Trayvon Martin murder case

[MonaBlissa]

I was stunned after seeing Zimmerman's picture. The media pretty much painted him as this uber-Aryan looking skinhead type of guy, and I don't think he is exactly white himself, he looks Latino.

Regardless of nationality, his ass belongs in jail.

Anybody can be guilty of racial profiling. It's not an attack on whites, even though Zimmerman is half-white. And the cops committed institutionalized racism by not arresting or doing a further investigation.

If African-Americans didn't have a history of being murdered and not protected by the justice system, nobody would speak of race. Racial profiling and racial justice apathy is a reality for blacks in America.

[MonaBlissa]

I was stunned after seeing Zimmerman's picture. The media pretty much painted him as this uber-Aryan looking skinhead type of guy, and I don't think he is exactly white himself, he looks Latino.

Regardless of nationality, his ass belongs in jail.

One of his parents are supposedly latino, but what is that suppose to mean? Hispanic or latino is not a race. And this story isn't about race.

This 200+ lb man stalked and killed a child. That is all.

This story is about murder and race. Read my expanation in my prior post.

Black households in America warn their children about racial profiling and institutionalized racism, because it is our reality. I never thought another generation of blacks would have to share those cautions with their children. It's a racial burden.

[MonaBlissa]

The new racism is denying racism. - Bill Maher

[Titan3510]

What's bothering me is that George Zimmerman hasn't even been arrested.

By all means, give him a fair trial. Gather all the evidence you can...but come on, now...

I guess part of the blame rests on me too.

I know I'm really young but I've been a fool. I probably should've never bought into the idea that the criminal justice system was fair.

Maybe Martin Luther King, Jr. had made a mistake. Maybe Malcolm X and the Black Panthers were right after all...

The new racism is denying racism. - Bill Maher

If it took Bill Maher to say that, then people are more apathetic than I thought they were.

[NothingFails]

This explains a lot

ow we know why George Zimmerman didn't get arrested. According to court records George Zimmerman is the son of retired Supreme Court Magistrate Judge Robert J. Zimmerman, his mother Gladys Zimmerman is a court clerk. He has three closed arrests 7/18/05 for resisting arrest with violence and battery on a law enforcement officer div 10. In 8/9/05 for domestic violence div 44. And again on 8/10/05 domestic violence div 46. **

Ugh, nepotism helps you so much

[JimJim]

Does anyone have a pic of Zimmerman, so I know what you are talking about?

Alas, I find this one of those tricky situations where it is easy to jump to conclusions, but perhaps one should not. Although I find what NothingFails just posted rather confronting.

But what's really bothering me is that no one (i.e. non-black people) seems to care. No matter where I turn, I'm not seeing.

Not here in America. And definitely not on UKMix.

That's because this isn't in the news over here (and probably isn't in the UK etc. much either), I had no idea what this topic was about until I decided to poke my head in today to see what you guys were talking about. The world doesn't revolve around America and it's news.

[NothingFails]

Does anyone have a pic of Zimmerman, so I know what you are talking about?

This is Zimmerman. Before his picture really got out, US media tried to paint this guy as this super-Aryan looking Klansman type and tried to make this a "racist white guy shoots black guy" thing and it shows how the media loves to find spin. There is usually enough black/white tension that this doesn't need to be used as ammo as Zimmerman is not white himself.

Zimmerman needs to get arrested either way.

[Wolfsmagik]

Zimmerman is White Hispanic according to news reports.

[android]

Gee it would be nice if we could view ourselves as just human. People have a right to be angry about the injustice but please posts saying maybe Martin Luther King, Jr. had made a mistake? This was a great man who had the pivotal role in the advancement of civil rights in the United States and around the world, using nonviolent methods. Also the post saying no one cares? It would seem to me lots of people care so maybe in time this commitment to see a wrong righted may make a difference.

[neoepzilon]

Zimmerman is White Hispanic according to news reports.

Because he is. People are saying 'He's hispanic!' as if hispanic is a race. He is definitely not black hispanic.

But can we get off the race topic, because I think the fact that this is being made about race will be what saves this killer from being properly prosecuted.

[MonaBlissa]

Before his picture really got out, US media tried to paint this guy as this super-Aryan looking Klansman type and tried to make this a "racist white guy shoots black guy" thing and it shows how the media loves to find spin.

NO YOU ARE WRONG. His picture has always been plastered over the media like that!

It's racist because if the roles were reversed a black man would have been investigated and arrested, but the State's Attorney denied the opportunity.

It's racist, because this was racial profiling.

It's racist, because this is just another of hundreds of thousands of experiences African-Americans endure in America with the police not further investigating a case because a black victim was involve.

We had to fight to get our "missing kids" on t.v. because if you weren't blonde and white, nobody cared.

That's the reality.

I'm sorry some of you don't understand the dynamics of race in America.

It's racist and sad that ANOTHER generation of black Americans will have to "have the race do's and don'ts" talk with their kids!

[MonaBlissa]

Maybe Martin Luther King, Jr. had made a mistake. Maybe Malcolm X and the Black Panthers were right after all...

The new racism is denying racism. - Bill Maher

MLK's was right for HIS fight. HIS movement was a merge of the labor workers (black and white) and equal civil rights. Sadly, the kind of racism during that era called for boldness and compromise at the same time.

The Black Panthers and Malcolm X were right in THEIR fight, but WRONG in their approach in assuming if you don't fight your battles the way they fight it, you're doing it wrong.

There's a place for Martin and Malcolm. Without Martin, we'd be much more marginalized than today. Without Malcolm, we'd be less conscious of our reality and misery. One isn't better than the other. We needed both!

[MonaBlissa]

Zimmerman is White Hispanic according to news reports.

And a murderer who committed racist actions.

Zimmerman is White Hispanic according to news reports.

Because he is. People are saying 'He's hispanic!' as if hispanic is a race. He is definitely not black hispanic.

But can we get off the race topic, because I think the fact that this is being made about race will be what saves this killer from being properly prosecuted.

Actually, it is not. America has to face it's demons for change. The media is trying to create their own "case" and you have to be careful with "race," but America has accomplished so much in race relations because we face our demons upclose. We're just dealing with a generation who's had their heads in the sand about the realities of others.

[MonaBlissa]

Gee it would be nice if we could view ourselves as just human. People have a right to be angry about the injustice but please posts saying maybe Martin Luther King, Jr. had made a mistake? This was a great man who had the pivotal role in the advancement of civil rights in the United States and around the world, using nonviolent methods. Also the post saying no one cares? It would seem to me lots of people care so maybe in time this commitment to see a wrong righted may make a difference.

Agreed.

Black folks have to be thankful and remember the white folks who cared. Clay Aiken publicly stated that his hoodie doesn't give him a "suspicious" image, and knows the case has race elements. Just like Dr. Drew, just realized the burdens black families carry the daily "worry" about "racial injustice" with justice system and life. I wish every person could see the talk black families give their black male teens when they get a new car. Racism is a worry for us. That's probably one of the reasons we have high blood pressure.

[Wolfsmagik]

Im Black and I am absolutely disgusted with the Black Panthers who are so irrelevant with their vigilante justice. Now the media is trying to asassinate Trayvon's character by bringing up his school expulsions and marijuana smoking. Im also annoyed with the Al Sharpton who is crossing the line between anchor/activist. he is covering is own speeches/rallies on his MSNBC show.

[ginnyfan]

I don't think he killed him cause he's some big racist Clu Clux Clan member who hates blacks and wants to kill them.
He made a ''mistake'' of thinking the kid is some gang member just cause he's black and wore a hoodie and probably big wide rapper pants. It's another big stereotype created in America. Is this what you mean when you say ''racial profiling'' MonaBlisa? I'm not that familiar with all these terms you have related to racial issues.

Anyway, it's SCANDALOUS that this man is still free and there's no case against him.

As for media coverage, this is big news on international news channels (CNN, BBC) and I've also seen it covered a lot on UK domestic news channels (Sky,BBC). The whole thing is so outrageous that nobody can ignore it.

[Wolfsmagik]

Trayvon Martin Shooter Told Cops Teenager Went For His Gun

George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watch crime captain who shot dead 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, originally told police in a written statement that Martin knocked him down with a punch to the nose, repeatedly slammed his head on the ground and tried to take his gun, a police source told ABC News.

Zimmerman had claimed he had called police about Martin, whom he found suspicious, then went back to his car when Martin attacked him, punching him.

The new information is the most complete version yet of what Zimmerman claims happened on the night of Feb. 26 when he shot and killed the teenager.

In addition, an eyewitness, 13-year-old Austin Brown, told police he saw a man fitting Zimmerman's description lying on the grass moaning and crying for help just seconds before he heard the gunshot that killed Martin.

The initial police report noted that Zimmerman was bleeding from the back of the head and nose, and after medical attention it was decided that he was in good enough condition to travel in a police cruiser to the Sanford, Fla., police station for questioning. He was not arrested.

Martin's girlfriend had said in a recording obtained exclusively by ABC News that she heard Martin ask Zimmerman "why are your following me, and then the man asked, what are you doing around here." She then heard a scuffle break out and the line went dead.

Phone records obtained by ABC News show that the girl, who is 16 and asked to remain anonymous, called Martin at 7:12 p.m., five minutes before police arrived, and remained on the phone with Martin until moments before he was shot.

ABC News has also learned that Martin was staying in Sanford at the time because he'd been suspended from Krop High School in Miami after school officials found him with a baggy that they suspected contained marijuana. He was staying at his father's fiance's house in Sanford.

Family spokesperson Ryan Julison confirmed to ABC News that Martin was suspended for an "empty baggy that had contained pot."

"It's irrelevant to what happened on Feb. 26, does not change material facts of the situation, specifically that had George Zimmerman not left his vehicle and heeded the police dispatcher's guidance, we wouldn't be here today," Julison said.

During Zimmerman's call to 911, the dispatcher asked him if he was following the teen. When Zimmerman replied that he was, the dispatcher said, "We don't need you to do that."

Martin's mother, Sybrina Fulton, said at a news conference today, "All I've got to say is they killed my son, and now they're trying to kill his reputation."

The new information threatens to heighten tensions in the emotionally charged case. Sanford's Mayor Jeff Triplett told ABC News that "the city today is a tinder box."

"This city is a glass house, and making matters worse the civic center has a lot of glass," he said referring to a town hall meeting slated for 5 p.m. where family and residents will be airing grievances about the Martin shooting.

In addition, the Rev. Al Sharpton said today that he and other protesters intend to "occupy" Sanford on Easter weekend and pray that the city arrests Zimmerman.

The details of Zimmerman's early account of the confrontation could complicate pressing charges against him, which one veteran prosecutor has already said could be difficult.

"The stand-your-ground law is one portion of justifiable use of deadly force," veteran State Attorney Angela Corey told ABC News. "And what that means is that the state must go forward and be able to prove it's case beyond a reasonable doubt… So it makes the case in general more difficult than a normal criminal case."

Zimmerman shot Martin dead the night of Feb. 26 after following him for several minutes. Zimmerman told police Martin looked suspicious because he was wearing a hoodie, and when he confronted him the two fought -- ultimately resulting in a single bullet in Martin's chest.

Trayvon Martin Case: Timeline of Events

Zimmerman claimed self defense and this weekend the lawyer counseling him, Craig Sonner, told ABC News that he was likely to invoke Florida's controversial stand-your-ground law in his defense.

The law affords people enormous leeway to use deadly force if they feel their life is seriously endangered. Sonner said Zimmerman felt "one of them was going to die that night," when he pulled the trigger.

Corey, a veteran prosecutor known for her zealous defense of victims rights was hand-picked by Florida Gov. Rick Scott for the job. But she faces other challenges in the case.

While in life Trayvon Martin was barely 17, when it comes to justifiable homicide his size -- about 6-foot-3 and 150 pounds -- makes him an adult in death.

Zimmerman, 28, is 5-foot-9 and weighs well over 200 pounds.

But with the Department of Justice and the FBI investigating this case as a possible hate crime, Corey might want to pursue that as well.

"So it would depend on which charge if any we're able to file," she said. "Before we would be able to determine, one, if this is a hate crime, and two, whether or not that would enhance the crime."

Corey's team is now reinvestigating a case that the Sanford Police Department is accused of bungling. Possible police missteps include failing to administer a toxicology exam on Zimmerman, not impounding his car, and failing to contact key witnesses -- like Martin's girlfriend, who was talking to the teen by cell phone and heard most of the scuffle with Zimmerman unfold.

ABC News has learned there is tremendous pressure from local and state authorities for an arrest.

Corey said parts of the investigation might only take a few more days to complete but charges, if they ever come, could be weeks away.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/trayvon-martin-shooter-teenager-gun/story?id=16000239&page=2#.T3MK9mGPWSo

[MonaBlissa]

^Lying inconsistent trash! I see the counterattacks coming. I heard the whole 911 call, his intentions were to pursue that child. You don't agree to meet the police by the mailboxes, and then change your mind! Killer!

Just because America has accomplished so much with race relations, it doesn't mean we don't have a LONG way to go

--------------------------



Homicide detective Chris Serino says he wanted George Zimmerman slapped with manslaughter charges in shooting death of Trayvon Martin



The lead homicide detective probing the fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin wanted the Florida neighborhood watch volunteer slapped with manslaughter charges from the get-go.

Investigator Chris Serino, of the Sanford Police Department, expressed doubt in George Zimmerman’s account of how the shooting went down, ABC News reported Tuesday.

Serino wanted Zimmerman, 28, tossed behind bars, but the state Attorney’s Office said there was not enough evidence to make an arrest, multiple sources told ABC News.

RELATED: GERALDO RIVERA APOLOGIZES FOR TRAYVON MARTIN COMMENTS

In an affidavit taken the night of the Feb. 26 killing, Serino stated he was unconvinced by Zimmerman’s version of events in which he claimed self-defense, the network reported.

State Attorney Norman Wolfinger refused to comment.

The latest twist in the case prompting protests across the country came as Trayvon Martin’s parents went to Washington to demand justice for their son.

“The reason we’re here is that it is now more than 30 days and there still is no arrest,” said the Martin family attorney Ben Crump, after the parents appeared at a forum conducted by Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee.

Trayvon’s father, Tracy Martin, was asked by reporters after the forum if he has a message for Zimmerman. “The only thing I would have to say to him (is) why did he have to take my son’s life?” the dad said.

The dead teen’s mother, Sybrina Fulton, added that “my heart is broken.”

“It breaks even more to know that we have not gotten justice yet and that this man has not been arrested for shooting and killing my son,” Fulton told reporters.

Zimmerman has been in hiding since the shooting, fearful for his life after a fringe group dubbed the New Black Panther Party put a $10,000 bounty on his head.

Fulton pleaded for supporters to refrain from violence on behalf of her son.

“We recognize that a lot of people are doing things on behalf of Trayvon Martin,” Fulton said. “We’ve decided that we want things to be done peaceful.”

During questioning at a police station right after the shooting, Zimmerman claimed he was following Trayvon, who was wearing a hoodie, because he looked suspicious. He said the unarmed 17-year-old attacked him first, knocking him down, jumping on top of him and slamming his head against the ground.

Florida’s so-called “stand your ground” law gives people the right to use force, including deadly force, during a life-threatening confrontation.

But Trayvon’s parents insist he was shot in cold blood while holding just a bag of Skittles and a bottle of iced tea.

The parents denied their son’s link to a Twitter account, in which he purportedly tweeted about smoking marijuana and made derogatory comments about women.

“It’s an account that there’s tweets even after he is dead,” Crump said. “It’s not his account.”
Meanwhile, a New Orleans cop under investigation for the fatal shooting of a black 20-year-old has been suspended for saying Trayvon deserved to die.


Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nationa ... z1qPrguw4r

[Wolfsmagik]

Trayvon Martin Case: Timeline of Events

The slaying of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, a Florida high school student who was shot and killed by George Zimmerman, a self-appointed neighborhood watch captain, has captured national attention.
Petitions and protests calling for justice for Martin have exploded amid allegations of racism and scrutiny into how local police handled the investigation. George Zimmerman has yet to be charged in the case.
Below is a timeline of events:
Feb. 26: Trayvon Martin, a 17-year-old Florida high school student, is found shot and killed in Sanford, Fla., a community north of Orlando.
Several eyewitnesses report to police that they heard a scuffle, then a cry for help, and then a gunshot.
According to the Sanford police report, George Zimmerman, 28, a self-appointed neighborhood watch captain, is found armed with a handgun, standing over Martin. He has a bloody nose and a wound in the back of his head.
Martin is unresponsive and pronounced dead at the scene. He has no weapons on him, only a pack of Skittles and a bottle of iced tea.
Zimmerman tells police he killed Martin in self defense. Taking him at his word, police do not arrest him, nor administer a drug or alcohol test.
March 9: Trayvon Martin’s family demands that police release the 911 tapes or make an arrest nearly one month after Martin was killed. Police declined to comment at the time, but told ABC News the tapes would be released the following week.
March 13: ABC News uncovers questionable police conduct in the investigation of the fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin.
Sanford Police Chief Billy Lee said there is no evidence to dispute George Zimmerman’s assertion that he shot Martin out of self defense.
March 16: Police recordings made the night George Zimmerman allegedly shot and killed Trayvon Martin sent the boy’s mother screaming from the room and prompted his father to declare, “He killed my son,” a family representative tells ABC News.
ABC News affiliate WFTV publishes excerpts from the 911 calls.
One of several petitions for Zimmerman’s arrest has garnered more than 250,000 signatures on a change.org site. At one point signatures were pouring in at the rate of 10,000 an hour, according to the website.
March 18: Trayvon Martin’s family asks U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and the FBI to get involved in the investigation of their son’s death.
March 19: A 16-year-old girl tells Benjamin Crump, the Martin family’s attorney, about the last moments of Trayvon Martin’s life. Martin was on the phone with her when George Zimmerman began following him. She recounted that she told Martin to run, then she heard some pushing, then the line went dead.
The U.S. Justice Department announces it has launched an investigation into Martin’s slaying.
ABC News also learns that Zimmerman violated major principles of the Neighborhood Watch manual, which states, “it should be emphasized to members that they do not possess police powers, and they shall not carry weapons or pursue vehicles.”
The State Attorney’s office in Seminole County, Fla., announces that a grand jury will review the evidence of the case on April 10.
March 20: Sanford police department admits to ABC News that investigators missed a possible racist remark by the shooter as he spoke to police dispatchers moments before Trayvon Martin’s killing.
March 21: Sanford city commissioners conduct a vote of “no confidence” against embattled Police Chief Billy Lee at a heated city council meeting. Three of five commissioners vote against the chief.
The city manager now decides whether or not to let Lee go.
Martin’s parents join hundreds of protesters in New York City for the “Million Hoodie March,” demanding justice for the slain 17-year-old.
A single online petition calling for George Zimmerman’s arrest has nearly 900,000 signatures and is now the fastest growing petition in internet history, according to change.org. Tweets from celebrities, such as Justin Bieber and Spike Lee, helped fuel wide interest in the case.
A public relations person for Benjamin Crump, the attorney representing the Martin family, tells ABC News they received 418 media calls in one day.
March 22: Sanford Police Chief Bill Lee announces he will “temporarily” stepping down amid accusations that his department bungled the investigation into the shooting death of Trayvon Martin.
Florida Gov. Rick Scott also announces State Attorney Norman Wolfinger, another key investigator tied to the case, has agreed to withdraw.
Martin’s family meets officials from the U.S. Justice Department.
Thousands rallied in Sanford, Fla., organized by the Reverend Al Sharpton, to demand George Zimmerman’s arrest. Sanford police continue to accept Zimmerman’s claim that the shooting was in self defense.

March 23: Roughly 50 schools in Florida stage walkouts to protest the killing of Trayvon Martin and show support for the change.org petition, demanding George Zimmerman’s arrest.
The online petition surpasses 1.5 million signatures, making it all time fastest growing petition in change.org’s history, according to the website.
At a White House press conference, President Obama takes time to address the Trayvon Martin case, saying, “If I had a son he’d look like Trayvon.”

“Hoodies on the Hill,” a group of Capitol Hill staffers, rally in support of Martin.
Fox News contributor Geraldo Rivera ignites a firestorm of criticism when he seemed to indicate that Martin’s hoodie, which he was wearing the night of the shooting, was to blame for his death.
A second “Million Hoodie March” takes place in Philadelphia. Thousands attend.
Members of the Miami Heat basketball team dispatch Twitter pictures, showing team members wearing hoodies in support of Martin.
March 24: A friend of George Zimmerman’s family tells ABC News that the voice heard howling on the 911 tapes was Zimmerman’s, not 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. The friend also said Zimmerman ”couldn’t stop crying” in the days following the shooting.

Zimmerman’s attorney Craig Sonner tells ABC News that Zimmerman is not a racist, and that his client has received numerous calls and threats.
The Black Panthers put up a $10,000 bounty for Zimmerman’s “capture.”
March 25: Joe Oliver, who describes himself as a close friend of George Zimmerman’s family, appears on “Good Morning America” and reiterates that Zimmerman has gone into hiding, fears for his life and is “just now becoming aware of how big this has gotten.”

Oliver later tells ABC News’ David Muir that he “didn’t even know whether George pulled the trigger.”
Zimmerman’s attorney Craig Sonner tells ABC News it will be clear in court that Zimmerman acted in self defense, and that he suffered a broken nose and an injury to the back of his head the night Trayvon Martin was killed.
March 26: George Zimmerman originally told police in a written statement that Trayvon Martin knocked him down with a punch to the nose, repeatedly slammed his head on the ground and tried to take his gun, a police source tells ABC News.
Lead prosecutor and veteran State Attorney Angela Corey tells ABC News that convicting Zimmerman won’t be easy because of Florida’s “stand-your-ground” law.
“The stand-your-ground law is one portion of justifiable use of deadly force,” Corey said. “And what that means is that the state must go forward and be able to prove it’s case beyond a reasonable doubt… So it makes the case in general more difficult than a normal criminal case.”
ABC News confirms that Trayvon Martin was suspended from school for 10 days for possession of marijuana in mid-February. No comment from the family.
Reverend Al Sharpton announces he vows to “occupy” Sanford, Fla., over Easter.
March 27: ABC News confirms that the night Trayvon Martin was shot, Chris Serino, the lead homicide detective on the case, said he “disbelieved” George Zimmerman’s testimony and recommended in an affidavit that Zimmerman be arrested for manslaughter. But the State Attorney’s office, headed by Norman Wolfinger, instructed him not to press charges because it was deemed there wasn’t enough evidence to lead to a conviction.
ABC News also confirms that Trayvon Martin was suspended from school three times.
About 200 to 250 protesters gather in front of the U.S. Justice Department to ask the department to charge George Zimmerman with a federal hate crime.
Martin’s parents, Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin, attend a forum on racial profiling and hate crimes on Capitol Hill. Tracy Martin says he believes his con was racially profiled.

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2012/03/trayvon-martin-case-timeline-of-events/

[ginnyfan]

Hope nobody is offended by this but I think these 2 characters (Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton) are media whores and MLK wannabies. They have to jump on every possible band wagon whenever something related to African Americans happens, from MJ/Whitney deaths to politics and cases like this. I understand they want to support some causes but seems like they enjoy the media attention more than they really care for those causes.

Just my impression, as an outsider who follows US pop culture/politics as much as possible.

[Wolfsmagik]

Trayvon Martin killing investigation starts over

The investigation into the killing of Trayvon Martin is essentially starting from scratch, with the new special prosecutor and a team of investigators quietly re-interviewing witnesses and examining evidence related to the unarmed teen's shooting death.

The 17-year-old Martin has been dead for a month, and George Zimmerman, his admitted killer, remains free after telling authorities he was forced to shoot Martin in self-defense.

The Sanford Police Department's lead investigator initially pursued manslaughter charges against Zimmerman, but was told by the state attorney that there wasn't enough evidence.

Here's what CBS News has pieced together from sources connected to the investigation.

On February 26th, the night Martin was killed, police questioned Zimmerman for five hours at police headquarters. The police report noted Zimmerman was "bleeding from the nose and the back of the head."

Police did not administer a drug and alcohol test or an immediate background check on Zimmerman, although they did both on Martin.

The next day, detectives re-enacted the shooting with Zimmerman at the scene. They also discovered Zimmerman had two prior arrests: one for assaulting a cop, the other for domestic abuse.

For the next two weeks, lead investigator Chris Serino pursued a manslaughter charge against Zimmerman.

Police interviewed at least six witnesses. But none of them saw how the confrontation began or the shooting that ended it.

Public pressure grew. On March 12, police gave the case to State Attorney Norm Wolfinger. He told them they needed more evidence to arrest Zimmerman.

Trayvon Martin's frustrated parents took their plea for justice to Washington Tuesday.

At a congressional forum on neighborhood watch groups and racial profiling, they thanked Democratic lawmakers for their support.

"As I said before, and I'll say it again - Trayvon was our son, but Trayvon is your son," Sybrina Fulton, Trayvon's mother said.

Now, acting Sanford police chief Darren Scott is trying to calm a firestorm of criticism that race played a role. "I would like to answer questions here, but I will not comment at this time."

Tuesday, Scott said Angela Corey, the new special prosecutor won't let him talk publicly about the case. "It's not in the police department's hands right now, ok?" Scott said. "I can't pass judgment right now on anyone right now, so we're going to allow the outcome of this investigation.

But to Martin's angry parents and their lawyer, Ben Crump, this is double-standard justice. "It's bad when George Zimmerman makes a bad decision to do things with a racial implication," Crump said. "But it's a tragedy when an institution of law enforcement does it because that's all we have to believe in. If that fails us, what can his parents do? What can they do?"

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57405671/trayvon-martin-killing-investigation-starts-over/

What witnesses say in the Trayvon Martin case

On the night of February 26, Trayvon Martin was wearing a hoodie and had bought Skittles and an Arizona tea at a convenience store in Sanford, Florida. Some time after that, he was shot and killed by neighborhood watch member George Zimmerman.
But beyond those established facts about the shooting of the unarmed teenager in an Orlando suburb last month, much is in dispute about the case that has gripped the nation.
Of the two people directly involved, Martin will never be able to describe what happened, and Zimmerman has kept mum. His lawyer vows that, once all the facts surface, things will not appear as clear-cut as they are to many of Martin's supporters at the moment.
America will have to wait and see as State Attorney Angela Corey plunges deeper into a case charged with allegations of racism. Martin was African-American; Zimmerman is a Hispanic who, his family says, has been wrongly described as racist.
What's clear is that, as more is learned about this case, it becomes more complicated.
The little information that has surfaced has been through 911 tapes, what Zimmerman told police and the accounts of witnesses who helped paint a picture of the night Martin died.
George Zimmerman

Zimmerman was wearing a red jacket and blue jeans when he came across Martin on that night. He was a neighborhood watch member carrying a Kel-Tec 9 mm automatic pistol, according to a police report.
He said he was on his way to a grocery store when he spotted Martin walking through the Retreat at Twin Lakes, according to the Orlando Sentinel, which pieced together an account of what happened based on leaked information from investigators.
Sanford police said the newspaper account "is consistent with the information provided to the State Attorney's office by the police department."
Martin was visiting his father's fiancee, who lived in the gated community in Sanford, a racially mixed northern suburb of Orlando.
Zimmerman called police to report a suspicious person. He described Martin as black and said he was acting strangely and could have been on drugs.
Zimmerman said he got out of his SUV and followed Martin on foot.
"Something's wrong with him," he told a 911 dispatcher, according to the contents of a call released by authorities. "Yep. He's coming to check me out. He's got something in his hands."
The teenager started to run, Zimmerman said. A 911 dispatcher asked Zimmerman whether he was following Martin, and Zimmerman said he was. The dispatcher said Zimmerman did not need to do that.
Zimmerman said he lost sight of Martin and began walking back to his SUV; Martin approached him, according to the Sentinel account.
Martin asked Zimmerman if he had a problem; Zimmerman said no and reached for his cell phone, he told police.

Martin said, "Well, you do now" or something similar and punched Zimmerman in the nose, Zimmerman said, according to the Sentinel.
Zimmerman said Martin pinned him to the ground and began slamming his head into the sidewalk. The police report described Zimmerman's back as wet and covered with grass, as though he had been lying on the ground.
Zimmerman was also bleeding from the nose and the back of his head, the police report said.
"I was yelling for someone to help me, but no one would help me," Zimmerman told police.
By the time police arrived on the scene, Martin was dead from a gunshot wound in the chest, according to Sanford Police Chief Bill Lee. The unarmed teenager was lying face-down.
Zimmerman told police that he shot Martin. And that he did it in self-defense.
911 calls
Residents of the gated community heard the gunshot.
Seven 911 calls released by authorities document their fear.
Someone screams, "help, help!" in the background.
"There were gunshots right outside my house. There's someone screaming. I just heard a guy shot," a neighbor says. "Hurry up, they are right outside my house."
Another man cries for help. Then the gunshot.
"Hurry, please. ... There's someone screaming outside," a neighbor whispers. "There's a gunshot. Hurry up. ... There's someone screaming. I just heard a gunshot."
In another call, a woman begs the dispatchers to send help, saying someone is "screaming and hollering" for help.
Moments later, she describes a light at the scene of the shooting.
"Oh, my God," she says. "There's still somebody out there walking with a flashlight."
Zimmerman's call to police was among the 911 tapes released by police. Some people hear what sounds like a possible racial slur. CNN enhanced the sound of the 911 call, and several members of CNN's editorial staff repeatedly reviewed the tape but could reach no consensus on whether Zimmerman used a slur.
Witnesses
Mary Cutcher was in her kitchen making coffee that night with her roommate, Selma Mora Lamilla. The window was open, she said.
"We heard a whining. Not like a crying, boohoo, but like a whining, someone in distress, and then the gunshot," she said.
They looked out the window but saw nothing. It was dark.
They ran out the sliding glass door, and within seconds, they saw Zimmerman.
"Zimmerman was standing over the body with -- basically straddling the body with his hands on Trayvon's back," Cutcher said. "And it didn't seem to me that he was trying to help him in any way. I didn't hear any struggle prior to the gunshot.
"And I feel like it was Trayvon Martin that was crying out, because the minute that the gunshot went off, the whining stopped."
The two women said they could not see whether Zimmerman was bruised or hurt. It was too dark.
"Selma asked him three times, 'what's going on over there?' " Cutcher said. "He looks back and doesn't say anything. She asks him again, 'everything OK? What's going on?' Same thing: looked at us, looked back. Finally, the third time, he said, 'just call the police.' "
Martin's girlfriend
Benjamin Crump, the Martin family lawyer, says Martin's girlfriend's account of what happened connects the dots and destroys Zimmerman's claims of self-defense.
The girl, who did not want to be identified, said she was on the phone with the teen before the shooting.
When Zimmerman got closer to Martin, she told her boyfriend to run, but Martin told her that he was not going to run, she said.
"What are you stopping me for?" Martin asked Zimmerman, according to the girl.
"What are you doing around here?" Zimmerman asked in response.
The girl said she then got the impression that an altercation was taking place and that someone had pushed Martin, because the headset fell out of his ear, and the phone shut off.
Zimmerman's friend
Joe Oliver said he spoke with his friend Zimmerman on Monday. He filled Oliver in on what happened between the time Martin came face to face with him and when the gun was fired -- the part that's not all clear.
Oliver said he could not divulge what Zimmerman said, just that the gun went off.
Corey, the state attorney, was asked whether that meant the shooting might have been accidental.
"We look into that in every shooting case," Corey said.
Oliver said Zimmerman was badly hurt that night. He went to a doctor the next day to be treated for a broken nose.
"He hasn't been back to his apartment, which is in that complex, ever since that happened, and he's being treated for post-traumatic stress disorder, for depression, for insomnia," Oliver said.
"He cried for days after this happened. The George Zimmerman I know is not here anymore, because he knows that he took someone else's life, and he's extremely remorseful."
Zimmerman has not been charged, sparking a firestorm of protest across America. Corey's homicide staff, meanwhile, continues to work round the clock.

http://edition.cnn.com/2012/03/27/justice/florida-teen-shooting-witnesses/index.html

[MonaBlissa]

Hope nobody is offended by this but I think these 2 characters (Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton) are media whores and MLK wannabies.

That's a diversion some are making, and it has nothing to do with Trayvon's. Jackson/Sharpton are not at the front and center. It's been in the media (particularly black media) and social media for weeks.

Has anyone thought to question why the media follows Jackson/Sharpton? When black cases are forgotten, the media only gives it attention when people like Jesse Jackson/Al Sharpton gets on it.

Again, that has nothing to do with Trayvon, and I hate when people like C.L. Bryant are trying to create a diversion for Trayvon in defense of a murderer.

http://dailycaller.com/2012/03/27/forme ... tin-video/

[Wolfsmagik]

Why George Zimmerman Hasn't Been Charged in Trayvon Martin’s Shooting?

It's been over a month and George Zimmerman has yet to be charged with the shooting death of Trayvon Martin. American citizens across racial lines are appalled at the blatant case of vigilante justice and racial-profiling.

Numerous marches and demonstrations have taken place in several cities including, New York City, Atlanta, Chicago, Washington D.C., and Sanford, Florida. President Barack Obama on March 23rd remarked, “If I had a son, he would look like Trayvon Martin.” He offered words of sympathy and comfort to Martin’s grieving parents.

Over two million signatures have been collected via www.change.org demanding that Zimmerman be arrested and charged with Martin’s shooting.

Here's the background.

On February 26, 2012 in Sanford, Florida 28 year old Zimmerman, a neighborhood watchperson followed 17 year old Trayvon Martin as he walked back to his family’s home from the store carrying only a bag of Skittles and a bottle of Iced-Tea.

Zimmerman called 911 to notify them of Martin’s suspicion, stating that there had been several recent break-ins in the neighborhood and he thought Martin to be a suspicious character, because he was wearing a hooded sweatshirt and looking around. The 911 operator asked Zimmerman if he was following Martin, to which he answered yes. The 911 operator then told Zimmerman to stop following Martin, a direct order that he ignored.

He continued his following of Martin, which led possibly to a chase, a scuffle and the ultimate shooting and death of Martin. When the police arrived on the scene they let Zimmerman go free and chalked the incident up as a case of self-defense.

Zimmerman has documented history of several 911 calls about "suspicious" Black males.

After all of the public outrage, countless demonstrations and the great disappointment expressed by political leaders, clergy members, sports figures and entertainers alike, George Zimmerman still hasn’t been brought to justice leaving millions with the question, “Who is George Zimmerman, and why hasn't he been charged in Trayvon Martin's shooting?”

George Zimmerman is the son of retired Magistrate Judge Robert J. Zimmerman. His mother Gladys Zimmerman is a court clerk. This information may answer the question of why George Zimmerman hasn’t been charged with Trayvon Martin’s shooting.

He reportedly has three closed arrests: #1 - 7/18/05 - for resisting an officer with violence, and battery on a law enforcement officer div 10. #2 - 8/9/05 – for domestic violence div 44. #3 - 8/10/05 – for domestic violence div 46.

We must continue to work diligently for justice--not only Trayvon Martin, but also for Ramarley Graham, Sean Bell, Amadou Diallo and the countless unarmed Black men that have been gunned down in cold blood across the country, for simply being Black and "fitting the description."

As President Barack Obama campaigns for a second term in office, we must do our job of keeping these critical issues in the forefront, and assuring that an incident like this never happens again.

http://blackstarnews.com/news/135/ARTICLE/8065/2012-03-28.html

[Wolfsmagik]

Trayvon Martin Police Report







http://www.scribd.com/doc/86948628/Trayvon-Martin-Police-Report

[Star]

Before his picture really got out, US media tried to paint this guy as this super-Aryan looking Klansman type and tried to make this a "racist white guy shoots black guy" thing and it shows how the media loves to find spin.

NO YOU ARE WRONG. His picture has always been plastered over the media like that!

Yeah, I saw his pic posted in the early articles too!