are facing charges of murder. bryant captured the picture on his cell phone. in their opening statement, prosecutors played the cell phone video. among those watching and listening in the courtroom was arbery's mother. who said it was the first time she had ever seen the video in its entirety of the moment her son was fatally shot. >> i decided to remain so i could get familiar with what happened to ahmad the last minutes of his life. >> reporter: at no time during the five-minute chase the prosecutors say did the defendants tell arbery they were performing a citizens arrest. instead the prosecutors maintain gregory mcmichael shouted threats. >> how do you know mr. ahmaud arbery was under attack by strangers with intent to kill him? because mcmichael told the police this. stop or i'll blow your fig'ing head off. >> travis mcmichael tells a different story of this case. >> this skas about duty and responsibility. >> reporter: describing trafs mcmichael not as a vigilante but a ten-year

" bryant will be dissected by a jury, so will these comments from one of the defense attorneys. >> turning ahmaud arbery into a victim after the choices that he made does not reflect the reality of what brought ahmaud arbery to satillo shores in his khaki shorts with no socks to cover his long, dirty toenails >> when i heard -- >> reporter: that statement drawing an immediate gasp from arbery's mother and accusations of an age old playbook of racial prejudice. >> regardless of what kind of toenails he had, what size legs he had, that was still my son. and my son actually was running for his life >> some of the arguments that they're relying on speaks to the tradition of racism, victim blaming. >> reporter: despite the racial undertones throughout this trial, the outcome may boil down to this cell phone video o ahmaud arbery's final moments and whether the jury sees him charging his aggressors or desperately trying to escape a dangerous and ultimately deadly threat >> and the prosecutor pushing back on the argument that those accused could have been making a citizens arrest and that require

. >> attorney for william roddie bryant, the man who filmed a portion of the shooting will file a motion for a new trial. meanwhile for the attorneys for the mcmichaels will say after sentencing they plan to appeal. benjamin. >> benjamin: jeff paul falling it live for us in brunswick. thanks, jeff. >> julie: the verdicts in the arbery case come on the heels of the jury's decision in another high-profile racially charged case, the trial of kyle rittenhouse. legal scholar jonathan turley writes both trials show the transcendent strength of the jury system. 11 white jurors and one black juror found -- these are two profile cases that got a wide array of media attention. bias media attention on both but i want to start with "the washington examiner" op-ed which says the conviction undermines everything the left has said after the rittenhouse acquittal. in the end, the justice system worked proving that white supremacists cannot lynch an innocent black man and walk free defying the native promulgated just not by the cretins dominating news rooms but a president and congressional allies who sm

william "roddie" bryan has been arrested by georgia authorities on charges including felony murder. >> we had roddie bryan arrested because we believed that he was just as culpable as the mcmichaels in the murder of ahmaud arbery. now this was during covid, so we were able to follow cdc guidelines to empanel a grand jury, after which all three of the current defendants were indicted. >> the murder of ahmaud arbery, shocked the conscience of the nation. and then george floyd was killed. >> no justice! >> no peace! >> i can't breathe! >> it's really the first global anti-racist movement that we'd ever seen. the protests were multigenerational. they were multiracial. but to do so in the middle of a pandemic, millions and millions of masked people all over the planet. the back-to-back murders of breonna taylor, ahmaud arbery, george floyd really put on display the extent to which black lives do not have value. >> greg certainly didn't want ahmaud arbery to get hurt or killed. >> is greg mcmichael a racist? >> what's your definition of racist? >> there was a perspective in that neighborhoo