Posted on 03/20/2012 9:36:58 PM PDT by marktwain
A Sanford neighbor of George Zimmerman and fellow neighborhood watch captain in their gated community came to his defense Tuesday, saying that he shot Miami teenager Trayvon Martin after numerous burglaries at The Retreat at Twin Lakes.
Frank Taaffe pointed out the circumstances that he believes led his 28-year-old neighbor to react the way he did on the night of Feb. 26: eight burglaries within 15 months, most done by young black males, he said.
"The stage was already set. It was a perfect storm,” Taaffe said. “I think any time you use a weapon, there are certain anger issues working.”
NBC 6 could not immediately confirm the burglary statistic Taaffe cited in a phone call to Sanford Police Tuesday night.
Martin, 17, picked up Skittles and iced tea from a 7-Eleven that Sunday, then headed back towards his father’s girlfriend's home on a rainy, drizzly night. Martin put on his hoodie and ran to take cover. Zimmerman spotted him, got out of his car and followed him.
In Trayvon Martin's final phone call with his own girlfriend, according to Martin family attorney Benjamin Crump, he could be heard saying “Why are you following me?” and Zimmerman replying “What are you doing around here?”
Their confrontation ended with Martin getting shot in the chest.
“This guy looks like he’s up to no good … he looks black,” Zimmerman told a police dispatcher from his car. His father has said that Zimmerman is Hispanic, grew up in a multiracial family, and is not racist.
Twin Lakes’ population is ethnically mixed. A few residents said there is tension within the gated community.
“I think he had fed-up issues. He was mad as hell and wasn't going to take it anymore,” Taaffe said of Zimmerman.
He insisted, however, that Zimmerman cared about all his neighbors.
"George is a congenial, amiable, admirable person,” he said. "He had a passion and a care for this neighborhood to ensure the safety of everybody here. And, furthermore, George is no Rambo."
Taaffe said that Zimmerman actually was appointed as a watch captain, despite reports that he appointed himself to the post.
He said he believes his neighbor acted in self-defense. That is what Zimmerman told police.
Zimmerman has not been charged, despite growing calls for his arrest.
"It’s really sad that he's already been convicted in the public media and has already been sentenced to the gas chamber,” Taaffe said. “Let's let justice do its job."
At the same time, Martin’s death is “devastating,” he said.
”It's a tragic event – we can’t bring that boy back,” he said. “I wish we could.”
Getting into a fight means nothing. Most youths, of all races, gets into at least one fight over the course of their schooling.
Most Freepers here advocate the willingness to fight, if you’re being picked on.
Maybe it’s not an agenda, but the simple truth.
Thanks for the advice, that happens to me all the time. People follow me and approach ggod to know that I can unload on them. Get real.
It's an alternate theory and equally as valid.
I have seen some people claim this but I think it is almost certainly not true. The 911 calls have been made public. If Zimmerman had made a racial slur this would be mentioned in the first paragraph of every story out there.
If they play up the Hispanic angle, that could cause Hispanics to rally to Zimmerman's side, especially any Hispanics who have anti-black attitudes. We could be heading for "mob justice" as activists whip up emotions because of Trayvon Martin's death--having two angry mobs confronting each other won't make things better.
You mean, other than beating the hell out of the Neighborhood Watch guy...
You say this as if the fight just happened. Somebody started the fight. Maybe it was Trayvon.
And why does a gated community have a neighborhood watch wandering about in the dark with guns? Don't they have a gate?
Do you see the problem here? Unless we visit the site via Google.Earth we don't know ~ I do, but you don't. Right now I'm trying to site the specific 7/11 he visited.
Watch how Zimmerman's location is always cited as "his neighborhood" ~ not a specific townhouse development but "neighborhood". Why is that? Doesn't he live there?
Really? Are you serious?
Kid is walking home with some skittles and tea, that he bought at local convenience store. There is nothing to suggest the kid was up to anything more than that.
Zimmerman notices the kid and phones the operator and tells the operator explicitly that he wasn’t going to let the kid get away and gets out of his vehicle to confront the kid.
And you still don’t know who likely attacked first?
The law defines first contact of any sort as attacking. So much as a touch on the body is defined as an attack. How many kids, when confronted by a man with a gun are going to throw the first punch?
The person iniating aggressive contact is always considered the attacker. It’s unlikely that an unarmed kid is going to be the one to initiate aggressive contact with somebody with a gun.
Many presume the law was written for the sole purpose of protecting gunowners from legal repercussions if they end up shooting some bad guy. Actually, this law protects unarmed victims from guys with guns as well. They don't have to stand there and take it. If they feel in fear for their lives they can mount a resistance using any means feasible.
That much is obvious. What is less obvious is why you have so much faith that the MSM is objective, accurate, and unbiased. This, despite the decades of evidence to the contrary...
Unless Zimmerman was carrying it in a hip holster, it's unlikely the yute knew he had a gun.
That’s right, he has a right to watch. That’s what security guards do, observe and report.
He was told to stand down and not do anything else beyond that. He choose to confront the perp anyway.
There is no credible defense in this situation.
Is this the new modus in the US
The Justice Dept doesn’t like how a case is resolved so they step in.
Nuts...birthed in the 50s and 60s and now the Holder gang is making hay of it.
man what a mess
“If you get out of that car and approach me ~ that’s all I need. YOU HAVE NO BUSINESS getting inside my comfort zone.”
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This whole thing seems to be very emotional for you. Perhaps I’m misreading this but, if what you’re inferring is that if someone on a neighborhood watch is following you then you will physically attack that person if they “get in your comfort zone”, you might want to consider whether an “anger management” course could be helpful.
I think very few folks here are defending the entirety of Zimmerman’s actions—he clearly displayed bad judgement and immaturity. His actions are troubling to me. As for me, I’m waiting for all the facts to come out before I render final judgment on this.
You skipped some steps, Ace.
Well, that whole getting the crap kicked out of him thing might be a defense. Especially if you look at his narrative, listen to the released 911 tapes, and take into account the defensive wounds Zimmerman reportedly suffered.
Or... You can just take the MSM/CBC narrative and stick to it despite any contradictory witness info...
You can reject the whole internet if you want, because that’s what every site is saying. If you look at the kid’s pictures, it’s well apparent that he’s not a well-muscled 250 lb person or something.
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