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George Zimmerman mug shot 2005

Over the last few days more facts have emerge in the murder of Trayvon Martin. Based on the reports, Trayvon was on his way to the store to pick up Skittles and a can of ice tea.  George Zimmerman spotted Trayvon Martin and called the police, reporting to the dispatcher that there was a suspicious person in their community. The dispatcher specifically told Zimmerman that the police were on their way and to not follow the suspect. Zimmerman replied to the operator with “these Assholes always get away.”  Zimmerman then pursued Martin on foot and a fist fight broke out.  One of the witnesses claimed that Trayvon Martin, not George Zimmerman,  cried for help during the fight and then a gunshot was heard. By time the police arrived, Trayvon Martin was dead with a bullet wound to the chest. Zimmerman claimed that he acted in self-defense. Keep in mind that Zimmerman outweigh Martin by at least 100 pounds. Although George Zimmerman is still walking around a free man, the Sanford police has handed over their investigation to the state attorney.

Whether Trayvon Martin receives justice will be up to the state attorney’s office. The District Attorney will decide whether to charge George Zimmerman with the murder or if he acted in self-defense.  The facts are Trayvon was an unarmed kid minding his own business when Zimmerman decided to play law enforcement and harass the young man without cause. Another interesting tidbit is that initially the police did not arrest Zimmerman because they thought he had no criminal history. In 2005 police charged Zimmerman with battery against an officer and resisting arrest. The charges were later expunged from his record.  Neighbors  are coming forth sharing with various news sources that there were complaints of Zimmerman’s  aggressive tactics and inappropriate behavior as the community watch captain.  

 Many are accusing the Sanford police of misconduct. From an outsider’s perspective, it seems that the Sanford police are protecting Zimmerman by not releasing the 911 tapes. There was also a report from a witness who stated that the police tried to correct her and say that Zimmerman cried out for help not Trayvon Martin. Based on the fact so far, the District Attorney needs to charge Zimmerman. Zimmerman can prove his self-defense argument in the court of law. Although I’m not sure exactly how he can claim self-defense when he ignored the dispatcher’s instructs by getting out of the car, armed with a gun, and pursued a child.  My theory is that Zimmerman physically attempted to restrain Trayvon Martin until the police showed up and the teen, rightfully so, fought back.

Self-defense is the use of physical force to protect one’s property or self from an immediate threat of violence. Trayvon Martin did not pose an immediate threat to George Zimmerman.  In the United States, a person can use REASONABLE force to protect themselves an others from violence. Deadly force is only justified if the person has a reasonable fear of serious injury or death. Now was it necessary for George Zimmerman to shoot an unarmed child who weighs at least 100 pounds less than him? Why did George Zimmerman ignore the dispatcher’s instructions and pursue Trayvon Martin with a loaded weapon?  Florida has a law called the Castle Doctrine which gives the  person certain immunities in cases of deadly force if the intended target has reasonable fears of imminent death or serious bodily injury to himself or another.  But this law doesn’t apply to Zimmerman’s case because Trayvon Martin was not an intruder in his home, did not act illegally, and was not attempting to commit a felony. Furthermore Trayvon Martin was actually found a few yards from his father’s home.  George Zimmerman will need a brilliant legal defense to prove how he acted in self-defense. If the DA chooses not to charge George Zimmerman with the death of Trayvon Martin, the world will know how little they value the lives of young black boys and that the Sanford police department is corrupt.

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