Neighborhood watch captain kills black teen - doesn't get arrested

[DOUBLE WING]

This is what really sticks out to me:

Crump and Jackson said that after calling the police he should have followed their instructions and waited for the officer to arrive. He should not have approached the teen. If Trayvon fought back, said Jackson, that’s to be expected. He was being confronted by someone who was not a police officer, was not in uniform and was not in a patrol vehicle. The teenager could not have known that Zimmerman had a concealed carry permit and had a gun

That sums up my thoughts perfectly. Even if there was an altercation, Trayvon was probably the one acting in self-defense. Here he's got some wannabe Barney Fife following him in his car? I would probably get scared and do something stupid too. Like someone said, this guy bit off more than he could chew and a kid had to die because of it.

 

[CowboyMcCoy]

I believe he should, at the very least, been taken into custody.

Unless there was overwhelming evidence this kid was attacking him and his life was in danger. (witness, video recording)

I was taken into custody for beating a guy up on my property with witneses to what happened ..... so I cannot see how someone could kill a kid and not be taken in and grilled.

That sucks. Witnesses actually saved me one time. My ex brother-in-law tried to set me up as if I struck him with the car door. They had like 4-5 witnesses with a similar, but different story. That's what the cops said. Then these guys were smart enough to ask some neighbors, who I never noticed, across the street and they were BBQing...

This, mind you was in Williamson county--known for being tough.

Well, they said the exact same thing I said. That he kicked the door. And if the door hit him it's because he kept kicking and kicking the door of my ex-wife, who was 6 months pregnant, and that I only got out of the car to square up with him, so he'd stop beating in my car door.

Luckily, the cops listened to an extent. But he didn't go to jail either, which is what I think the right thing to do is. I guess the Baptist preacher card got him a bye on that one.

 

[CowboyMcCoy]

Ignore him ... or he will make sure this thread is shut down.

Zrin, why the hostility? Just asking.... How would I make sure any thread is shut down? Man, I guess I see why you got arrested, mostly likely because of your temper.

 

[JonJon]

It is obvious who initiated the confrontation. Zimmerman called the kid in. Zimmerman proceeded to follow the kid against advisement from dispatchers. Zimmerman decided at some point to get out of his car. Zimmerman bit off more than he could chew and shot the kid for it.

All he had to do was drive away after placing the call. Or drive away when the kid confronted him. Or drive away instead of being provoked out of his car. Having a carry permit is not license to instigate a fight and murder your victim if you start losing.

I don't think it matters who initiated the physical altercation when it is a minor versus an adult. The adult in this case clearly had opportunities to back off and never did. We will never know what the kid was thinking and what drew him into a fight. I can tell you the kid would not have been wrong to question the driver who was stalking him and would not have been wrong to protect himself if the driver gets out of his car. Zimmerman may not have been doing anything illegal but he is responsible for creating the situation and responsible for the death of a teenager who was walking home from the store.

As for the race factor, you have to ask if this would have played out the exact same way if the kid was white instead of black. I don't know that answer, but I believe it was a matter of circumstance and Zimmerman didn't find him suspicious simply because he was black. The kid was there visiting his father, so he was not a regular resident of the neighborhood. Since it is a gated community seeing someone you don't know or who does not look familiar can seem suspicious. His actions after finding the kid suspicious may have been because of race but that is not something I can speculate on.

This is what really sticks out to me:



That sums up my thoughts perfectly. Even if there was an altercation, Trayvon was probably the one acting in self-defense. Here he's got some wannabe Barney Fife following him in his car? I would probably get scared and do something stupid too. Like someone said, this guy bit off more than he could chew and a kid had to die because of it.

All very good points, and my line of thinking as well.

 

[JonJon]

Update:

http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/03/11/2689107/family-of-teen-killed-by-neighborhood.html

According to the article, the man weighed 200 pounds and the boy only weighed 140. I find it hard to believe that a weaponless-boy at 140 was able to beat up a 200 pound man carrying a firearm. Either something is missing from this story, or some lies are being told.

 

[Dallas]

Zrin, why the hostility? Just asking.... How would I make sure any thread is shut down? Man, I guess I see why you got arrested, mostly likely because of your temper.

:laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2:

 

[zrinkill]

Zrin, why the hostility? Just asking.... How would I make sure any thread is shut down?

What hostility?

Its what you do.

 

[casmith07]

Black teenager or not, this story is abhorrent. The color of the victim is irrelevant to the law, though it is relevant to the court of public opinion.

 

[Goku]

Zimmerman's neighbors complained about his aggressive tactics before killing

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/12/george-zimmerman-trayvon-martin_n_1340358.html

ABC news uncovers questionable police conduct in investigation

http://abcnews.go.com/US/neighborho...s-questionable/story?id=15907136#.T1-UaWJSSjM

here is a pic of Zimmerman by the way. he looks like a pretty decent sized guy while Trayvon has looked scrawny in all his pics, I don't believe the self defense argument.

http://i.imgur.com/kTXxn.png

 

[YosemiteSam]

Prison time. He looks like an ***hole.

 

[CowboyMcCoy]

What hostility?

Its what you do.

Good explanation, buddy. Well, at least I squashed it towards you a long time ago. You'll always be Zrin, though, with that chip on your shoulder.:laugh2:

 

[Doomsday101]

Black teenager or not, this story is abhorrent. The color of the victim is irrelevant to the law, though it is relevant to the court of public opinion.

I agree with you and I think most Americans would agree. Remove color and the outrage is the same. A young man unarmed was killed for no apparent reason.

 

[CowboyMcCoy]

:laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2:

Aw, Dallas, are you flirting with me again? :laugh1:

 

[CowboyMcCoy]

I agree with you and I think most Americans would agree. Remove color and the outrage is the same. A young man unarmed was killed for no apparent reason.

Yep. The incident doesn't sit well with me either. And I'm an advocate in terms of raising awareness about unqualified people manning positions that should require skill and training.

What are we wasting all these education loans on all of the overly educated generation if we're not going to use their training and talent?

Feh, I know it's not a meritocracy. But still, it'd be nice to utilize some of our talent. Instead we sell it out to cheap(er) labor(er)(s).

 

[Hoofbite]

They released audio tapes from the neighbor.

It's bad.

The kid is screaming for help in the background.

Unbelievable.

I haven't read the whole thread, is this guy still out walking around?

If he is and he gets off, this situation is going to get awful.

Audio is on the right side.

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com...ll-20120316_1_deadly-shooting-dispatcher-shot

Little video box.

 

[SkinsandTerps]

Article I read says the kid was "tall". He may have been 140 at one time, but he might have weighed more, who knows.

Either way, the father says that Mr. Zimmerman out weighed the kid by 100 pounds.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/17/u...ught-in-florida-teenagers-shooting-death.html
Here is part:

Mr. Zimmerman lives in the predominantly white gated community where the shooting took place. A criminal justice major in college, he often patrolled the streets in his car. In the last 14 months, Mr. Zimmerman had made 46 calls to the police, officials said, reporting everything from alarms and disturbances to reckless driving and, most commonly, a “suspicious” person.

 

[speedkilz88]

They released audio tapes from the neighbor.

It's bad.

The kid is screaming for help in the background.

Unbelievable.

I haven't read the whole thread, is this guy still out walking around?

If he is and he gets off, this situation is going to get awful.

Audio is on the right side.

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com...ll-20120316_1_deadly-shooting-dispatcher-shot

Little video box.

How can you be sure that's the kid yelling? The other guy claims he was screaming for help. Hopefully that audio can be professionally checked to see which one was yelling for help.

 

[TheDallasDon]

Why do people say African American when there not from Africa?

The PC way sounds like "not full" American.

 

[speedkilz88]

Why do people say African American when there not from Africa?

The PC way sounds like "not full" American.

I remember watching a women's ice skating competition on tv years ago and one of the skaters was from Canada. The commentator called her the African-American ..... from Canada. He realized it just a little to late.

 

[TellerMorrow34]

I guess I missed all the threads that Cowboy McCoy got shut down cause I don't recall any.