Surveillance footage of a man, believed to be Ahmaud Arbery, walking through a home under construction has been released. Publication of the video has indicated the start in the next phase of the news cycle which surrounds Black victims, particularly those who die by white hands: their criminalization.

The video, released on Sunday, shows a man entering a house and leaving shortly after, reports CNN. Arbery’s family attorney, Lee Merritt, told NBC News, the video “is consistent with the evidence already known to us.”

Early reports of the 25-year-old's killing by former investigator Gregory McMichael and his son, Travis McMichael, mentioned a 911 call about a man who was seen entering a home under construction.

Attorneys for the family say he did nothing illegal and urge the public to focus on the case at hand. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is reviewing the video. The video was reviewed by police before the McMichaels were arrested, NBC News reported.

Another video, confirmed to have been taken from inside the construction site the same day as the fatal shooting, shows Arbery inside the home, standing in one spot and looking around. The homeowners say at first they did not believe it was him in the surveillance video, reports First Coast News.

According to the homeowners’ attorney, Elizabeth Graddy, they do not have any relation to the McMichaels and did not know about the incident until someone informed them.

"First, and most important, the English family, the homeowners, want Ahmaud Arbery's parents to know that they are very sorry for the loss of their son and they are praying for them. Second, it is crucial to understand that the English family, the homeowners, were not part of what the McMichaels did,” a statement released by Graddy said.

William Bryan, Travis' neighbor who took the video of the fatal incident, was trying to get a picture of Arbery according to his lawyer, Kevin Gough.

“There had been a number of crimes in the neighborhood and he didn’t recognize him and a vehicle that he did recognize was following him,” Gough said.

Wanda Cooper-Jones, Arbery’s mother, told NBC News she was “in a numb state” when she was informed of the arrest.

“I had waited for two months, two months and two weeks,” Cooper said.

As the case gains more attention, Arbery’s prior indictments have come to surface, but Merritt, while acknowledging prior charges, is urging people not to lose sight of the pursuit of justice, CNN reported.

“[Reference to] alleged conduct from high school or shoplifting is absurd and has nothing to do with his murder," Merritt said.

Merritt added that Arbery’s actions did not warrant a citizen’s arrest and if he did enter the home under construction it would be, at most, trespassing.

"Ahmaud's actions at this empty home under construction were in no way a felony under Georgia law. This video confirms that Mr. Arbery's murder was not justified and the McMichael's chase and use of force was illegal,” a statement released by Merritt and obtained by CBS News read. “We reiterate, Ahmaud Arbery did not take part in ANY felony, had no illegal substances in his system, was not armed yet was shot three times with a shotgun while jogging."

An attorney for Arbery’s father pointed out the criminalization of Arbery is a pattern.

“We've been here before, whether it's Tamir Rice or Trayvon Martin," said Benjamin Crump. "When they kill our children, they then try to assassinate their character and I know they're going to do that with Ahmaud Arbery."

Attempts to chip away at public sympathy for Black men who are killed by white people is a persistent pattern within news media. After 18-year-old Michael Brown was shot by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, he was described as ”no angel” by The New York Times. Media outlets, such as NBC Miami, discussed Martin's school suspensions when he was gunned down by George Zimmerman. Police officers disclosed they found marijuana in the apartment of Botham Jean, according to USA Today, in an attempt to smear the 26-year-old who was killed in his home by Amber Guyger.

Arbery's family's attorneys said that at the time of the killing, Arbery was not armed.

The U.S. Department of Justice is currently investigating the handling of Arbery's case.

black criminalization

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