Ahmaud Arbery Shooting: Travis McMichael Involved In Separate Altercation Days Before Shooting

KEY POINTS

Travis McMichael was involved in a separate altercation with a black man on Feb. 11, nearly two weeks before the Ahmaud Arbery shooting
McMichael called 911 about a suspicious person he confronted in the area who may have been armed and fled into an unfinished house
The homeowner released security footage from the house the night of the altercation, showing a man passing through the unfinished home

One of two men charged in the fatal shooting of Ahmaud Arbery was involved in an altercation with an African American man in the same neighborhood nearly two weeks before Arbery's death.

Travis McMichael, 34, reportedly drove through the Satilla Shores neighborhood in Brunswick, Georgia, on Feb. 11 when he saw “someone suspicious” and allegedly confronted him. McMichael then called police as the man fled into a nearby unfinished house.

“I was leaving the neighborhood and I just caught a guy running into a house being built,” McMichael said in the 911 call obtained by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “When I turned around, he took off running into the house.”

McMichael said the man may be armed because he allegedly reached into his pocket during the confrontation. The man was described as a black male wearing a red shirt and white shorts.

McMichael also said mentioned an alleged series of break-ins in the neighborhood, prompting his call. However, the Glynn County Police Department said the only burglary reported in the Satilla Shores neighborhood was on Jan. 1 when a handgun was stolen from McMichael’s truck.

The owner of the unfinished house was identified as Larry English, who confirmed the altercation was outside the same house Arbery entered.

English said he was told about the incident by a neighbor who spoke to McMichael after police arrived. The neighbor told English the man may have “got spooked” by McMichael before he fled into the unfinished house. They told English four neighbors and McMichael’s father Gregory searched the area before police arrived, but failed to locate the man.

English also shared surveillance footage taken from the house after the altercation with McMichael. However, neither English nor police identified the man from the Feb. 11 incident as Arbery, and English did not press charges because nothing was taken.

Travis and Gregory McMichael remain in police custody on charges of murder and aggravated assault in Arbery's killing.