He also had injuries (bloody nose, scratches & bruises on skin), and damage to his clothes (grass stains, mud) consistent with the story he told.
No matter what you might think, he has a right to get out of his car and speak to the teen. At least that is they way I see it. The relevant Supreme Court decisions are those which allow panhandlers to come up to me on the street and ask for money -- 1st amendment stuff. Do I have the right to beat up a beggar? No, and neither does Martin have the right to start beating up Zimmerman for asking him who he is and what he is doing there.
Who’s to say the teen himself wasn’t acting in self-defense?
Think about the situation a little. Zimmerman has already called the police. He knows they are going to be at the scene in a few minutes. If he was planning to shoot Martin, or even thinking about it, this is just about the most stupid thing he could do -- summon the police to the scene of a murder he is about to commit.
The logical way this went down is that Zimmerman got out of the car and confronted Martin, believing that the police would be there promptly. Essentially he has back-up on the way, and if Martin does have burglary on his mind, he doesn't want Martin to escape into a back yard where he can just disappear from the scene.
Martin doesn't like this, words rare exchanged, and it escalates into a scuffle. Martin is younger and stronger and is soon getting the better of the fight. Zimmerman's shirt comes up and his weapon is exposed. They contend for the weapon and Martin is shot.
We know that Zimmerman has injuries consistent with his story. What we don't know at this point is does Martin have injuries consistent with this story, and is there damage to Martin's clothes consistent with the story?
The police know the answers to these questions, and they are not total dummies. I think if Martin's injuries and clothes were not consistent with Zimmerman's claims he would have been arrested.
It seems there are many excuses being made for this Mr. Zimmerman. He is given the benefit of the doubt, no matter what.
I think the biggest problem you have with this theory is the injuries to Zimmerman and the damage to his clothes, and clearing the logical hurdle of Zimmerman summoning the police, knowing they are arriving soon, and shooting Martin without a strong element of self-defense. Are you seriously proposing the Zimmerman has a death wish?
“No matter what you might think, he has a right to get out of his car and speak to the teen. At least that is they way I see it.”
CCW classes teach the avoidance of potential conflcts because of the possiblity of escalation. This could have easily been avoided if Zimmerman had stayed in his car.
You referred to the teen's actions as "assault", according to Mr. Zimmerman. What I'm saying is that the injuries could mean that the teen was fighting in self-defense. If it turns out that the teen had intent to attack Zimmerman - which is not logical because, according to Zimmerman himself, the teen was trying to get away from him - a trial might sort it all out. The lack of information is leading people to ask questions.
he has a right to get out of his car and speak to the teen.
Absolutely. You'll get no argument from me there.
Think about the situation a little. Zimmerman has already called the police. He knows they are going to be at the scene in a few minutes. If he was planning to shoot Martin, or even thinking about it,
I have thought about it, and let me be clear: I never said this was premeditated murder. I don't believe this was premeditated at all. It just seems there were a series of misunderstandings that led one man to believe he was chasing a criminal and a teen (although we'll never know what he was thinking) to probably believe he was being pursued by a criminal.
The logical way this went down is that Zimmerman got out of the car and confronted Martin, believing that the police would be there promptly. Essentially he has back-up on the way, and if Martin does have burglary on his mind, he doesn't want Martin to escape ... Martin doesn't like this, words rare exchanged, and it escalates into a scuffle. Martin is younger and stronger and is soon getting the better of the fight. Zimmerman's shirt comes up and his weapon is exposed. They contend for the weapon and Martin is shot.
Maybe. Or maybe Zimmerman thought he could hold Martin there by brandishing the gun. And Martin might've believed Zimmerman was a criminal, so he lunged for the gun. (Zimmerman is young himself - in his mid-20's.)
Or, let's give Zimmerman the benefit of the doubt: Zimmerman's father indicated that Zimmerman was pulled from his vehicle. Let's assume that story is true. We know that Martin was running away. We know that Zimmerman was pursuing him. In Zimmerman's mind, he probably thought he was following a potential criminal. In Martin's mind, he might've been thinking he was running from a criminal.
What I don't understand is: If you're willing to believe that Zimmerman was acting in self-defense, why not be willing to believe that Martin might have been?