Why has the narrative been so focused on exactly did NOT happen, and no one seems inclined to correct that public impression? First of all, Trayvor Martin was no mere child.
George Zimmerman was carrying a loaded weapon. No dispute. But the weapon was NOT drawn and in his hand as Trayvon approached Zimmerman. In fact, if there was any stalking, it was Trayvon Martin who was the stalker, and approached Zimmerman from behind.
Now while Trayvon has a perfect right to swing his arms, his freedom of motion ends when the fist on that swinging arm connects with another’s nose. A whole new set of responses is in order, and the most logical is for the person whose nose has been struck by that fist to go into some kind of defensive mode. It so happened that “defensive mode” turned out to be flat on one’s back, getting pummeled about the face and head, and left groping for some means to ward off further bodily damage.
Ah, take the grip on the loaded pistol, snap off the safety, point in general direction of the assailant, and the course of events in the next few seconds leads to the end of the punching and hammering.
Easy peasy solution to what had been a very bad situation for George Zimmerman, and the author of that bad situation was now properly persuaded to stop, primarily by getting dead very fast.
I still don’t see a problem.