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.
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!
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.
I thought the guard was Hispanic. Why do they keep saying white?
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.
Did Martin live in the gated community?
If not, why was he there?
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.
Wasn't this inside a gated community? Did they both have a right to be there?
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?
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.
Zimmerman? He's the shooter. He's the killer. He's a murderer. The whole "alleged" terminology went out the window mighty fast.
I have commented on the accuracy, and completeness of the facts, objectiveness and agenda of the reporting media, and concluded that a thorough unbiased investigation is required before ANY conclusions regarding any person's guilt can be made.
Unfortunately, several FReepers are confident of Mr. Zimmerman's guilt based on the MSM's unbiased forensic criminal investigative expertise.
I saw the report last night. When I first saw his picture, I erroneously thought this Zimmerman guy was also black.
But, as far as “volunteer neighborhood watch” people, based on my first hand experience, I am wary of this guy’s side of the story. First you have the HOA Overlord wannabes, then you have the these guys, the generals. Everyone is vying for some kind of authority that they lack in their professional careers or in their own homes and they get a chub when they are deputized to exert their brand of justice to an entire neighborhood.
I was out walking the dog about 10pm one evening when a car came around the bend and suddenly, this strobe light lit up the car. The car slowed to a crawl as he got closer to me and I could see the driver trying to crane his neck and check all his mirrors trying to figure out what the hell just happened. Then the car continued on past me.
As my dog and I approached the area of the strobe light, I saw this guy standing on the apron of his driveway with some kind of speed gun-activated camera with a strobe light. Out of curiosity, I said ‘good evening’ and asked what was up. He started telling me about how they have been having problems with speeders on their little stretch of the road and they unsuccessfully lobbied the police to set up radar and write tickets, etc. So he and a few neighbors got together and decided they could do something on their own.
Just then, another car came down the road and he raised his camera as it past and the strobe went off. (the car was literally doing 27 mph in a 25 zone - I peeked at his lense) The car slowed down in an effort to figure out the light show that they just passed through and then pulled into a driveway a block away to turn around. As the car started coming back up the street, he nodded to me and said, “If anything goes down, just duck behind that car over there, don’t worry about me, I’m packin’” as he pulled back his jacket to reveal a holstered Beretta.
The car pulled up and the window lowered. The driver, a young Asian guy, a little irritated, asked if there was a problem. Deputy Dawg told him that he was caught violating the speed limit and his photo will be passed along to the police department where they will issue warning citations to the vehicle owners. He was rehearsed and it sounded good, but it was all a crock. So, I decide it was in my best interest to continue on with our walk. Nothing good was going to come out of this situation.
The following night, I pulled into the neighborhood and proceeded down the road, I even slowed as I approached this guy’s drive way looking to see if he was out there again. I didn’t see anything until I passed by and my rear view mirror lit up with that strobe light. Freakin’ clown is going to get somebody killed one day...
Beware of volunteer, self-annointed safety czars.
"SIR! BECAUSE OF WHAT YOU JUST SAID TO ME, I AM NOW IN FEAR OF MY LIFE!"
The other person does not need to have said anything prior to you initiating the conversation in this way. When the witnesses testify, they will remember that the other person "said something" and that you felt threatened.
"Martin, who lived with his mother in Miami, was a junior at Dr. Michael M. Krop Senior High School. He was in the middle of serving a one-week suspension from the school. Tracy Martin would not discuss his son’s suspension, but said he took Trayvon to the Central Florida town, best known as the auto train stop closest to Orlando, “to disconnect and get his priorities straight."
Hispanic. Not White. If they can't even get that much right, any of the rest of their editorializing is certainly suspect.
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.
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.
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.
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.