Posted on 05/18/2012 5:58:15 AM PDT by SoFloFreeper
Trayvon Martin's death was “avoidable.”
That’s the conclusion of a new police report on the unarmed teen’s killing at the hands of George Zimmerman in Sanford, Fla.
"The encounter between George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin was ultimately avoidable by Zimmerman, if Zimmerman had remained in his vehicle and awaited the arrival of law enforcement, or conversely, if he had identified himself to Martin as a concerned citizen and initiated dialog in an effort to dispel each party's concern," the document by Sanford, Fla. Police said.
(Excerpt) Read more at nydailynews.com ...
So, if we all stay locked away, we might avoid being attacked by roving black youth. great. Just great.
I just love how the left is now alternating between complaining that the evidence can’t be trusted because the incompetent PD botched the investigation, and saying GZ should have stayed in his truck and let the police handle it.
Not exactly "what happened." But this is where the prosecutor is always at a disadvantage. He can put the puzzle pieces together, but there's always some that are missing. Jurors will decide in those cases.
With recent developments breaking in favor of Zimmerman this prosecution is looking pretty thin.
“In hindsight, it would have been better for Z not to have followed him for location information. But it was not an unreasonable thing to do either.”
Heck, pretend it was unreasonable. What’s the difference? You’re allowed to be as stupid as you want without breaking the law. Doing something that in hindsight was misguided because it would eventually lead someone committing a crime against you—i.e. assuming Martin attacked Zimmerman; again, it could have been the other way around, but according to our legal system the burden of proof is on the state; since they have no evidence Zimmerman started it they are going to rely on his perfectly legal mistakes—does not remove your right to self-defense.
This stuff about Zimmerman precipitating it by following and confronting and leaving his truck is blaming the victim, and it makes me sick. It makes me hear prosecutors in my head asking, “Why were you wearing such a short skirt that night, ma’am?...How many sexual partners have you had in the past?”
I also, after watching the tape from connivence store, thought that he was at least 5’ 11’’ or taller. Weight might have been 175-180(?).
Is it possible that the LMSM is witholding the statistics of Trayvon’s body size?
I’ve be searching all over and cannot find his height and/or weight posted by any news(?) organization.
Any help on stats would be appreciated.
“This sounds like it was written by a social worker.”
Yeah, you know, Zimmerman really should have “initiated dialogue” and “opened the channels of communication” with “I feel...” language instead of “you” language. As in:
“I feel as though, because of the social milieu of your upbringing in a marginal class and as a member of an oppressed minority set aside as an ‘other’ by the ruling white Anglo-Saxon, male, heteronormative patriarchy, you were conditioned to act out from a sense of alienation to form a false consciousness wereby you walk around at night in concealing clothing, unconsciously playing out your assigned role as Young Black Criminal.”
“There you go again...please provide proof that Martin attacked Zimmerman.”
According to how our legal system works Zimmerman is innocent until proven guilty, and no one has to prove Martin attacked him, just provide reasonable doubt that Zimmerman started it. It appears as if the prosecution has no evidence that Zimmerman did so, and probably won’t even try to, arguing merely that Zimmerman precipitated conflict by doing things that aren’t illegal and don’t allow anyone to use self defense against you: eg. following Martin, confronting Martin, and getting out of his truck.
That being said, there is evidence that Martin was the attacker. First, the medical reports and pictures that show Zimmerman’s wounds, Martin’s lack of wounds except to the knuckles and the bullet wound. Also, eye witness testimony that Martin was on top of Zimmerman. Furthermore, a certain interpretation of the 9-11 tape that has Zimmerman losing Martin and presumably on his way back to the truck shortly before the fight.
Finally, there’s Zimmerman’s story. Take that as you will.
My comments are always directed toward those who, for whatever personal reason, swear that Martin attacked Zimmerman. I just say --- prove it.
I don't care one bit about Martin's problems in HS...he's a teenager and I have known more than a few people who were far worse and ended up just fine. I don't care if he had THC in his system. THC lingers for weeks if one is a pot-head.
I don't care if Zimmerman had been arrested for assaulting a cop in a bar or if he threw his girlfriend around and had domestic violence complaints against him.
All that matters is what happened that night.
But then he wouldn't have a birth certificate.
You say that you have real evidence that Martin attacked Zimmerman -— I say that you are not being truthful.”””
I sincerely hope that you are never attacked by anyone & that IF you are the survivor & the perp is dead that you have to explain your way out of the mess.
Coroners report says 71” and 158 lbs if I recall correctly.
As for Zimmerman's statement...I don't believe it any more than I would have believed Martin's statement had he ended up the one still living. It is self-serving and, without any neutral corroborating statements, should be seen as such.
Thanks, for your reply.
Stay safe and have a great life!
If you have real evidence that proves who started the fight then please post it....I'll check back later for it.
Thanks for the kind thoughts.
“Zimmerman and Martin, either by design of one or my pure bad luck for both of them, find themselves face to face. Martin is angry at being followed. Zimmerman is intimidated and either reaches for or shows the gun. If this happened (and it is as likely as any scenario) then Martin had every right to beat the stalker with the gun into submission.
My thinking on this is that Zimmerman is a jerk who got in over his head and had to shoot his way out.”
You are free to think that, just as others are free to speculate that Martin was a thug on the path to a life of crime. Neither are supported by facts. And here’s the important part, the state is not going to be able to argue your case. Maybe they can spin a story in the closing argument, but they won’t be able to demonstrate Zimmerman, jerk or no, started it in the manner you postit.
Notice that from what we’ve learned in the affadivit, various comments, police reports, and the evidence nothing says they’re going to prove at trial that Zimmerman threatened Martin by reaching for or pulling his gun. Had he done so, yes, obviously Martin would be free to defend himself. As it is, they’re arguing Zimmerman started the fight by following and confronting Martin earlier, and ultimately by getting our of his truck after a non-cop didn’t order him not to.
They don’t add that extra little bit of Zimmerman doing something to excuse Martin’s violence after they run into eachother. Because there’s no evidence for it, only your speculation based on what a jerk you think Zimmerman is. Why you’re allowed to assume Zimmerman started it without evidence but others aren’t allowed to do the same for Martin is beyond me. But it doesn’t matter. The trial’s the thing now, and in that world they have to prove Zimmerman started it and had a depraved mindset to convict on murder 2.
BZZZZT. Wrong
Martin had THC in his system, so you are completely wrong in your claim. He was stoned, that is illegal and it was in his system during this episode. Care to retract the above claim?
Do you mean something like this at The Blaze?
Report: Witness Says Trayvon Martin Attacked George Zimmerman
March 24, 2012
A new witness to the Trayvon Martin shooting has come forward, claiming the Florida teen did in fact attack neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman, according to media reports.
Zimmerman has said he shot the 17-year-old in self-defense, though Martin was reportedly carrying only a bag of Skittles and an iced tea when he was killed. Despite a loud national outcry, Zimmerman has not been arrested or charged in Martin’s death.
According to Tampa Bay Fox affiliate WTVT-TV, what the witness says he saw could bolster Zimmerman’s claim that he shot Martin in self-defense:
“The guy on the bottom who had a red sweater on was yelling to me: ‘help, help…and I told him to stop and I was calling 911,” he said.
Trayvon Martin was in a hoodie; Zimmerman was in red.
The witness only wanted to be identified as “John,” and didn’t not want to be shown on camera.
His statements to police were instrumental, because police backed up Zimmerman’s claims, saying those screams on the 911 call are those of Zimmerman.
“When I got upstairs and looked down, the guy who was on top beating up the other guy, was the one laying in the grass, and I believe he was dead at that point,” John said.
On Friday night, Zimmerman attorney Craig Sonner appeared on CNN’s “Anderson Cooper 360” and said he client sustained a broken nose and a head laceration on the night of the incident.
“His nose was broken, he sustained injury to his nose and on the back of his head he sustained a cut that was serious enough that probably should have had stitches…it was an injury that was done by Trayvon Martin,” Sonner said.
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