CNN's Banfield Falsely Claims Trayvon Martin Eyewitness Told Her Attacker Was Hispanic

newsbusters.org ^ | 4/7/12 | Noel Sheppard

[ColdOne]

You'd think on the very day an NBC News producer was fired for editing George Zimmerman's 911 call to make it appear he was racist media members would be extra careful to be as factually accurate as possible when reporting on the Trayvon Martin shooting.

CNN's Ashleigh Banfield clearly didn't get this memo for while substitute-hosting on Anderson Cooper 360 Friday night, she twice falsely claimed that an eyewitness she had just interviewed said the person she believed was the attacker - meaning the one on top during the fight near her house - was Hispanic (video follows with transcript and commentary):

[Gil4]

"she twice falsely claimed that an eyewitness she had just interviewed said the person she believed was the attacker - meaning the one on top during the fight near her house - was Hispanic"

She's trying to claim Zimmermann was on top, not Martin, by lying about what an eyewitness told her.

[chris_bdba]

Would this be the so called eye witness that was on the phone and didn’t see anything? I ask because the 2 real eye witness have the same story that it was Martin on top beating Zimmermann.

[cricket]

She's trying to claim Zimmermann was on top, not Martin, by lying about what an eyewitness told her.

Oh, thanks; 'get it' - now that is.

(Poorly framed story or I read too fast (and do not have time to go back and check; but thanks again, for clarification!)

[RedMonqey]

BANFIELD: And when the gunfire went off, what happened to the larger man who you think might have been on the top? What happened at that moment? UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, I will just say a couple seconds later that larger man was walking closer to where I could see him.

Ya'll need to read her alleged statements. If Trayvon was the "larger man" on top, then why was the "larger man" walking towards her after the fight ended?

Hmmmmmmm....

[Mr. K]

Has anyone looked into the past history of St. Trayvon of the Skittles and Tea?

Is there anyone else he has attacked and beaten? He seems to have been experienced enough

I would have like to have seen the look on his face when he realized he was not picking on an unarmed man

I would bet money he told his G/F on the phone he was going to start some trouble too- he didn’t call her to tell her he was being followed and afraid... he does not seem like the afraid type

So,.. what did he tell her? I am bettign it was more like “i’m going to kick this dude’s ass” and bragging about how brave he was going to be