Former Glynn County Police Officer Ricky Minshew said when he arrived at the scene his immediate focus was on officer safety
Former Glynn County Police Officer Ricky Minshew said when he arrived at the scene of the shooting on February 23, 2020, his immediate focus was on officer safety.
“When I get to a scene, I scan the area for any immediate threats, and then scan the area for any victims that need emergency medical aid,” Minshew said.
Minshew testified that after seeing Arbery lying on the ground, he notified dispatch to send emergency medical personnel to the area, then worked to preserve “scene integrity” for investigators.
When asked by prosecutor Larissa Ollivierre how Arbery appeared, Minshew said he was face-down and looked “unresponsive to his surroundings, he appeared to be deceased,” and noted the amount of blood underneath him was “exceeding the perimeter of his body.”
Minshew said he heard from Arbery a type of labored breathing he knew as a “death rattle,” and said he had encountered similar situations in the past where people did not survive much longer.
Ollivierre asked Minshew if he performed CPR, to which he said no, stating he did not because “I did not know any of the people or any of the facts or circumstances to what had happened.”
Minshew testified, “Being that I was the only officer on scene, without having any other police units to watch my back, there was no way I could have switched my attention to anything medical and still be able to watch my surroundings and watch after my own safety.”
He also told prosecutors he did not have the adequate training to render aid, and his vehicle lacked proper equipment to help gunshot wounds or critical injuries.
Body camera footage was shown in court
Graphic footage from Minshew’s body camera was shown to the jury Monday by the defense team in an effort to show “inconsistent statements” made by the former officer, arguing Minshew’s response time to the scene was off.
The video shows Gregory and Travis McMichael pacing near the body of Arbery. Travis McMichael can be seen wearing jeans and a T-shirt with blood on the back of his head and arms.
Prosecutors on Monday played the extended version of William Bryan’s cell phone video of the chase and shooting for the court.
“I’m hoping that the jury see what the world see, is that Ahmaud hadn’t committed a crime,” Cooper-Jones said. “He was simply out for a jog. He did stop by that unoccupied home but again, Ahmaud didn’t commit a crime and Ahmaud was chased and eventually killed.”
CNN’s Devon M. Sayers, Pamela Kirkland, Ralph Ellis and Chris Boyette contributed to this report.