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Possible Witnesses Emerge in the Trayvon Martin Death
Trayvon Martin via Facebook
As had been announced, Trayvon’s father, Tracy Martin, held a news conference yesterday, where he called on Sanford, FL police to arrest George Zimmerman (28), the admitted killer of his son. Also at the conference were his lawyers, Benjamin Crump of Tallahassee and Natalie Jackson of Orlando. They demanded that the police make the arrest and release details about what happened that night, including the transcripts of several 911 calls from residents who were witness to the scuffle that ended with Trayvon Martin (17) dead on the ground. They said they will file suit in state circuit court in Sanford today, demanding that police turn over their investigative records.
More information about what happened that night has been released by Sanford Police Chief Bill Lee Jr., both from the incident reports of the police responding to the 911 calls, and in statements to the press.
Crime Scene via MyFox Orlando
Zimmerman saw Trayvon walking through the gated community around 7:15 and called Sanford police on a non-emergency number to report a suspicious person. He was told that the police would dispatch an officer, and to keep his distance from the individual. Before the officer arrived, the department got at least six 911 calls from residents bordering the walkway where the confrontation occurred, reporting two men fighting. On at least one of the calls, the fight and the fatal gunshot can be heard in the background, according to the police chief.
Tracy Martin and his lawyers are not denying that Trayvon and Zimmerman fought before the shooting. The police chief said that there is evidence to support Zimmerman’s self defense claims. When the police arrived, according to an incident report released yesterday, Zimmerman was found standing over the body, with his gun in his waistband, complaining that he yelled for help, but no one came out to help him. The back of his shirt was wet, with grass clippings on it, suggesting he was knocked down at one point. He was also bleeding from his nose and the back of his head.
Police cuffed him, took him to police headquarters, where he was interrogated and then released. He claimed to have acted in self defense.
Police are still investigating to determine whether Zimmerman is guilty of manslaughter. They have interviewed Zimmerman several times and had him re-enact what happened.
Detectives should complete their investigation next week at the latest, Police Chief Bill Lee Jr. said, and then the state attorney’s office will decide whether to file criminal charges.
At the news conference, the family’s attorneys said there was nothing suspicious about Trayvon and no reason for Zimmerman to confront him. He was an invited guest, he had visited before, and it is a community with black and minority residents.
Crump and Jackson said that after calling the police he should have followed their instructions and waited for the officer to arrive. He should not have approached the teen. If Trayvon fought back, said Jackson, that’s to be expected. He was being confronted by someone who was not a police officer, was not in uniform and was not in a patrol vehicle. The teenager could not have known that Zimmerman had a concealed carry permit and had a gun.
Community Entrance
LezGetReal has been contacted by a former resident of the community who told us that the condominium board was well aware that Zimmerman carried a gun, as he brought it to community meetings. She also said that the neighborhood watch was made up of “drunks, trouble-makers and lunatics”.
Not a comforting thought for other minority residents of The Retreat at Twin Lakes.
Related articles
- Florida Crazies: Black 17-Year-Old Boy Shot To Death By White Leader Of “Neighborhood Watch” Over A Bag Of Skittles!! (bossip.com)
- Trayvon Martin: Unarmed Florida Teen Shot Dead By Neighborhood Watch Leader George Zimmerman (ibtimes.com)
- Parents seek justice for son’s killing (cbsnews.com)
27 Responses to Possible Witnesses Emerge in the Trayvon Martin Death
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Jesse D
March 23, 2012 at 12:33 pm
*** What are your thoughts? ***
I have looked at this from both sides. I am by no means a gun nut, but I do believe in the right to bear arms for personal protection. And that I should have the right to do so, if I choose. I am also lic in 41 states to do so. Being from Wisc, I don’t know Fl laws that good, but I do completely understand when you can use deadly force. This is varies slightly with each state. I personally choose to take content training with local off duty police, and don’t rely on the weak guidelines to just get a permit. (Like Wisc, all you need is Hunters Safety. IMO, that’s just plain stupid!) I choose to be mentally able to make the best judgment if I need to.
Here’s how I see it:
I quickly read Fl CCW Laws and a handful of articles online. Mr. Zimmerman didn’t do anything wrong by confronting the Mr. Martin. At that point, he was acting as a citizen not a patrol officer. (No where did I see that he was on the clock.) That isn’t against the law to confront a suspicious person. Stupid YES! But not illegal.
I would assume Mr. Zimmerman DIDN’T inform Mr. Martin he was an off-duty Patrol Officer. Otherwise why would the boy exercise his right to defend himself? That would explain why Zimmerman was hit/knocked down. The boy was in fear of great bodily harm for some reason. So then, at that point while lying on the ground, Mr. Zimmerman was also in fear of his life and great bodily harm. And Zimmerman chose to use his gun to defend himself, rather than his fists. Here’s where the problem lies. One witness is dead!!
I can see why he wasn’t arrested. The police dept collected evidence and sent it to the DA Office to make the call on whether to file charges. That’s pretty common if it’s not 100% clear that a law was broken. Because at that moment of pulling the trigger, he was using “justifiable use of deadly force” in the Florida Statutes). I believe if Mr. Martin was legally able to carry a firearm, Mr. Zimmerman would have been shot. And that too would have been justifiable to use deadly force.
I see this as an unfortunate situation where a young man was defending himself and so was the other guy. No doughty, it was a senseless death. The lack of training is the issue!! An ununiformed cop would have had better training and no death would have come of it due to better training for the situation. Even without stating he was a cop.
Yes, it’s a 100% avoidable death. By making a better decision under presser with better training. Was Mr. Zimmerman wrong??? YES!! BUT not according to the law. After all the media coverage, I see charges but I really don’t see a conviction. Some TV hungry Lawyer will take the case for free and prove no law was broken. I agree no law was broken either. But the truth is, a young man is dead, because of poor judgement.
That’s how I see it.
sarenaty
March 22, 2012 at 12:58 pm
Incorrect information, zimmerman was questioned at the scene he was not hand cuffed, not taken into police headquarters. Was the responding officer a friend or relative of zimmerman?
lucy
March 21, 2012 at 12:28 pm
Zimmerman you reacted too soon. You had no right to shoot this good child. Turn yourself in and stop trying to get out of this bad situation.
sherry
March 21, 2012 at 3:11 am
the thing about racism is that what is going on in the racist mind in not going on in the victims mind so since we cant read each others mind that person that is the racist can do anything. i was in the navy and it is a lot of that in there, now you patriot dont think it is not cause it is. sorry to bust your bubble but it is and it has destroyed careers simply because of race. that is exactly what happened here this is the sign he had something on his mind and that boy was stretching his legs. that guy took his life for nothing he is compulsive and is sitting back off his high he should not have even been registered a gun because out of jail he will possibly kill another black and that entire chain of command in that police department should be fired and loose all of the benefits because they would not like it if one of the children ended up in the same situation. another thing why did he have to shoot him in the chest you might say why at all but this man was going to shoot someone in this world because his hart was in this thing so much. this victime was not going to be anything but black and that is a fact and i learned about racism in the navy first hand being a very attractive dark skinned black female that was smarter and more educated the the white guys.
regina
March 19, 2012 at 8:54 pm
my prayers go out to the Martin family. I am so sorry for the loss of your son, in such a senseless way!!!!! The person that caused this crime, should have been arrested and taken to the police station and questioned. Police101!!!! If any one tried to stand their ground it was unfortunately Trayvon!!!! He did nothing at all to die, and he probably was a little lost. Those gated associations look the same!!! He may have wanted to ask for directions, he was after all was visiting and did not know the area!!!!!! Arrest the man already.
sean johnson
March 19, 2012 at 9:44 am
To confront a suspect when told by the police to wait for their arrival is an important peace in this case. This shows that Mr. Zimmerman wanted to initiate an altercation with the young man. He should be charged for manslaughter.
cc
March 16, 2012 at 10:32 am
Zimmerman isa POS
907611
March 15, 2012 at 8:55 pm
Clearly the police department is covering for this clear case of intentional murder. The police officers should be arrested along with the killer. If this punk gets away with this murder rest assured he has done it before and will do it again. Sounds like the police are proud of the fact that the kid was murdered. If the witnesses are saying that the police blew them off it clearly is a case of honoring a murder of whom they hold in high regards. Who appointed this vigilante to be the captain of the watch patrol? if the residents didn’t want him what right does he have to claim to represent the people who live in the complex. The police should have no problem releasing all information and photos available to them and to allow this murderer to walk free is stupid.I pray for the family of Trayvon Martin.
Doug
March 14, 2012 at 8:50 am
Lezgetreal: 17 is not a ‘Child’, Miami is a ‘Palm-treed’ Detroit, and seeing a white person walk down a black neighborhood is as risky as seeing a black person walk thru a white neighborhood.
That being said, I hope this Zimmerman is in custody because it’s foolhearty to leave him out on the streets. White or Black, a person has a reasonable expectation to walk a city street without being molested, and for Zimmerman to approach an innocent, unarmed pedestrian and interfere with him makes me question several things: What did he hope to accomplish, what made him think he had a right to verbally or physically molest pedestrians, and what was his motivation for approaching a pedestrian with deadly force.
laverne
March 13, 2012 at 9:10 pm
First, Mr. Zimmerman eyes Trayvon as suspicious, my question to him is why? What activity was Trayvon involved in that caused him to be suspect. Second, Mr. Zimmerman called the police to report this suspicious individual,which was the appropriate action of a non government sanctioned employee. His actions after that is ALL SUSPECT, why did he approach this young man? Why did he fail to follow protocol, which was to wait for the official police to arrive? Why did he have a gun patrolling the neighborhood? Was he acting on behalf of the Homeowners? Why was it necessary to have a weapon licensed or not in a gated community? The only persons in the community are the Residents or thier approved guest. I lived in a gated community for over 10 years and know that ID’s are verified at the gate by security, so common damn sense should have told Mr. Zimmerman that this young man either lived in the community or he was an invited guest. Mr. Zimmerman you violated this young mans civil rights and you will be held accountable.
David
March 13, 2012 at 6:23 pm
The cops were there within two minutes. zimmerman is a cowardly killer. Look for him to rise in politics now. He will say I didn’t let them get away with it this time. Murderer.
Real talk
March 13, 2012 at 1:30 am
Soneone needs to approach this punk Zimmerman and beat him till he croaks. His family must be proud. Fucking racist piece of shit. So florida lets any retard carry a weapon? That includes the cops. Retards. Every last one of you.
J
March 20, 2012 at 2:21 pm
This is really sad…and I agree with you. It’s too bad that KKK Zimmerman did not encounter a self-defense expert like maybe my kid…OH BOY! Black people, where are the Malcolm X’s of this day? God will always look out for his own- fear not- pray; but please teach your kids to defend themselves.
Brp305
March 12, 2012 at 11:09 am
George Zimmerman spotted Trayvon Martin while driving his SUV. Trayvon was walking. The “Self-Defense” theory will not hold up too scrunity in this case because the mitigating factor would be Zimmerman leaving the safety of his automobile, which would prove that he was not in fear of his life nor did he act in self-defense.
Zimmerman had no authority to approach Trayvon and proceeded to act against the instructions of the 911 operator.
Once Zimmerman leaves the safety of his automobile, then he becomes the aggressor and puts Trayvon in a defensive posture.
Had Trayvon survived this encounter, he certainly could have used the “Self-Defense” theory as he was the one approached.
What is the Sanford, Florida police department hiding? It’s obvious that they have compromised the investigation by not taking Zimmerman into custody and getting his fingerprints and matching them up with the prints on the weapon.
I’m confident that Martin’s attorney, Benjamin Crump should not have a problem getting a positive resolution for Trayvon’s family and friends, considering that Zimmerman did admit to killing Martin and was found standing over his body when the police arrived. Does that sound like someone who was acting in self-defense? I think not!
ChristineMarie
March 11, 2012 at 8:58 pm
Im not saying it was SELF DEFENSE!! He killed Trayvon for no reason at all. But he is and I can guarantee you that self defense will continue to be Zimmerman’s claims!! And I agree with you that people dont necessarily have to have a criminal background to be a serial killer. Look at BTK a high member of society and of his church and he was crazy as hell. Zimmerman’s is a probably a undercover psychopath who targeted this little boy because he thought he could get away with it by having a clean record and by being involved in the neighbor hood watch. And the sad thing is they will probly let him walk away with nothing but a slap on his wrist. But I would like to believe and have faith the justice system will charge this loser with murder.
joe rosendo
March 12, 2012 at 5:16 am
The thing is that Zimmerman does NOT have a clean record. He assaulted a police officer back in 2005! Look it up on the internet! The Sanford cops lied to the Martin family and told them that one of the reasons why they did NOT arrest Zimmerman was because he had a clean (snow WHITE) record!!!!! They lied! I found the email address for the Sanford Police and demanded that they arrest Zimmerman and that I hope the Florida attorney general conducts a full investigation into their handling of Tayvon’s shooting.
bo
March 11, 2012 at 8:19 pm
if they got into a fight lets see the photos of mr Zimmerman if he has nothing to hide. Clearly both the police chief and the officers at the scene are hiding evidence and photos of both the crime scene and Mr Zimmerman
David
March 11, 2012 at 7:57 pm
zimmerman is a killer. Had he not been stupid and started a confrontation for no reason he would not have killed a child. He should be in jail pending trial and permanent incarceration. He whines that no one would come to help him. I ask why should they? Why did he feel the need to harass that boy who had every right to be where he was. It is a testament to the incompetence of the Sanford PD that this murderer is not in jail but hiding out plotting his next move. Pressure ought to be built upon law enforcement to arrest him. A squeaky clean record doesn’t mean he did not kill a child for no darn reason. Self defense my foot. Had he not gotten out of his car and confronted the child this would not have occurred. 911 told the killer not to confront the boy. Cops were there in minutes. zimmerman is a killer.
Bill Longworth
March 11, 2012 at 5:24 pm
The only way self-defense can be claimed is if Zimmerman can prove that he felt he, or his property, were in imminent danger. Good luck with that, since he was in his car and not even on his property. What’s more, lethal force can only be used if the individual can reasonably claim they felt their life was in danger. Again, good luck with that. Only one of the involved individuals was armed and actually driving a vehicle (itself a potential weapon). From a purely legal stand point, Zimmerman should be in custody and charged with 2nd degree murder at least. The local prosecutor and court should then decide if the case should proceed, not the police. I suppose Zimmerman could try for manslaughter, but only if he can prove the shooting was accidental and that he only meant to scare or intimidate Trayvon. As for the wet stain on his back, the bloody nose, and the bleeding scalp, I have to ask, what the hell happened? Did he slip and fall backward onto some wet grass and then roll downhill onto some pavement where he cracked his nose and cut his head? Even if that were the story, how does he explain getting out of his car and initiating the confrontation? This story would make for the world’s shortest episode of Law and Order. If Zimmerman doesn’t get charged somehow, expect massive lawsuits all around.
John
March 11, 2012 at 3:25 pm
Self defense? It can not be self defense when YOU are the person approaching the person that you are supposedly defending yourself from. Mr. Zimmerman initiated the contact between the two and its self defense. What a jock. I am a business owner(fast food restaurants) and have stores in about 8 different towns and have had to deal with the Police in each and everyone one of them. It is scary, as a profession overall they are truly some of the most incompetent but at the same time arrogant group of people that on top of that have zero accountability. All of those things are truly a frighting combination. My prayers to the Martin family.
ChristineMarie
March 11, 2012 at 2:51 pm
So sad and disgusted at how a “neighborhood watch captain” can take the life of an innocent young boy who had his whole life ahead of him. I honestly believe Zimmerman confronted Trayvon got physically agressive towards him and in turn Zimmerman was getting his a** beat so what does a guy like Zimmerman do? end Trayvon’s life thinking he could claim self defense.
Joe
March 11, 2012 at 11:59 am
If it was a black man shooting a white teenager, they’d be warming up the chair for him right now. Of course, because it was a black kid that got shot, the killer isn’t even arrested or charged with anything.
Sanford resident
March 10, 2012 at 10:39 pm
What time did the police arrive? This is key to the answers being sought. The Sanford PD is notorious for delays in responding to a call. 20 to 30 minutes is not unusual. Some of us have waited days on a response.
Darryl
March 11, 2012 at 6:40 am
Still wouldn’t explain why he went against police instructions and shot an innocent man in cold blood. I hope this man rots in prison for the rest of his life
Why does that matter?
March 11, 2012 at 11:25 am
I could not think of anything less important to the case than what time police arrived. He was told to stay in his car. He had no authority to confront, apprehend or accost Martin. He’s a neighborhood watch captain. Observe and report. Not complicated.
The only thing missing is if this guy put his hands on Trayvon first in an attempt to apprehend him. If so, this guy is guilty of second degree murder. Release the 911 calls.
John
March 11, 2012 at 3:34 pm
Sanford resident if Mr. Zimmerman had not been harassing, confronting, causing a situation or what ever you want to call it with a kid the police never would have had to be called. What in the world does what time the police got to the scene of the altercation that Mr. Zimmerman caused after being told to stay away from the kid? MR. Zimmerman created this whole situation himself.
rapidron
March 13, 2012 at 2:50 pm
I believe it was reported that within 6 minutes or something ridiculously short. It certainly shows Zimmerman to be in a rush for his type of ‘peace-keeping’ doesn’t it?