The Georgia Bureau of Investigation began to investigate William Bryan. A lawyer for Arbery's family said that Bryan must have been helping the McMichaels chase Arbery. In a police report made the day of the shooting, Gregory McMichael told a Glynn County police officer that Bryan had tried to stop Arbery from running away from them. In late May, Bryan was arrested and charged with criminal attempt to commit false imprisonment and felony murder. Under U.S. law, that means that if Bryan was helping the McMichaels commit a serious crime, then deaths that happened during that crime are Bryan's fault as well, even if he did not shoot anyone himself.