ron allen is covering the trial for us and has the latest. >> i want to give my side of the story. i want to explain what happened. >> reporter: stunning the courtroom, travis mcmichael, the man accused of firing a fatal shotgun blast that killed ahmaud arbery taking the stand in his own defense. >> he grabs the shotgun, and i believe i was struck on that first incident that we made contact. >> reporter: mcmichael the first defense witness along with his father gregory and neighbor william bryan facing nine counts including murder, aggravated assault and false imprisonment prosecutors say the three men hunted arbery down and murdered him today mcmichael explaining why he opened fire. three blasts two wounding arbery. >> i shot him. >> why >> he had my gun it is a life or death situation, and i'm going to have to stop him from doing it, so i shot. >> did he stop when you shot >> he did not. >> reporter: through the trial, the defense highlighting home security videos that they say show arbery at least four times at night in a neighborhood house under construction and that mcmichael

lester >> ron allen, thank you. >>> we'll turn now to the skyrockets prices for gas and heating your home. with inflation hitting a 31-year high, president biden is under pressure to take action tom costello now on what he can do to reverse the surge. >> reporter: from americans gas tanks to their winter heating bills, the dollar signs just keep adding up pump prices up 60% in a year natural gas up 130%. heating oil up 59% it is all about supply and demand >> seems like the price is hiking every day. >> reporter: unleaded now averaging $3.41 a gallon, a seven-year high up from $2.12 last year. but last year the country was in the grips of a pandemic. employees worked remotely, schools online, sporting events canceled. with fewer cars on the roads, fuel prices sank what a difference a year makes today the economy is surging. more vehicles on the roads worldwide paying more for fuel which then drives up prices for what's inside those trucks and oil companies are struggling to meet demand. >> oil is sold on a global market and that market is controlled by a cartel, and that cartel is op

ron allen is there >> ahmaud arbery >> reporter: tonight passion running high in the community where ahmaud arbery was shot and killed almost two years ago. anger only one black juror was selected to decide a case that arbery's family supporters have called a modern day lynching. >> it was very disturbing when we found out that we had one african-american and the rest was white. >> reporter: do you still think you will get justice? >> i do think that with the evidence the state has that we will get justice. >> reporter: gregory mcmichael, his son travis and a neighbor william "roddie" bryan face nine counts each, including murder, aggravated assault and attempted kidnapping accused of chasing, shooting and killing ahmaud arbery. they have all pleaded not guilty now, after questioning hundreds of potential jurors in a county that's about 26% black, 11 white and 1 black juror selected the defense using its legal challenges to eliminate 11 potential black jurors from the jury pool on the final day. >> this court has found that there appears to be intentional discrimination. >> reporter:

lester >> ron allen tonight thank you. >>> in kenosha, wisconsin still no verdict tonight in the homicide trial of kyle rittenhouse. our gabe gutierrez is there. and the judge sending the jury home after a third day of deliberations, gabe. >> reporter: yeah, that's right, lester the jury has been deliberating for about 23 hours but still no indication they're close to a decision or whether this could be a hung jury. today once again, a small group of demonstrators gathered outside the courthouse here several schools in kenosha have closed and switched to virtual learning in anticipation of a possible verdict rittenhouse faces five felony counts for shooting and killing two men and wounding a third during unrest in kenosha last year. he says he acted in self-defense the jury had already asked to replay video evidence in this case and the defense has also asked the judge to declare a mistrial. no ruling yet, lester. >> all right gabe gutierrez, thank you. >>> just developing this evening, a lot more americans about to become eligible for booster shots of both pfizer's and moderna's covid va

nbc news' ron allen has the la latest. >> reporter: it was a very dramatic day here in the trial of the man accused of killing ahmaud aubrey. hundreds ascend, including numerous black pastors from across the region. here, especially because again the defense attorney requested that the judge restrict the number of ministers that aubrey's family could invite to the courtroom. cameing they were only there to try to influence the jury. the judge again rejected that request. he has done that and testimony continues with more cross examination of travis mcmichael, the man who shot and killed aubrey him he said in self-defense the prosecution went after that argument, the self-defense claim again and again, saying that, questioning that aubrey was not armed him he made no threats he hadn't committed a crime and there was no reason for the defendants to shoot and kill him. back to you. >> our thanks to ron allen for that report. >>> now to the kyle rittenhouse homicide trial, the jury has not reached a verdict. they are set to resume at 9:00 this morning gabe gutierrez has the latest. >> repor

and ron allen is in georgia. ron, bring us up to speed. >> reporter: travis mcmichael is the man who pulled the trigger. three blasts from a shotgun that killed ahmaud arbery. his attorneys say that he fired in self-defense. and it was stunning when he took the witness stand, he is the first defense witness and it was unclear who they were going to call. but he is taking this head-on defending himself. so far the testimony has been about his background, they have been trying to establish that he was in the coast guard, that he had some law enforcement experience, some training in how to use weapons. they are also talking about the neighborhood where this happened and trying to establish that there was a crime spree, a lot of burglaries going on in the neighborhood. and that in fact travis mcmichael had even spotted ahmaud arbery in the neighborhood some 12 days before the fatal encounter. there is video that shows arbery on home security cameras in a home under construction on four different occasions at night an

joining me with more from brunswick, georgia, ron allen. ron, good morning.he jury selection and what happens next? >> reporter: >> reporter: very good question. thea brooks, ahmaud's aunt, what your thoughts about the jury? >> honestly it was expected. >> reporter: expected because? >> that's the community we live in and just another injustice that we face daily. >> reporter: do you think you'll get justice? >> i do. some of the people on the jury panel are mothers and fathers and so taking a personal outlook not just the facts and everything that's been put at hand but to have the opportunity to think about what if it was your child. >> you're not surprised. what is life like in the community? >> it's a good community to live in, i must say but you still run into those people on a daily basis not used to who you are and your skin color. it's nothing that surprises me when the jury came out like it. >> reporter: it's been almost two years. how are you, how is the family feeling about all of this? you must be anxious? >> yes. anxious, ready to get it started

ron allen following that particular race in the big apple.o the polls. >> eric adams is the big faye rite here. the real contest for him may have been the primary a few months ago when he beat several other democratic challengers. there is an advantage in this city and it has been a long time since a democrat has been elected. adams would be the second african-american mayor in the city. he is from brooklyn, one of the so-called outer burros of new york. not manhattan. he has been stressing his working class roots, raised by a single mother. a former police officer, a a former senator, a man of the people that will fight for the people. on the other side, curtis sliwa has been the head of the guardian angels. in the final stages of his campaign, the issue that has emerged is the covid vaccine mandates that have been in place. adams says that he supports them but he would have gone about it differently and sliwa says he is against them, basically. a huge democratic majority in the city, and every indication that new york will have a new africa

joining me now with more on this, live from brunswick, georgia, is nbc news correspondent, ron allen. morning. what can we expect today? >> reporter: well, right now, the defense is making an argument to the judge that the prosecutors did not prove their case and they're asking for the judge to dismiss the charges. something that's pretty standard in these murder trials. and the judge, of course, is unlikely to do that. we're expected to hear the defense begin its case some time in the coming hours. they are expected to argue that essentially ahmaud arbery is responsible for his own death. that while a lot of people have been focusing on the video that shows him being chased by the defendants and shot and killed, they have been focusing on home security video that came to the surface during the trial, that shows that arbery was in the neighborhood where the fatal encounter happened, on a number of occasions, at least four occasions, at night in the weeks and months leading up to it. and that there had even been one encounter where miblgs saw him at a house that was under construction

ron allen outside that courthouse in brunswick, georgia where a rally has gotten underway. also joining me david henderson, a civil rights attorney, former prosecutor, and here in studio with me legal analyst danny cevalos. ron, i'll start with you on the ground. the testimony we heard, incredibly vivid description of the moment ahmaud arbery was killed. but also some very interesting exchanges there on direct and cross examination. >> the prosecutor was walking mcmichael through the confrontation step by step, trying to say that he, in fact, was the aggressor. the defense is maintaining that travis mcmichael fired his shotgun three times in self-defense, and the prosecutor was trying to tear away at that story. here's an exchange between the prosecutor and mcmichael about the moment that he came together with ahmaud arbery. take a listen. >> so you got out of your truck and yelled at him, stop. >> as he's getting close to me, yes, i was yelling at him at that point to stop, yes, ma'am. >> he turned around to run back? >> he did. >> didn't threaten you in any way? >> no. >>

nbc news ron allen covering the trial in brunswick, georgia, tonight. ron? >> reporter: good evening, shep. yes, the prosecutors are trying to convince the jury that arbery was an innocent man gunned down intentionally and deliberately while the defense is saying he was a suspicious character in a neighborhood on edge because of a spike in crime and today there was a lot of questioning of police officers who interviewed the defendants at the scene. the defendants maintain they were even trying to make a citizens arest and detain arbery here's how a prosecutor questioned one of the police officers who interviewed the defendant, william bryant. listen >> did greg mcmichael ever use the word burglary? >> no ma'am. >> did he use trespass >> no ma'am. >> did he ever say he was attempting to make a citizens arrest >> no ma'am. >> did he ever use the word arrest >> no ma'am. >> reporter: it was a contentious and emotional reprimanded saying be professional in the courtroom. arbery's at one point the judge reprimanded saying be professional in the courtroom. arbery'

joining me is nbc news correspondent ron allen, who is in brunswick, georgia. ofessor, former u.s. attorney, joyce vance. so ron, this trial has been a long time coming tell us more about the opening arguments today. >> while the prosecution has been focussing on the video we have seen, the actual encounter where arbury was shot and killed, that they say shows that ahmaud arbery was will at least five other times before this incidents. they pour pray them an a burglary suspect, a neighborhood where there was an up tick in climb, and he was there, and acting suspiciously. they even say that travis mcmichael, one of the defendants, encountered arbery a few days before the fatal encounter, apparently -- plundering is the work that the defense attorneys use -- a home there that had been the target of robberies on a number of occasions. the defense maintains. now, in the past the prosecutors have said whatever happened before this day doesn't matter, and they insist that the defendants did not say arbery committing a crime which would give them justification for affe

let's go to ron allen live in brunswick, georgia. heard from travis mcmichael today. it was cross-examination, they finished with him, where do we stand in the trial? >> first of all, andrea, there's a huge crowd outside the courthouse and they are all supporters of arbery's family, who have come here, gathered today and in the crowd are dozens of black pastors who have come from the region, some from across the country in solidarity with the family. a withering testimony cross-examine by the prosecutor. the prosecutor trying to make the point to the jury that arbery never threatened the defendants, and that he was an innocent man, he was chased down. here's a typical exchange from the prosecutor and travis mcmichael from this morning. take a listen. >> so you're telling this jury that a man who has spent five minutes running away from you, you're now thinking is somehow going to want to continue to engage from you, someone with a shotgun, and your father, a man who has just said, stop or i'll blow your [ bleep ] head off, by trying t

to recreate what happened and convince the jury to find the defendants guilty. >> our thanks to ron allen a piece of presidential trivia, but what was it like to spend 15 minutes at the center of the political universe. a new documentary on four seasons total landscaping. the director and producering join me next. >>> later, making history by the numbers. the new head of the census bureau and the difficult moment he'll have to meet. in 2016, i was working at the amazon warehouse when my brother passed away. and a couple of years later, my mother passed away. after taking care of them, i knew that i really wanted to become a nurse. amazon helped me with training and tuition. today, i'm a medical assistant and i'm studying to become a registered nurse. in filipino: you'll always be in my heart. i order my groceries online now. shingles doesn't care. i keep my social distance. shingles doesn't care. i stay within my family bubble. shingles doesn't care. because if you've had chicken pox, you're already carrying the virus that causes shingles. in fact, about 1 in 3 people will develop shingle

joining me now from outside the courthouse in brunswick, georgia, is nbc's ron allen. me is danny cevallos, criminal defense attorney and an nbc news legal analyst. what can we expect from the trial today? >> reporter: more testimony from police officers, jose. what's important is that these are officer who is interviewed the defendants at the scene of the crime of the fatal encounter and they are -- the prosecution is trying to get on the record what they said to the officers, because it's unlikely that the defendants will testify. and the police are essentially serving as witnesses for the prosecution, because they're literally reading from the transcripts of body camera interviews that they did. their body cameras were rolling the whole time and capturing not just a crime scene, but interviews they did with the defendants. today, for example, we heard from an officer who interviewed greg michael, one of the defendants. and the defendants insist that they were trying to execute a citizen's arrest. that they acted in self-defense, that they were trying to catch a flee

ron allen is on the ground in brunswick, georgia. ron, what can we expect from the defense?king the argument that the prosecution didn't prove its case, asking for the judge to dismiss the charges, something that's standard procedure in trials. the judge is very unlikely to do that. once the defense starts presenting its case, we expect them to portray ahmaud arbery as the criminal, as the perpetrator, as responsible for his own death almost in this case. while a lot of attention has been focused on the video that we've seen of the chase and the shooting of him, the defense is focused on home security video that appeared during the trial, that shows that arbery was in this neighborhood on a number of occasions at night in the weeks and months leading up to the fatal encounter. the defense is saying that he was a suspicious figure there, although there's no evidence to show that he was taking anything from any of the houses or robbing any of the homes. so the defense is portraying this neighborhood as a place where there was a crime scene going on, where there was a serious p

joining me, nbc news correspondent ron allen from brunswick, georgia, and georgetown law professor andst two years since ahmaud arbery death. walk us through where things stand this afternoon. >> reporter: there's a lot of anticipation. opening arguments to begin tomorrow morning. this issue about the jury has emerged as a huge point of contention for arbery supporters. we've spoken to his family today, and they are outraged. they also say that this is to be expected in this part of georgia because they see this as a -- a series of injustices all along including his death which supporters have called a modern-day lynching. we spoke to one of arbery's aunts. here's what she had to say about the fact that the jury only has one black member. take a listen. >> honestly, it was expected. that's just the community that we live in and just another unjustice -- injustice that we face daily. >> reporter: do you think you'll get justice now? >> i do feel honestly that we will due to the fact that some of those people on the jury panel are mothers and fathers. and so taking a personal outlook at

joining me now, nbc's ron allen, who is in brunswick for us, as well as msnbc legal analyst, maya wiley. thank you for being with me. ron, what are we hearing out of the opening arguments today? >> reporter: the prosecutor started off by telling the jury that this case is all about assumptions and what she called driveway decisions. and by assumptions, she meant people making the worst possible assumptions about things. and she meant the defendants making these terrible assumptions about ahmaud arbery. the assumptions is that he was driving through this case, they suspected him of being a criminal, a robber, pursued him, allegedly, and shot and killed him. the defense maintains that this was them trying to make a citizen's arrest of a suspect. and that they acted in self-defense and that that's what caused his murder. the prosecutors, of course, tell a very different story about him being an innocent man who was out jogging less than two miles from his home and they made these terrible assumptions about him, that he was doing nothing wrong, and that's what resulted in his death. the pro

nbc's ron allen is in that brunswick, georgia, courtroom following the trial for us. coleman. so ron, not the only exchange between the judge and defense attorney this morning. once again, the request that a black pastor leave the courtroom. what was the reasoning given, and can you walk us through what happened? >> reporter: the request now, craig, has gotten even bigger. the defense counsel are asking for a mistrial. they're saying that the presence of reverend jesse jackson and al sharpton and they're claiming their client can't get a fair trial. a picture of ahmaud arbery was displayed in court and there was an audible gasp of emotion from someone in the gallery, perhaps one of arbery's parents and the defense objected to that as well because that person was near reverend jesse jackson. we just went through a good half hour or more of arguments back and forth about whether -- whether pastors, whether -- who can be in the gallery, so on and so forth. let me give you a sense of the back and forth. here's the exchange between kevin gough and the judge about the prese

. >> joining me, nbc news correspondent ron allen who remains in brunswick, georgia for russ are and civil rights attorney john burruss who has represented a number of high profile clients including rodney king. ron, give us some context and describe the racial tensions looming over this case. how are people reacting to those comments? >> well, arbery's family has described this as a monday lynching. the defense is using a citizens arrest law that dates back to the 1860s that was used to catch runaway slaves, justify the catching of runaway slaves. there's a jury that's 11 white residents, one back resident. everywhere you look there is a huge racial cloud hanging over this entire situation. today there is an agent from the georgia bureau of investigation testifying, which is a reminder that the three men were not even arrested until months after this incident happened because of a leak of the video where we see arbery shot and killed. it's everywhere you look, it's inescapable. the comment by the attorney about back pastors, for so many people had so much -- it was really unbelievab

to recreate what happened and convince the jury to find the defendants guilty. >> our thanks to ron allenare forever a piece of presidential trivia, but what was it like to spend 15 minutes at the center of the political universe. a new documentary on four seasons total landscaping. the director and producer join me next. >>> later, making history by the numbers. the new head of the census bureau and the difficult moment he'll have to meet. they customize my car insurance, so i only pay for what i need. how about a throwback? ♪ liberty, liberty, liberty, liberty ♪ only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty, liberty, liberty, liberty ♪ this may look like a regular movie night. but if you're a kid with diabetes, it's more. it's the simple act of enjoying time with friends, knowing you understand your glucose levels. ♪♪ (man 1) oh, this looks like we're in a screen saver. (man 2) yeah, but we need to go higher. (man 1) higher. (man 2) definitely higher. (man 1) we're like yodeling high. [yodeling] yo-de-le-he... (man 2) hey, no. uh-uh, don't do that. (man 1) we should go even higher! (man 2) yeah

i want to bring in ron allen from outside the courthouse. what's the latest?re hearing from another investigator who arrived at the scene day one we heard from the first police officer who arrived at the scene. what the prosecutors are trying to do is recreate what happened out there, and they're doing it by using some very graphic crime scene footage that shows arbery's body when these officers first arrived. it's -- we can't show it to you because it's just so graphic. his body is riddled with bullets, and there's a lot of blood. it's a difficult thing to watch which is why people in the courtroom are watching this and having difficulty at times taking it in. so we expect to hear from a lot of police officers at this stage of the case. because that's what they're trying to do. show the jury what happened, because they have no other way to do it. now, for its part, the defense is painting a different story about what happened. they reject this idea that arbery was a jogger. they say that he had been in the neighborhood at least four different occasions, there

. >> msnbc's ron allen is there on the ground in georgia following this.i also want to bring in paul butler, a professor at georgetown law school. former federal prosecutor and msnbc analyst. walk us through what we've heard in the trial this morning, and what did the defense attorney have to say about his comments on thursday? >> well, he was a bit contrite, but he hasn't backed down. i can also tell you that the activists who are out here supporting arbery's family said they are going to bring 100 black pastors here, 100 black pastors here on monday in response to what happened in the court. but here's what kevin gauff said this morning. >> i will let the court note that if my statements yesterday were overly broad,ly follow up with a more specific motion on monday, putting those concerns in the proper context. my apologies who anyone who inadvertently got offended. >> there's been a lot of outrage about the comment in southern georgia where there are so many racial overtones to this case. today the focus is still on the neighborhood where this happened

>> ron allen, shaq brewster, kristy, thank you for being with us leading us off on the show. appreciate it. >>> as we mentioned, a bunch of breaking news juggling or about to juggle this hour, because we expect at some point on capitol hill the budget office is officially expected to score as it's called the cost of the democrats big spending package. not because we love nerdy stuff buck make or break for the bill which could get a vote soon. >>> and breaking news from silicon valley. instagram under investigation reportedly for its effects on kids. >>> in oklahoma hours before scheduled execution the governor is stepping in stopping it at the last minute. we're live with that story, next. for severe eosinophilic asthma. nucala reduces eosinophils, a key cause of severe asthma. nucala is not for sudden breathing problems. allergic reactions can occur. get help right away for swelling of face, mouth, tongue or trouble breathing. infections that can cause shingles have occurred. don't stop steroids unless told by your doctor. tell your doctor if you have a parasitic infection.

ahmaud arbery, a black man whose family says he was out jogging got underway with opening statements ron allen is at the courthouse >> at this point in time, mr. arbery is under attack >> reporter: prosecutors describing the moment gregory mcmichaels, son travis and neighbor william "roddie" bryan allegedly trapped ahmaud arbery with their pickup trucks. showing jurors the video of the fatal confrontation. arbery chased for five minutes. prosecutors arguing the elder mcmichael said this during the pursuit. >> stop or i'll blow your [ bleep ] head off. that's what he said to mr. arbery. >> reporter: watching in court, arbery's mother overcome with emotion. >> i decided to remain in so that i could get familiar with what happened to ahmaud the last minutes of his life. >> reporter: the three men face nine counts they have all pleaded not guilty the defense says the men acted to protect their community from an uptick in crime and showed the jury these home surveillance videos insisting they revealed arbery had been seen in a home in the neighborhood on at least four different occasions at night t

on the third day of testimony, prosecutors questioned people first on the scene here's nbc news' ron allen. >> what you just did shows a lack of respected for what the court is trying to do here, which is create an environment which is fair to all parties. >> reporter: judge walmsley warning of conduct as the defense tell two conflicting stories why ahmaud aubrey was shot and killed. they tried to use defendant's own word to convince the jury they deliveredly and intentionally killed aubrey. here's a police officer reading from his interview transcript, something gregory mcmichael allegedly said to aubrey while the defendants chased him in their vehicles. >> i am quoting, stop, you know, i'll blow your f-ing head off or something. i was trying to convey to this guy, we were not playing, you know. >> reporter: prosecutors say aubrey was an innocent man attacked and gunned down the defense portrays him as a suspicious figure seen numerous times at night on a neighborhood on edge about spiking crime. here's a defense reading what the defense attorney told him at the crime scene. >> he makes f

nbc news' ron allen has more. >> reporter: good morning, frances, it ignited the country. this morning the story of ahmaud arbery gets their fight for justice in court. >> reporter: passion rang high in the community where ahmaud aubrey was shot and killed two years ago. anger one black juror was selected to decide a case that family supporters have called a modern day lynching. >> it's very disturbing to find out we had one african-american versus three whites. >> reporter: do you feel you will get justice in. >> i think the evidence that the state had, we will get justice. >> reporter: three men face nine counts each, including murder, aggravated assault and attempted kidnapping accused of chasing, shooting and killing aubrey they've all pled not guilty. the defense using legal challenges to eliminate some black jurors on the final day. >> this court found there appears to be intentional discrimination. >> reporter: he added georgia law prevents them from taking action because the attorneys gave reasons other than race for the dismissals, insisting the jurors could not b

the jurors hear him testifying in his own dchlts ron allen is in georgia with the latest. >> reporter: travis mcmichael took the witness stand in his own defense, a stunning decision that caught everyone by surprise he testified and told his version of the story he said he wanted to get out what his version of the events were and he tells a very different story than what we see on that videotape where the three defendants chase alberta ray down in pick-up trucks and he is fatally shot and killed at the end of that road mcmichael says he acted if self-defense they suspected aubrey of being a part of a burglary that happened in the neighborhood. relying than video, that home security video that showed aubrey in the neighborhood on a numberf of occasions prosecutors maintain there is no evidence he committed a crime. they are cross-examining the witnesses, travis mcmichael trying to convince the jury the defendants acted deliberately, intentionally within they murdered ahmaud aubrey >>> jury deliberations in the kyle rittenhouse homicide trial will resume with a second day with no verdic

ron allen is following that trial for us. hey, ron, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, hoda.n travis mcmichael returns to the witness stand, he's expected to face an aggressive cross-examination. prosecutors are trying to convince the jury that all the defendants who are white made the worst assumptions about arbery who was black and they had no reason to shoot and kill him. >> i want to give my side of the story. >> reporter: taking the witness stand wednesday in his own defense, travis mcmichael telling the jury that ahmaud arbery attacked him on the day in question and that he fired three shotgun blasts at close range killing arbery in self-defense. >> i shot him. >> why? >> he had my gun. it's a life-or-death situation. and i'm going to have to stop him from doing this. so i shot. >> did he stop when you shot? >> he did not. >> reporter: the encounter coming after what prosecutors say was a five-minute chase in their pickup trucks, by mcmichael, his father gregory and neighbor william bryan. all three charged with cornering and killing arbery. >> that final shot he diseng

i want to start ron allen with the ahmad arbery murder trial is about to resume at any moment. what are we expecting today? >> we're expecting travis mcmichael to return to the witness stand and face a very aggressive cross-examination. the prosecutors are trying to convince the jury that all the defendants who were white made all the wrong and worst assumptions about arbery who is black and they had no reason to shoot and kill him. >> i want to give my side of the story. >> reporter: taking the witness stand wednesday in his own defense, travis mcmichael telling the jury that arbery attacked him on the day in question. and he fired three shotgun blasts at close range killing arbery in self-defense. >> i shot him. >> why? >> he had my gun. it's a life or death situation. i'm going to have to stop him from doing this. so i shot. >> did he stop when you shot? >> he did not. >> fatal encounter coming after what prosecutors say was a five-minute chase in the pickup trucks by mcmichael, his father gregory and neighbor william bryan. all three charged with cornering and killing arber

nbc news correspondent ron allen has the story. >> reporter: passion running high in the community wheres shot and killed almost two years ago, angered that only one black juror was selected. supporters call it a modern-day lynching. >> it was disturbing to find out we had one african-american versus 11 whites. >> do you still think you'll get justice? >> i do think we'll get justice for ahmaud. >> reporter: the three suspects face nine charges each, accused of chasing and killing arbery. they've all pled not guilty. the defense using its legal challenges to eliminate 11 potential black jurors from the jury pool on the final day. >> this court has found there appears to be intentional discrimination. >> reporter: he added georgia law prevents him from taking action because the attorneys gave reasons other than race for the dismissals like insisting the perspective jurors could not be impartial. >> that's really what the court has to decide, are those race-neutral explanations that were offered, are they satisfactory. in this case the judge said he did find them to be satisfactory. >> rep

ron allen is in brunswick, georgia and with me in new york danny cavallos, criminal attorney. this defendant will continue testimony, right, ron? >> reporter: the lawyer for william bryant said he is not going to testify as of this moment. we don't know about greg mcmichael. we don't know where this is going. we suspect mr. mcmichael on the stand will be there all day. the prosecution was basically trying to get the jury to understand their point of view that mr. arbery never threatened mr. mcmichael, he didn't have a weapon, he said a number of times there was no contact, there was no response when travis mcmichael says he asked arbery questions during that chase we've seen so many times on the videotape. the prosecution is trying to make the case arbery was innocent, he was just running and that the mcmichaels had no reason to suspect him of a crime or stop him and detain him. travis mcmichael was trying to convince the jury in his answers apparently he was trying to deet sclat the system, he was calm and measured and different points along the way when the fatal encounter ha

. >> all right, ron allen, thank you so much. what ron laid out for us there. you think about the population of glenn county. 27% in that community are black. you look at the makeup of the potential 12 jurors. you would they if this is a jury of your peers, it is supposed to be representing three or four individuals on that 12-person jury would be black. >> yes, but as we have seen here with the deselection process of the juries, the black juries, and the racial overtones in the case, it's not the case that a lot of the potential black jurors were struck by the defense. >> the major factor of this case has to do with race. why is the makeup of the jury so incredibly important? especially when you look at both sides of the issue, right? you have the defense saying there is not enough six packs and bubbas in their slew of candidates for the jury, and the prosecutor saying there are not enough black individuals to be on this jury. >> two main reasons. you apt jury of your peers. not only for the defendant, but also for the victim in

>> ron allen, brunswick, wisconsin. thank you. >>> more on inflation numbers we told you about.as promised, our senior business correspondent stephanie ruhle is back with us. it steph, lay out the set up there on the deal as relates to inflation. 30 years, we talked absence we've seen anything like this. put this in context. right? there is nuance here that is sometimes missed. please, be our nuance queen. >> okay. the first time we've seen this in 30 years. the first time we've had a pandemic in our lifetime. this is not inflation in isolation. all of this is part of the pandemic that we're experiencing. hallie, remember, this time last year, no americans were vaccinated. now 200 million have been. this time last year, restaurants were shutting down and laying off workers, and now you cannot get a reservation, and they can't get enough employees to work the holiday parties we're all booking. we are in an economic recovery, but it is complicated. the government knew it was going to be complicated. that's why you saw such a robust american rescue plan. remember when people were c

. >> joining me now from brunswick, georgia, is ron allen.n the trial this morning? >> reporter: a couple of things. there's been a lot of harsh criticism of that attorney who made that comment. reverend sharpton released a statement that was very critical of him. arbery's family after court said they didn't understand, they were very negative about it. and just as i was walking over here this morning, one of the activists said they'd bring 100 black pastors here to court on monday morning. for his part, the attorney this morning said he apologized and said he would file a motion putting those comments into the proper context. but it gives you an idea of just how emotional this case is and continues to be. very heavy racial overtones, of course, because of where it's happening and because the jury is 11 white residents and 1 black resident and so on and so forth. today in court, there's still a lot of focus where ahmaud arbery was killed, and the question of whether this was a neighborhood on edge or whether arbery was an innocent man running

joining us is nbc's ron allen in georgia and msnbc legal analyst joyce vance. was expecting mr. mcmichael to take the stand. >> this is a somewhat surprising decision to put him on the stand.

ron allen, thank you very much. that does it for me on this busy day. hallie jackson picks up our coverage. >>> i'm in washington with two big breaking stories we're following as we come on the air. 3:00 east coast time. in brunswick, georgia, what you just heard about, we're waiting for one of the defendants in the murder trial other the killing of ahmaud arbery to come back on the stand, that should happen any minute really. travis mcmichael set to talk about the moments when arbery was shot and killed. and we're also watching something here in washington in building right behind me, lawmakers about to vote any minute on something that they haven't done in more than a decade. rebuking one of their own. democrats looking to not only censure republican congressman paul gosar, but to boot him from his committees too. why? because of that video he tweeted showing him killing congresswoman alexandria ocasio-cortez. an animae video. we won't show you that, but we will show you what is going down on the house floor. we'll bring that vote to you live when it

nbc's ron allen is in brunswick, georgia following the trial for us.made by one of the defense attorneys. >> well, remember, william brian is the resident who filmed the encounter. he joined the chase and n -- in his pickup truck and videotaped the encounter between the other defendants and ahmaud arbery. and his lawyer has throughout the trial been trying to separate his case from the others saying he was essentially just a witness who saw all this and didn't participate in much of what was going on, they say. he is still charged with murder, because under georgia law they are essentially saying that all these three men worked together and cooperated together to cause the death of ahmaud arbery. we heard from bryan as he was trying to convince the judge that he was not getting a fair trial because of the conditions of his confinement for the past 18 months at the detention center. we have some of what he said and how ahmaud arbery's mother reacted to that. take a listen. >> you're telling the court you've basically been in lockdown or solitary confine

nbc news correspondent ron allen has details. >> he did not threaten me verbally. >> all right.d arbery, attacked him. >> didn't pull out a knife. >> no, ma'am. >> never reached for anything, did he? >> no. >> he just ran. >> yes, he was just running. >> mcmichael insisting he and his codefendants had been trying to detain arbery until police arrived, suspecting he had been involved in an up tick in crime in an neighborhood on edge. mcmichael testifying he feared arbery would come at him and his father greg mcmichael next. >> he was acting weird. he was acting funny when i was trying to talk to him prior. i'm on alert. >> the prosecution pushed back. >> so you're telling this jury that a man who has spent five minutes running away from you, you're now thinking is somehow going to want to continue to engage with you, someone with a shotgun, and your father, a man who's just said stop or blow your head off by trying to get in their truck? >> that's what it shows, yes, ma'am. >> reporter: outside the courtroom, hundreds gathered to support arbery's family, including numerous black

ron allen has the latest from that trial. >>> i got a trespasser there.ner's 911 call after seeing someone on his home security camera in the neighborhood where ahmaud arbery was killed. the video from five months before the fatal encounter. >> curly looking hair, tattoos down both arms. >> reporter: attorneys for the three men accused of murder say it was arbery, one of four teams he was seen in the house under construction. as the defense tries to convince the jury he was not an innocent jogger but a suspicious figure the defendants were trying to place under citizens arrest and mcmichael had come face-to-face with near that same house under construction. the jury hearing mcmichael's 911 call 12 days before he shot and killed arbery, he says in self-defense. >> when i turned around and saw him and backed up, he reached into his pocket and ran into the house, so i don't know if he's armed or not. >> reporter: arbery's family says he stopped at the construction site because he wanted to learn how to build a home for his parents. prosecutors show video of

ron allen has more. >> reporter: the trial's first witness, the first police officer to arrive at the scene of the fatal encounter. prosecutors showing the injury images of ahmaud arbery's body, too graphic to show here. a day in court that began with his mother fighting back tears as prosecutors showed the video what they say was video of her son being hunted and killed. >> mr. arbery is attacked. >> i decided to stay so i could get familiar with what happened to ahmaud. >> gregory mcmichael, travis, and their neighbor face nine counts each. they have all pleaded not guilty. opening statements after a contentious jury selection process that seated 11 white and only one black juror. >> and this happened in a neighborhood that had experienced break-ins and burglaries. >> reporter: the defense telling the jury the men acted to protect their community, on edge because of an up tick in crime. and showed the jury these home surveillance videos contending they revealed that arbery had been plundering in a neighborhood home on four occasions at night. the defense saying arbery was not out fo

nbc's ron allen is at the courthouse for us. ron, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, sheinelle. jury selection was extremely contentious because so many people have such strong feelings about this case, some calling what happened a modern day lynching while other says the defendants were simply out there protecting their own neighborhood. video of the incident will play a huge role, images that may be disturbing for some viewers. after only a single black juror was selected to help decide a racially charged case, there were protests across the nation. nearly two years ago, family members say 25-year-old ahmaud arbery was jogging through a mostly white neighborhood when he was allegedly chased, shot and killed by three white men. gregory mcmichael, his son, travis, and a neighbor face nine counts each including murder, aggravated assault and attempted kidnapping. they've all pleaded not guilty. >> i'm very anxious about the trial beginning. i'm very hopeful that we'll get the verdict. >> reporter: arbery's mother insists the

nbc's ron allen has been covering this one from the beginning. us this morning from brunswick, georgia. ron, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, craig. the defense case lasted less than two full days. the then closing arguments are set for monday and jury deliberations are expected to follow right after that. when the jurors will determine whether the three men charged with killing ahmaud arbery are innocent or guilty. >> i'm very confident that we will get a guilty verdict. very confident. >> reporter: ahmaud arbery's mother hopeful for justice as all parties rested their cases in the trial of three men charged with killings her son. >> no, he did not threaten me verbally, no, ma'am. >> didn't brandish any weapons >> no, ma'am >> reporter: during cross examination, spending hours that he, his father and a neighbor tried to detain arbery because he suspected he was involved in a string of local robberies. >> didn't pull out any knife >> no, ma'am >> never reached for anything, did he >> no. >> he just ran >> yes, he was just running. >> repo