Video shows Arbery’s ’17 confrontation with police

SAVANNAH, Ga. — More than two years before he was fatally shot in a Georgia subdivision, Ahmaud Arbery had a confrontation in a public park with police who attempted to use a stun gun on him after Arbery angrily protested being bothered and refused to let them search his parked car.

“You bothering me for nothing!” Arbery tells one of the Glynn County police officers whose body camera recorded the Nov. 7, 2017 encounter.

Arbery, 25, was killed Feb. 23 by a white father and son who armed themselves and gave chase after seeing him running down their street. More than two months passed before a video of the killing emerged, sparking an outcry. Gregory Mcmichael, 64, and Travis Mcmichael, 34, then were jailed on murder and assault charges.

In the incident report for the 2017 encounter, officer M. Kanago writes that he pulled up behind Arbery’s car parked in an open field at a public park because it was a “known area for drugs and other criminal activity.”

At the beginning of the encounter, Arbery hands over his driver’s license and asks the first officer on the scene why he’s being bothered.

The first officer pats him down looking for weapons.

Absent probable cause or a court-issued warrant, police generally aren’t allowed to search a parked car without permission.

Attorneys for Arbery’s parents said the video shows “a situation where Ahmaud was harassed by Glynn County police officers.” They noted Arbery was not arrested or charged with any crimes.