Posted on 03/28/2012 5:03:23 PM PDT by marktwain
ABC News has more details about George Zimmerman's description of the fight that ended with Trayvon Martin's death.
Zimmerman reportedly told police "he was heading back to his truck when Martin knocked him down with a punch to his nose, jumped on him, repeatedly banged his head on the ground, [and] then tried to grab Zimmerman's gun." This is the first confirmation I've seen that Zimmerman claimed Martin tried to grab his gun, which makes Zimmerman's claim that he feared for his life more plausible.
But even if we believe everything Zimmerman said, it is still possible that Martin was responding to what he perceived as a potentially deadly threat from Zimmerman. ABC News says Chris Serino, "the lead homicide investigator," did not buy Zimmerman's story and wanted to charge him with manslaughter but was overruled by the state attorney's office.
Doggone, amazing isn't it ~ a PERUVIAN colony right there ~ but there's a BOLIVIAN Colony over here ~ 15 miles away, so they do get around.
He got drunk, took his car out driving on a semi-rural Virginia road and smacked into a bunch of nuns ~ fortunately also in a car ~ so only one nun died. (SEE: >http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/aug/2/illegal-immigrant-killed-nun-released-by-feds/?page=all)
And doggone if he wasn't turned loose by the federal government!
Then there's the EARRINGS again ~ (SEE: http://fulanofiles.blogspot.com/2010_08_01_archive.html ) ~ the lady is the person he killed through negligence.
“What part of following Zimmerman as he was walked away and attacked him from behind do you not like enough to include it in your little scenario in how Martin felt threatened? And Martin didn’t know he was armed - you left that out.”
There is no evidence to support that statement, only Zimmerman’s word. Zimmerman could have drawn his weapon to illegally detain Martin for all we know.
You don’t know what transpired that everyone else knows. It shows in your posts. So keep your comments to yourself until you get educated.
This sounds like a TV crime drama. A CCW holder knows from the required training he's taken what are and are not justifiable reasons for the threatened use of lethal force.
If I were a part of a neighborhood watch I'd be even more reluctant to draw a weapon, since I would not presume the latitude that is afforded police. I would carry non-lethal alternatives: baton and/or pepper spray.
Am I correct in assuming that you do not have a license to carry concealed?
“Am I correct in assuming that you do not have a license to carry concealed?”
No, I have had a CCW for 10 years and lots of training. That’s why I am so intolerant of Zimmerman’s poor judgement.
“Uh oh, he’s running! He’s gone. They always get away.” I know, I’ll chase after him with my gun! Zimmerman is an idiot.
As you undoubtedly recall this started out (March 20) with a good number of Freepers screaming about "Hey, he was doing an illegal cut through a wealthy gated community" and telling us that was probably a crime.
Turned out Martin was returning to a townhouse where he was staying with his father. And, the community was hardly wealthy! In fact, it's quite a bit like those neighborhoods the screaming nannystaters imagine cut through traffic comes from.
Initially there were no crimes being committed ~ just a couple of guys who both could claim some legal right to be there going out for errands ~ one to do something un-named, and the other to get Skittles and Iced Tea.
It was also a very diverse and integrated neighborhood with people of every color all over the world. (You can check the names on the property lists).
One thing led to another and next thing you know one of them was dead.
Proving once again that you just never know what is going to happen.
Your claim that Zimmerman drew his weapon and tried to make a citizen's arrest doesn't follow from the evidence reported.
If Zimmerman drew his weapon BEFORE he was beaten, why wasn't Martin shot as he attacked Zimmerman?
One (or more) Eyewitnesses report that Zimmerman was beaten BEFORE Martin was shot. Evidence supports the Zimmerman's contention that he was decked by Martin and his head was being slammed into the ground. (Broken nose, injury to back of head, grass stains on back of jacket.)
If he called police and lost sight of Martin during this call, then upon exiting his vehicle he could have easily been surprised by Martin. (Vehicles provide limited visibility and one is most vulnerable entering/existing a vehicle.) A verbal confrontation ensued, culminating in Zimmerman being clocked. His injuries are consistent with these events.
I can understand one's reluctance to volunteer for neighbor watch duties. That's fine. It can be dangerous. But Zimmerman did volunteer and was observing a suspicious character. No harm. No foul. We can criticize his lack of stealth from the comfort of our armchairs. However, when a blow was struck, that changed the dynamics of the encounter. The slamming of his head on the ground could easily result in grievous bodily injury, justifying the use of lethal force.
If Martin spied Zimmerman's weapon carried in a belt holster and attempted to wrest the weapon from Zimmerman, then Zimmerman had no choice but to maintain control of his weapon. (I'm guessing this is when the weapon discharged.)
I do not know what kind of training you've had, but here in AZ the CCW courses are limited. Sure, they run through several shoot/no shoot scenarios, but that is hardly adequate. Post CCW training is highly recommended.
Most shooting classes are just that, shooting, not necessarily combat. However, there are many that can prepare a citizen for some likely scenarios--Street Survival, Tactics and Techniques, Close Quarter Combat, Edged Weapons, Baton/Martial Cane Concepts, Combatives--all help to instill needful survival skills. However, the one area that I think is lacking is material I've seen addressed in Kane's Surviving Armed Assaults: A Martial Artists Guide to Weapons, Street Violence, and Countervailing Force. Zimmerman may have benefitted from a better understanding of the force continuum. Kane presents a measured response at each stage where one employs a different skill set: (1) presence/authority, (2) voice, (3) empty-hand restraint, (4) non-lethal force and (5) lethal force.
“Your claim that Zimmerman drew his weapon and tried to make a citizen’s arrest doesn’t follow from the evidence reported.”
I did not claim that. I said he “could have”, for all we know. What we do know is that Zimmerman displayed extremely poor judgement prior to his physical confrontation with Martin by getting out of the car and pursuing Martin on foot, at night, in the rain, while armed. There’s no reason to assume that Zimmerman’s judgement became any better during his foot pursuit and the time leading up to the physical altercation.
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