William Bryan told investigators he heard Travis McMichael use a racial epithet after fatally shooting Ahmaud Arbery in Glynn County, a Geor- gia Bureau of Investigation agent testified Thursday during preliminary hearings.

Bryan told police McMichael said “fucking nigger” after three blasts from McMichael’s shotgun left Arbery dead in the streets of the Satilla Shores neighborhood, Assistant Special Agent in Charge Richard Dial said. Body camera footage also showed a Confederate flag sticker on the toolbox of McMichael’s truck, Dial said.

On cross-examination, Dial testified that Bryan mentioned the slur in a May 13 GBI interview, and to Dial’s knowledge, Bryan had not previously made the allegation, including during a May 11 interview.

However, the agent said, there were “numerous times” on social media and via messaging that McMichael used the same slur, replying to an Instagram message sometime before the shooting by saying things would be better if someone had “blown that N-word’s head off,” Dial testified. Dial did not say to whom McMi- chael might have been referring and was not asked for more context.

William Bryan told investiga- tors he heard Travis McMichael use a racial epithet after fatally shooting Ahmaud Arbery in Glynn County, a Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent testified Thursday during preliminary hearings. Bryan told police McMichael

said “fucking nigger” after three blasts from McMichael’s shotgun left Arbery dead in the streets of the Satilla Shores neighborhood, Assistant Special Agent in Charge Richard Dial said. Body cam- era footage also showed a Confederate flag sticker on the toolbox of McMi- chael’s truck, Dial said.

On cross-examination, Dial testified that Bryan mentioned the slur in a May 13 GBI interview, and to Dial’s knowledge, Bryan had not previously made the allegation, including during a May 11 interview.

However, the agent said, there

were “numerous times” on social media and via messaging that McMichael used the same slur, replying to an Instagram message sometime before the shooting by saying things would be better if someone had “blown that N-word’s head off,” Dial testified. Dial did not say to whom McMichael might have been referring and was not asked for more context.

Gregory and Travis McMichael were arrested May 7 in the shooting death in the Satilla Shores neighbor- hood. The father and son pursued Ar- bery after suspecting him in a rash of area break-ins, the elder McMichael told police, according to an incident report.

The McMichaels armed themselves and, with Bryan’s help, tried to head off Arbery as he ran through their neigh- borhood, but on their first two attempts, the 25-year-old doubled back and ran in the other direction, Gregory McMichael told police, according to the report. Bryan’s video picks up before the third attempt, and Arbery is seen trying to avoid the McMichaels’ pickup truck, which is stopped in the road, before abruptly turning toward Travis McMi- chael in front of the truck.

A shot goes off as they struggle over the gun. The two disappear off the left side of the screen. Gregory McMi- chael draws a handgun but does not shoot.

A second blow is heard as Arbery and the younger McMichael are off screen. As the men come back into view, the two continue fighting for the shotgun. Arbery appears to throw a punch at Travis McMichael’s head as a third shot is heard.

Arbery steps back as blood appears on his T-shirt under his left rib cage. He stumbles and falls in the mid- dle of the street as Travis McMichael walks away.

The Justice Department has launched a hate crime investigation in the case, Merritt has said.