Self-defence & racism - what you need to know about Ahmaud Arbery's murder

Judge Wallace Harrell of the Georgia magistrate's court in the US on Thursday ruled during a preliminary hearing that the case of three suspects, Gregory and Travis McMichael and William Bryan, charged with the murder of Ahmaud Arbery can advance to the trial court.

An unarmed Arbery was gunned down while he was jogging in Brunswick, Georgia, on February 23.

Bryan recorded the murder and was initially a witness. He became the third suspect to be arrested, with Gregory and Travis, because investigators believed he used his truck to "confine" and "detain" the deceased during the confrontation, CNN reported in March.

Here's what you need know:

Attempt to escape 

A special prosecutor for the state of Georgia, agent Richard Dial, told the court Arbery was boxed between two pickup trucks and tried to escape before Travis fired the first of three shots into his chest.

Racial slurs as he lay dead

According to Dial, the second truck driver, Bryan,  said he heard Travis hurl racial slurs while Arbery lay on ground. This was before police officers arrived on the scene.

Special prosecutor Jesse Evans  told the court “Arbery was chased, hunted down and ultimately executed”, according to CBS News.

Charges

Gregory and Travis are facing murder charges. Bryan faces charges of murder and criminal attempt to commit false imprisonment.

The men earlier claimed they were acting in self-defence because Arbery resembled a suspect involved in a series of break-ins in the area, according to BBC.

Arbery acted in self-defence, not the suspects

Travis's lawyer asked Dial if there wasn't any possibility his client could have acted in self-defence, to which Dial replied that it was Arbery who was defending himself.

According to BBC, Dial said: “I believe Mr Arbery's decision was just to try and get away, and when he felt like he could not escape, he chose to fight,”.