George Zimmerman in 2005 in custody |
Posted on 03/21/2012 8:54:46 AM PDT by 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:
So, in summary, we have:
The 17 year old was an invited guest of a resident in the neighborhood and so had legal right to be there.
There is no evidence that Martin was committing any type of offense.
The police did their investigation and did not assert that Martin was doing anything illegal.
Zimmerman initiated the confrontation simply by getting out of his car.
Zimmerman ignored the 9-11 operator’s statement that he was no longer needed.
Zimmerman has a history of 9-11 calls which show a pattern of harassment of the neighborhood residents. We also have statements from a couple of residents that they avoided Zimmerman because of his behavior.
The 9-11 call also demonstrated Zimmerman’s irritated state of mind before the confrontation occurred.
We have a report that Martin’s girlfriend was on the phone with him during the confrontation, so there is a witness that will be available for a trial.
The sizes of the two men are irrelevant because the altercation would not have occurred if Zimmerman had not initiated the confrontation.
I would say Zimmerman has a legal problem.
1. The right to swing your fist ends at the other guys nose, even if he is playing rent-a-cop.
2. I’m not buying the “B+ student suspended(OSS) for a week for being tardy” thing.
3. I was 5’9”@140 and I was really thin. This kid was supposedly 6’3”@140. Not buying that either.
4. Race pimps got loud and then got quiet. They must know something is wrong with the story.
You speak the truth.
>> I thought the guard was Hispanic. Why do they keep saying white?
Obviously to stoke racial discord.
The problem Zimmerman has is that it is clear who started the confrontation.
Zimmerman called 911 from his car, and reported Martin. The 911 operator told Zimmerman not to engage with Martin.
It is clear Martin didn’t run up to the car and pull Zimmerman out. Zimmerman got out of his car and confronted Martin. And he had a weapon.
At that point, if Martin started beating Zimmerman up, Zimmerman still won’t be able to claim “self-defense”.
That would be like a robber coming up to you, waving a gun in your face, and if you punch him, he shoots you and claims you started it.
Since Zimmerman isn’t an LEO, how could Martin have known that Zimmerman wasn’t actually coming to beat him up, or rob him?
I don’t think you need to know who was screaming. A rapist might be screaming before he stabs the woman, if she manages to poke him in the eye with her keys. That isn’t going to make it self-defense.
How is Zimmerman going to argue that he had no criminal motives in confronting Martin, when he called 911 and was told to stay away, and then he engaged? Couple that with what he said, and it will be easy to argue that his intent was to confront Martin.
It upsets me that we make this into a racial thing. It’s not — I don’t think you could ask a white person about this and know how they will react. I learned of this from white friends who were upset when they first heard the story, before it became well-publicized. A lot of white conservatives here at FR are, if not actively opposing Zimmerman, are keeping an open mind and asking the questions.
George Zimmerman in 2005 in custody |
The drive-by media's repeated characterization of Zimmerman as a "white guy" (as evidenced above) should serve as a red flag (pardon the pun) as to why this particular shooting is of such importance. At a time when the first "black pResident" is facing the long lost vetting of 2008, has tanking poll numbers due to his economic malice and is trying to defend his indefensible record by blaming everything on Fox News influence on white males, it's of the utmost importance that a storyline proving white on black racism is alive and well in America so it can divert attention away from Obama's Constitutional wrecking crew.
And aggression.
All this stuff about the 28 year old 250 lb. adult manhandling the 140 lb kid in the scenario seems to be an image conjured up by the media.
6’3” High school football player. Reportedly weighs 140. True or false?
250 lb guy in late 20’s. How tall? Is it more likely he’s a guy who couldn’t run 50 yards without collapsing, or is he an in-shape weightlifter?
There are no facts being reported, just political propoganda.
IF a guy pulls a gun on me, I guess I could just wait for him to shoot me, or I could try to run until he shoots me in the back, or I could try to disarm him and then use the gun to hold him off.
You are right, we have no idea if the gun was visible, but the idea that the gun had to be hidden or Martin would have just stood there is false.
If you look at pictures of Zimmerman, he’s an imposing-looking guy. Zimmerman told the 911 operator that he was observed by Martin, who then started walking away toward the back entrance of the community.
Imagine this from Martin’s perspective. You are a teen in a community that isn’t your own neighborhood. You are walking back to the house you are staying at. A car pulls up slowly and is following you. There is a large mean-looking hispanic guy staring at you. As you walk, he follows you slowly.
You try to walk faster, and then the guy gets out of his car and starts coming after you.
Do you assume that the guy is a good guy who is coming to ask you questions, or do you assume the guy is coming to rob you? If the gun is showing, it just makes the situation more threatening.
BTW, a guy with a gun should not be approaching a suspect close enough to get into a fist fight, with the gun still holstered.
This could all be a tragic misunderstanding, but I don’t see how Zimmerman gets out of this as the “victim”. Once the 911 operator told Zimmerman NOT to follow the guy, Zimmerman lost his chance to claim “self-defense”, in my opinion.
Something to ponder;
Trayvon did not really live in the area. It was his father’s girlfriends house in the gated community. Trayvon was suspended from school for a week for some unknown offense. (His family refuses to elaborate) His family says he was there to get his head right. Zimmerman complained there were several break-ins over a few months time all unsolved. I wonder if there is a correlation between Trayvon’s visits to daddy and the break-ins. Zimmerman did state the kid was acting suspiciously. Even if Trayvon was the burglar it in no way excuses Zimmerman if he just executed this “kid”. Over time more will come out about all involved.
Doesn't sound quite right. From my own experience, I was 6 ft tall, 112 lbs at age 12. By age 14 I was 135. Age 16 at 165. It took some years to lay on muscle over my skinny frame. At 17 I was up to 176 lb and burned back to 168 lb to be in a more competitive weight class in judo tournaments. The 140 lb weight for a 17 year old 6' 3" male doesn't seem reasonable for a "football" player. Our varsity high school football players were 200 to 220 lbs of solid muscle. Not much fun to face in the morning PE class.
You try to walk faster, and then the guy gets out of his car and starts coming after you.
Do you assume that the guy is a good guy who is coming to ask you questions, or do you assume the guy is coming to rob you? If the gun is showing, it just makes the situation more threatening.
Martin was on the phone with his girlfriend when the incident started and ending just before he was shot. Given her account of the phone call, it would seem it went down more or less as you speculate. According to this article:
The lawyer [Benjamin Crump], who took an affidavit from the girl, quotes the girl on the cellphone as saying that Trayvon was walking home from the store and had temporarily taken refuge from the rain. He then began walking again, when he tells her, according to Crump, "I think this dude is following me.""She tells him, 'baby, be careful, just run home,' " Crump said.
According to the girl, Trayvon says, "I think I lost him" then moments later says, "He is right behind me again. I'm not going to run, I'm going to walk fast."
Crump said "she hears another voice, 'What are you doing around here?' Trayvon says, 'Why are you following me?' " At that point, according to the girl, Travyon is pushed and his voice changes.
"She hears the altercation, suddenly, someone just hit the phone, because that's the last she hears," Crump said. She did not hear the shooting.
So, it would appear Zimmerman created the situation by threatening Martin. As such, his use of deadly force was not covered by the law. It's looking like Murder II at least.
This could all be a tragic misunderstanding, but I don’t see how Zimmerman gets out of this as the “victim”. Once the 911 operator told Zimmerman NOT to follow the guy, Zimmerman lost his chance to claim “self-defense”, in my opinion.
I agree.
Jonatha Carr is listed as the funeral contact for Martin and is possibly the women who flipped out in the FAU “student threatens to kill professor” video.
Have you seen this one? Eyewitness “John” says he saw Trayvon on top of Zimmerman.
Man shot and killed in neighborhood altercation
http://www.myfoxorlando.com/dpp/news/seminole_news/022712-man-shot-and-killed-in-neighborhood-altercation#ixzz1phFMGCu4
That’s from last Wednesday, before this became a racial brouhaha.
Has anyone been charged yet in the beating death of a FAMU band member?
I note the students from FAMU attending the Martin rallies in Seminole Co..
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