Gregory McMichael gave the video to Brunswick-area attorney Alan Tucker to stop rumors about the incident that were circulating through the community.

He said he downloaded the video to a thumb drive before McMichael delivered the drive to the station; the exact date of that delivery isn’t known though the video went public in early May.

Tucker believes Gregory McMichael leaked the video because he wanted to prove he is not racist.

Larry English, owner of the home, received a text message from law enforcement, who recommended he contact Gregory McMichael if he needs help.

Said Merritt: “If you take Gregory McMichael’s actions in releasing this video to the public with the knowledge that law enforcement told the homeowner to contact him if there was any issue,then you sort of begin to see that it’s possible that he believed that he was operating according to what police officers had given him the authority to do.”