Cops, Witnesses Back Up George Zimmerman's Version of Trayvon Martin Shooting

ABCNews.com ^ | May 17, 2012 | By MATT GUTMAN (@mattgutmanABC) , SENI TIENABESO and COLLEEN CURRY

[CA Conservative]

Two police reports written the night that George Zimmerman shot Trayvon Martin said that Zimmerman had a bloody face and nose, according to police reports made public today.

The reports also note that two witness accounts appear to back up Zimmerman's version of what happened when they describe a man on his back with another person wearing a hoodie straddling him and throwing punches.

In addition, Trayvon Martin's father told an investigator after listening to 911 tapes that captured a man's voice frantically callling for help that it was not his son calling for help.

The new information is part of a trove of documents released by the Florida State Attorney today in the case against Zimmerman, who is charged with second degree murder for the Feb. 26 killing of Martin, an unarmed 17-year-old African American male.

[GOPJ]

My local paper is doing the ‘it’s all so confusing - this for that side, that for the other’ ... For a liberal paper that translates into ‘we want the story to go away because it doesn’t support liberal lies but we have to cover it...’

[Navy Patriot]

I’d love to see what statute supports this nonsense

I cite that statute in my tagline.

[CA Conservative]

Very interesting. If you read the description of where Zimmerman parked his truck and where Martin's father's girlfriend lived and then look on Google Map, it appears from this account that whomever was being chased was running toward Zimmerman's truck, not toward the home. So this would seem to argue that it was Zimmerman being chased, not Martin. If Martin was being chased, why would he run toward Zimmerman's truck?

What this person's account seems to suggest is that Martin confronted Zimmerman and possibly sucker punched him. Zimmerman ran toward his truck, trying to retreat, but Martin pursued and attacked him again, taking Zimmerman to the ground, where the other witnesses saw Martin on top of Zimmerman, beating him.

[Tublecane]

“Corey’s only hope of avoiding sanctions and disbarment, seems to be to get Zimmerman to admit to murder on the stand.”

Ah, so she’s going for the “You can’t handle the truth!” moment. I can hear Zimmerman now, “You want me on that nightwatch! You need me on that nightwatch!”

[Tublecane]

“Supposedly Corey is presenting the notion Zimmerman caused this by exiting his vehicle”

That wouldn’t be enough, ridiculous as it is, for muder 2. She also has to prove a “depraved mindset,” which I guess she’ll argue stems from his obsession with crime and his profiling blacks.

By the way, can prosecutors now convict women who shoot their rapists simply by asking, “What were you doing where you could be raped in the first place, ma’am? Didn’t you, in fact, instigate the sex? After all it never would’ve happened had you not left your house that morning.”

[Navy Patriot]

So far, there is absolutely no evidence that supports Zimmerman initiating violence against Martin.

Corey will be allowed to speculate in the opening statement and closing arguments, but she cannot testify or lead witnesses, so she can show zero evidence of Zimmerman initiating violence.

Zimmerman dosen't even need to testify at this point, but the very best defense against a baseless accusation, is a firm, honest, angerless denial in front of the jury.

But, to do this right, Zimmerman must be very well prepared for Corey's language and inflection tricks.

[Tublecane]

“Zimmerman dosen’t even need to testify at this point”

I don’t know, I thought I heard somewhere that for him to assert immunity based on self-defense, which I think is what he’s gonna do, he can’t just sit back and dare the prosecution to prove it. Maybe he doesn’t have to take the stand to do so, maybe all he has to do is enter it as a plea. But since the jury has to believe he was in fear for his life for self-defense to apply, and since he’s the only witness to all of what happened, you’d think he has to testify.

[Brown Deer]

and they still haven’t recognized him as an African-American.

[Navy Patriot]

...you’d think he has to testify.

He's not required to testify, but for the points you and I make, and to back up his admissible statements to police and the courts, it's in his best interests to do so and well.

Zimmerman's evidence supported account is that he was ambushed from behind, after he lost track of Martin, and was knocked down, unable to disengage with Martin kneeling on his chest.

At that point, it is impossible to retreat, so he doesn't have to cite SYG to justify shooting, the original Florida self defense allows shooting.

It would be good to relate the ambush directly to the jury, backing up the statement to police. The police believed him, and this time he will be prepared in how to speak and to avoid Corey's traps.

[moehoward]

"“What were you doing where you could be raped in the first place, ma’am? Didn’t you, in fact, instigate the sex? After all it never would’ve happened had you not left your house that morning.”"

An excellent analogy which could be carried over to just about every victim. Percentage of culpability may be a consideration in some cases, like traffic accidents where there is no clear violation, but not here.

[moehoward]

This pink route is my little hypothetical route taken by Zimmerman. There is absolutely no proof he took it. But if he did it would fit the witness account. Note the "T" at the top near "F" where the Martin was shot. "G" is the male 911 caller, not this female witness.

Zimmerman has said he was walking along the top of the "T", a direct route from his truck "C" toward "E". This would necessitate him walking down the T for some reason.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks sickoflibs.