911 Tapes of George Zimmerman Killing Trayvon Martin Released

opposingviews.com ^ | 20 March, 2012 | Mark Berman

[marktwain]

Police in Florida have released audio tapes of 911 calls regarding the killing of an unarmed black teenager by a white neighborhood watch volunteer.

George Zimmerman shot and killed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin during a confrontation inside Zimmerman's gated community in Sanford, Florida last month. Zimmerman claimed it was in self-defense, but Martin did not have a gun.

Following accusations that the shooting was racially motivated, the Justice Department announced Monday that it would investigate the shooting.

"He committed no crime. My son wasn’t doing anything but walking on the sidewalk," Martin's mother Sybrina Fulton said on the "Today Show," adding that she thinks Zimmerman targeted him because of "the color of his skin."

The first 911 call was that of Zimmerman calling to report a "suspicious" person:

911 Tapes of George Zimmerman Killing Trayvon Martin Released Share This Story article image Submitted by Mark Berman Opposing Views on Mar 20, 2012

Police in Florida have released audio tapes of 911 calls regarding the killing of an unarmed black teenager by a white neighborhood watch volunteer.

George Zimmerman shot and killed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin during a confrontation inside Zimmerman's gated community in Sanford, Florida last month. Zimmerman claimed it was in self-defense, but Martin did not have a gun.

Following accusations that the shooting was racially motivated, the Justice Department announced Monday that it would investigate the shooting.

"He committed no crime. My son wasn’t doing anything but walking on the sidewalk," Martin's mother Sybrina Fulton said on the "Today Show," adding that she thinks Zimmerman targeted him because of "the color of his skin."

The first 911 call was that of Zimmerman calling to report a "suspicious" person:

Another call is from a woman who said something is going on outside her house -- a person screaming for help. It can be heard in the background of the call. Presumably it is Martin:

911 Tapes of George Zimmerman Killing Trayvon Martin Released Share This Story article image Submitted by Mark Berman Opposing Views on Mar 20, 2012

Police in Florida have released audio tapes of 911 calls regarding the killing of an unarmed black teenager by a white neighborhood watch volunteer.

George Zimmerman shot and killed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin during a confrontation inside Zimmerman's gated community in Sanford, Florida last month. Zimmerman claimed it was in self-defense, but Martin did not have a gun.

Following accusations that the shooting was racially motivated, the Justice Department announced Monday that it would investigate the shooting.

"He committed no crime. My son wasn’t doing anything but walking on the sidewalk," Martin's mother Sybrina Fulton said on the "Today Show," adding that she thinks Zimmerman targeted him because of "the color of his skin."

The first 911 call was that of Zimmerman calling to report a "suspicious" person:

Another call is from a woman who said something is going on outside her house -- a person screaming for help. It can be heard in the background of the call. Presumably it is Martin:

Martin and Zimmerman:

[marktwain]

This shows how a feeding frenzy develops into a media lynching. I have read and posted a number Mark Berman's articles. He is usually quite good. In this instance, however, he leaves out a number of important bits of information.

He says that the person screaming in the background of the tape is presumably Martin. Early in the investigation it was assumed that it was Zimmerman, and Zimmerman told the police that he was screaming for help during the attack. That information is now being disputed.

He shows an older picture of Martin, that shows a happy little boy. He does not mention that Martin was 6 ft, 3 inches tall.

This story certainly has a tragedy in it. Both Zimmerman and Martin were in public places where they legaly could be. Neither one committed any crime until the attack occured.

The question has always been: Did Martin attack Zimmerman, as he claims, or did Zimmerman attack Martin, who then turned the tables on Zimmerman and beat him to the point where Zimmerman shot Martin.

There is no question that Zimmerman was beaten. The question is who started the physical altercation.

[apillar]

National Crisis! National Crisis! One of “Holder’s People” is down! Call Out the FBI,CIA, Homeland Security and United Nations. Get the NAACP and Jesse Jackson down there pronto! Obama must give a speech and say the police “acted stupidly”. Time for some riots, those TV’s from back in the Rodney King days are starting to wear out!

[skeeter]

George Zimmerman shot and killed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin during a confrontation inside Zimmerman's gated community in Sanford, Florida last month. Zimmerman claimed it was in self-defense, but Martin did not have a gun.

I guess you need a gun to be considered a threat.

Of all the mixed race crimes committed over the past month of course we know this will be the only one to receive media interest.

[Oshkalaboomboom]

I thought the guard was Hispanic. Why do they keep saying white?

[ngat]

6’3”!

Shirley not.

That would mean Martin could have been an athlete, in shape, and not a little 140 pounder as the news media has been reporting.

[Venturer]

Did Martin live in the gated community?

If not, why was he there?

[Jonty30]

It doesn’t matter who actually iniated the physical part of the confrontation. Zimmerman initiated the confrontation when he left his vehicle. Most self-defense laws recognize the person making the contact as the aggressor. Zimmerman made the initial contact, he would be defined as the aggressor in this situation, no matter if Martin took a swing first.

[RoosterRedux]

Both Zimmerman and Martin were in public places where they legally could be.

Wasn't this inside a gated community? Did they both have a right to be there?

[Hiro Protaginast]

Because when Hispanics are a victim, they’re hispanic, but when they commit a crime they’re white.

[massgopguy]

The word Zimmerman appears 16 times. The word Hispanic never appears. Think they’re trying to imply that he’s Jewish?

[Jonty30]

Since he was walking down the street, it’s a reasonable to assume he wasn’t actually in the gated community, but walked by the gates, but Zimmerman was alarmed by the fact that Martin walked by the gates.

[JohnG45]

You state, both Zimmerman and Martin were in public places where they legaly could be.

Didn't the author state, during a confrontation inside Zimmerman's gated community in Sanford, Florida. Wouldn't that mean that Martin was not in a public place? Or, am I missing something?

[PowderMonkey]

"I thought the guard was Hispanic."

He still is. Images of him are now hard to find, but I'd say he would have difficulty obtaining membership in a local chapter of the KKK. And, he's now being pointedly referred to as a "white vigilante," while flashing photos of his victim that appear to have been taken at the age of seven.

[Moose4]

Martin was visiting a family member (father, I think?) who lived inside the gated community. He had walked to a store to get something and was allegedly walking back to the house where he was staying, inside the community.

}:-)4

[Myrddin]

The media goes on and on about how Martin didn't have a gun, but omits that Zimmerman was beaten. At 6' 3", Martin is a fairly big "kid". Plenty big enough to do some major physical harm with his bare hands. Enough harm that Zimmerman has evidence of being physically beaten before using a firearm on Martin. He certainly didn't beat himself up. How big is Zimmerman? Is he a small person compared to 6' 3" Martin? The grand jury will have to measure the evidence. I don't think this is a simple case of Martin being shot because he's black. The race card doesn't add up here...except that multiple burglaries of neighborhood homes had occurred at the hands of young, black males in recent weeks. There was probable cause to ask the question. What escalated the question to a physical altercation is the question.

[cport]

No Martin was staying there at his father’s girlfriends house after being suspended from school in Miami. He was in the gates.

[RoosterRedux]

Since he was walking down the street, it’s a reasonable to assume he wasn’t actually in the gated community, but walked by the gates, but Zimmerman was alarmed by the fact that Martin walked by the gates.

The article says "inside the gated community," so it isn't actually reasonable to assume otherwise.

In fact, if the incident occurred outside the security partition/gate, it's a very different story.

[Jonty30]

That wasn’t my understanding. I hadn’t read anything to indicate that the father lived inside the gated community, but was perhaps a few doors down from the gated community.

[douginthearmy]

Another call is from a woman who said something is going on outside her house -- a person screaming for help. It can be heard in the background of the call. Presumably it is Martin:

I heard the call on Fox yesterday and I thought it was Zimmerman calling for help. I might be wrong, I wasn't really paying attention. Just wonder why they presume it was Martin.