During a preliminary hearing in Georgia, where Ahmaud Arbery was gunned down, the man who recorded the shooting said he heard Travis McMichael call Arbery a racial slur, Vice reported.

During a court hearing on Thursday, William "Roddie" Bryan Jr. said he overheard McMichael call Arbery a "f**king n****r" as his body lay on the ground.

The three men charged in Arbery's killing, Travis, Gregory McMichael and Bryan were awaiting the arrival of officers when the racial slur was spat out. 

Richard Dial, an assistant special agent with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, said an officer's body camera footage showed a Confederate flag sticker on the toolbox in the pickup truck seen in the video, CNN reported. 

During the hearing, Dial added that the three men chased Arbery down and that as the 25-year-old ran past Bryan's truck, he struck him with the side of his vehicle.

Bryan "made several statements about trying to block him in and using his vehicle to try to stop him," Dial said. "His statement was that Mr. Arbery kept jumping out of the way and moving around the bumper and actually running down into the ditch in an attempt to avoid his truck."

During the investigation, authorities found a dent in Bryan's truck, cotton fibers and a portion of a handprint believed to be Arbery's.

Although Bryan's attorney, Kevin Gough, has refuted his client's involvement in Arbery's killing, Dial said Bryan yelled "Do you got him?" to the McMichaels.

After chasing down the 25-year-old jogger, officials say the three men still had not yet called the police. 

Both Travis and Gregory have been charged with murder and aggravated assault. Bryan has also been charged with murder and attempted false imprisonment. 

Arbery's mother was in the courtroom during the hearing, CNN reported. The family's attorney, S. Lee Merritt, tweeted out that Arbery's loved ones were forced to listen to the harrowing details of his final moments. 

Glynn County Chief Magistrate Judge Wallace Harrell is expected to make a decision on sending the case to the superior court for trial. 

Gough is expected to ask about bail for his client. He also questioned why Bryan was charged in connection to Arbery's killing and labeled him as a "star witness."

The NAACP has organized a protest following the hearing outside of the courthouse. Additional seating in an overflow room was also provided amid concerns about the spread of the coronavirus. 


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