Quote:
Originally Posted by RougeUnderoos
If we're going to play this game...
This is a case of an armed man with a history of violence (we've all seen his mugshot), .
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Well, if it makes you feel better, an alternative photo of a respectable citizen George Zimmerman, not taken after a night of roughhousing:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sowa
I agree! Great Instincts. Neighborhood watch people should all be blessed with the instincts that allow you to reason following someone around a neighborhood that looks suspicious and not just call it in and let the police deal with it.
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As always, there are two sides . . . .
Zimmerman's father - the only person close to him to talk on the record - said this today::
Robert Zimmerman said his son lost sight of Trayvon and went looking for an address to give police. Trayvon later approached George Zimmerman, punched him in the nose, knocked him to the ground and started beating him . . . .
“Trayvon Martin said something to the effect of ‘you’re going to die now’ or ‘you’re going die tonight,’ ” Robert Zimmerman told WOFL’s Valerie Boey. “He continued to beat George, and at some point, George pulled his pistol and did what he did.”
http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/ent...tml#more-53073
Basically, he's saying his son broke off the pursuit and was found by the victim.
Zimmerman had told police he was in his SUV following Treyvan. The police dispatcher told him he should stay in his SUV. Zimmerman's side of the story is he lost contact with Trayvan and got out to look, then was walking back to his SUV when he was confronted by the victim.
On the opposite side, the victim's girlfriend said this:
"She says: 'Run.' He says, 'I'm not going to run, I'm just going to walk fast,'" Crump said, quoting the girl.
The girl later heard Martin say, "Why are you following me?" Another man asked, "What are you doing around here?" Crump said.
After Martin encountered Zimmerman, the girl thinks she heard a scuffle "because his voice changes like something interrupted his speech," Crump said. The phone call ended before the girl heard any gunshots.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/...95584616bd8d8f
The girlfriend seems to put some time between her initial conversation about "run" and the moment when a confrontation occurs. She also says Treyvan initiated the conversation with Zimmerman.
Neither of those points is actually inconsistent with Zimmerman's account.
The police instruction for Zimmerman to stay in his vehicle in this context is basically advice and not a lawful order.
Most of the news accounts seem to agree he had organized a neighbourhood watch. Police usually advise neighbourhood watches not to patrol. Most agree Zimmerman was a 'cop-wannabe.' His patrolling activities aren't helping his side.
It's hard to say if Zimmerman is making his account up, the part about "how" he ended up face to face with the victim and if he did break off contact earlier as he said after the 911 operator advised him to do so.
Nevertheless, it does look like Zimmerman has enough witnesses to confirm he was being beaten up and was on his back. There are too many unrelated people involved, including other officers at the scene, probably a second paramedic, the eyewitness, etc, to make a conspiracy of silence stand for long. And that's before getting into why all of them would be motivated to do so to help George Zimmerman, someone few, in any, of them knew.
At the moment, we don't know if the eyewitness can confirm the death threats the father is claiming were uttered by the victim.
From the AP analysis:
Federal prosecutors could also accuse Zimmerman of using his official authority to violate Martin's rights — known as a "color of law" case — but they would have to prove that Zimmerman was acting in some official capacity, similar to a police officer or government official. Zimmerman was a volunteer neighborhood watchman.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/...95584616bd8d8f
He would need an elevated gun permit to use a weapon in an official capacity. He's better off forgetting the neighbourhood watch thing in this context.
As always, these obscure cases are interesting . . . . . appealing to the human interest in mysteries. It's why there is always one or two on the go in the national concsiousness. And why something like this is useful to certain political points of view.
Interestingly, Zimmerman is a registered Democrat.
We'll see what happens. But I'd bet he won't be charged.
Cowperson