Killing of Trayvon Martin and Lynching of George Zimmerman

By now you’ve probably heard about the shooting that took place last month in Sanford, Florida.

The suspect — 28-year-old George Zimmerman, a person dedicated to his role as a neighborhood watch volunteer.

The victim — 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, a high school student visiting his father during a 10-day school suspension.

Depending which articles you read, which news reports you may watch, or what your friends are saying on Facebook or Twitter, you may hear one of several accounts for what happened the night of the shooting.  Of course, you may also have heard the news from Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson since the young black male is being proclaimed by the media as being completely innocent in the crime.

Of course, that depends on the facts.  You know, those pesky little details that tend to set the story straight.

The problem here is that only two people know for a fact what happened during the shooting, and one of them is dead.

The police have been investigating the crime.  From what I’ve heard, there hasn’t been enough evidence yet to charge George Zimmerman with a crime.  I’ve also heard that the police may have not been completely thorough with the investigation.  I don’t know.  I’m not a cop, nor have I seen the final report of the incident.  Until such a report is finally released, it’s too early to jump to conclusions about what really happened the night of the shooting and the response by the Sanford police department.

So for us, the general public, how do we know the complete chain of events that occurred the night of the shooting?

Do we know enough information to protest and demand further action by the investigators and district attorney?

Let’s attempt to take a closer look at the shooting incident.

One of the better sources of information is the website for the city of Sanford.  Click on the link that says “Trayvon Martin Investigation.”

One of the first things to note is the “Twin Lakes Shooting Initial Report.”  This .pdf file includes two reports from police officers who were the first to arrive at the scene of the crime.

The city of Sanford website also hosts a collection of 911 calls relating to before and after the shooting of Trayvon Martin.

Call #1 is the initial call made to the Sanford police department (call directly to the police department, not 911 services) by George Zimmerman.  Take note of his description of the suspect.  Also take note that Zimmerman disregards the advice of the person who answered the phone (unsure if that was an actual police officer who answered the phone or if it was an ordinary citizen who works there).

“Are you following him?” asked the representative of the Sanford police department.

“Yeah,” George answered.

“Okay, we don’t need you to do that,” he responded.

“Okay,” said George.

Call #3 is one of the most important pieces of evidence in the shooting.  A concerned neighbor called 911 after hearing a scuffle between two people.  They’re fighting outside of her home as she’s on the phone with 911.  You can clearly hear a person yelling for help.  At the 45-second mark is the single gunshot, loud and clear.  After that the cries for help are silent.

The remainder of the 911 calls are people reporting that they heard a gunshot and sounds of a fight outdoors.  Nearly every caller is deeply concerned and almost in a state of shock about what just took place.  It’s easy to see their concern.  In most neighborhoods, you don’t expect to hear a person get shot and killed in your neighbor’s yard.

Take note that a couple of the callers report that they saw the fight before the gunshot.  Trayvon Martin was reported to have been standing / fighting on top of Zimmerman just prior to the gunshot.

The big mystery though is what took place between Zimmerman’s initial call to the police and the 911 call that recorded the fatal gunshot, ending the conflict.

Here’s my take on what happened:

February 26, 2012 was a rainy night in Sanford, Florida.  One of the 911 callers described it as pouring rain.

That particular neighborhood in Sanford had also been experiencing a rash of burglaries in the past year or so.  Out of the burglary cases with witnesses, the common angle was that the suspects were black males.  Specifically, young black males.  Because of those burglaries and the criminals that were caught, the head of the neighborhood watch, George Zimmerman, advised his fellow neighbors to be on the lookout for suspicious looking black males.

For one reason or another, George Zimmerman was out in his vehicle the night of February 26th.  He spotted Trayvon Martin and called the Sanford police department to report his suspicious activity.  Being a young black male, wearing a hoodie (helps disguise your body and conceal yourself), AND staring at homes on a rainy night, Trayvon Martin clearly fit the profile of one of the recent neighborhood burglars.  Throw in the fact that Martin is 6′ 3″ and weighs over 140 pounds, he can easily look intimidating, especially when wearing a hoodie on a dark and rainy night.

Feeling concerned about the suspect, Zimmerman placed a phone call to the Sanford police department.  He gave the person on the phone Martin’s physical description and also clearly described his actions.  Zimmerman claimed that Martin also stared at him before suddenly taking off and running away.  Zimmerman got out of his vehicle and began to pursue Martin.  After being told that it wasn’t necessary to follow him, Zimmerman did so anyway.

At some point just after that I believe that Zimmerman caught Martin and asked him why he was there in the neighborhood.  I’ve seen articles mentioning a phone call between Martin and his girlfriend, and apparently a brief conversation between Zimmerman and Martin took place.  Trayvon asked George why he was following him, and George asked him why he was there in the first place.

I believe that George Zimmerman may have pushed Trayvon Martin to the ground in an attempt to subdue him until the police arrived.  Take note that Zimmerman had completed the citizens’ law enforcement academy hosted by the Seminole County Sheriff’s Department, and he was taking college classes in preparation of becoming a police officer.  He probably felt confident in his abilities to confront and contain Martin until the police arrived.  My belief is that Zimmerman believed that Martin was casing out some homes before robbing them, and that he caught Martin in the act.  I also believe that Martin briefly fought back and escaped from Zimmerman.

My belief is that Zimmerman lost contact with Martin and returned to his vehicle.  Zimmerman stated to the police that he was then attacked by Trayvon Martin, and that Martin hit him in the nose and got him down to the ground, slamming his head against the ground multiple times.  Zimmerman yelled for help while being attacked, but none of the neighbors answered his pleas.  This part of the attack was partially witnessed by at least two people.

Two of the 911 calls described Trayvon Martin being on top of George Zimmerman during the final struggle.  One person described him as “a black male,” while another caller described him as a “guy on top with a white shirt.”  In the police report, George Zimmerman was wearing a red jacket during the conflict.  In a dark and poorly lit area, a gray shirt / sweatshirt can easily be mistaken for a white one, especially when the witness is dealing with the sudden emotions of the violent conflict.

Zimmerman claimed that Martin went for Zimmerman’s handgun during the struggle.  Zimmerman wrestled it away from him and shot Trayvon Martin once in the chest.  We can clearly hear Zimmerman’s calls for help and the following gunshot in 911 call #3.

Why do I believe that it’s George Zimmerman’s voice calling for help and not Trayvon Martin?

The answer is that the calls for help are very clear and easy to understand.  They’re loud and consistent.  Just like we heard Zimmerman calmly talking and describing the events to the person at the Sanford police department, in 911 call #3 we again hear his clear voice.  He’s clearly shaken and begging for assistance, but his voice is still loud and clear.  Just like how they would instruct you in training for law enforcement, Zimmerman’s dream job.

We know that it was George Zimmerman who fired at and killed Trayvon Martin.  He admitted it to the police officers who arrived on scene.  He didn’t flee, nor did he try to conceal evidence.  He complied with the police officers and gave his side of the story, claiming that the shooting was an act of self-defense.

According to the initial police report and the 911 calls, the final part of the incident seems pretty much a closed case.  George Zimmerman was attacked by Trayvon Martin.  His injuries and the marks on him agree with the last part of the fight.  It’s believable that he indeed feared for his life and was forced to use deadly force to stop Trayvon Martin’s attack.

Remember that it’s easy to sit back and play armchair quarterback here.  Given time, almost anybody could have thought of a way for a less deadly conclusion to the incident.  But George Zimmerman didn’t have that luxury.  While he was on the ground and being beaten, and having nobody come to his immediate aid, he had only a brief moment or two to stop the threat.  A single shot to Trayvon’s chest stopped him from further attacking and potentially acquiring Zimmerman’s weapon.

But a big question remains:  Did George Zimmerman provoke Trayvon Martin?

That’s up to the investigating parties to decide.

When reading other articles online, one of the most common comments is that Zimmerman should have remained in his vehicle.  Basically, had he remained in his vehicle, then there wouldn’t have been the fight and Trayvon would not have been shot and killed.

I agree and disagree with that statement.

We have to remember that Zimmerman is the head of the neighborhood watch and sees himself as a protector of the neighborhood.  He knows about the recent burglaries.  He wants to catch Martin in the act and hold him for the cops, something that would solidify his acceptance to the police academy.

It’s one thing to leave your vehicle and pursue the suspect with the intent of keeping an eye on him for the police, who are currently en-route.  It’s another to physically confront the suspect without actually witnessing him committing or in the act of committing a crime.

As far as I’ve seen, it has yet to be proven that Trayvon Martin actually committed any crimes that evening.  True, he has been suspended from school multiple times.  He’s not exactly the squeaky clean and innocent little boy that many talking heads claim.  Hell, his Twitter account name (“no_limit_nigga”) and postings should make people ashamed of his behavior.  If you want a better picture of Trayvon, do some digging for his more recent photos, and not that very old picture that the media keeps using.

But the evening of February 26th, did Trayvon Martin actually commit a crime before allegedly being confronted by George Zimmerman?

Based on what I’ve seen, the answer is no.  He may have been suspicious as hell the way he dressed and looked at the homes in the neighborhood, but his sketchy behavior was best for the police to handle, and not George Zimmerman.  If Zimmerman really wanted to help the police, he should have stayed away from Martin but had his eyes on him, ready to point him out and help the real cops.

But that part is speculative since not all of the details have been released to the public.  Based on the evidence submitted and the witnesses, we know that Trayvon Martin was looking suspicious, and he later was seen on top and fighting George Zimmerman just prior to being shot and killed.  Until solid evidence is revealed, it’s going to be hard to prove that Trayvon Martin was the innocent victim in the shooting.

You also have to ask yourself the following:  Why did Trayvon Martin allegedly attack George Zimmerman as he was going back to his vehicle, going so far as to knocking him onto the ground and beating him?  Why didn’t Trayvon return to the home of his father’s fiance and then call the cops on Zimmerman?

For the time being, whether George Zimmerman ultimately gets charged with a crime or not doesn’t matter.  Right now he’s a wanted man.  Between the protests around the country calling for his arrest, the death threats against him, and even the New Black Panthers putting a bounty on his head, Zimmerman is in hiding for his life.  His life here in the U.S. is ruined.  Most employers won’t touch him now, and it’ll be a long time before he can safely show his face in public.

Assuming that he doesn’t get charged with any crimes, Zimmerman is best leaving the country and attempting to restart his life overseas in another country.

In this country we’re supposed to be innocent until proven guilty.  Not the other way around.

In this situation, not all of the evidence has been released to the general public, and already the public is practically calling for Zimmerman’s head on a plate.  It’s almost like a modern day lynch mob, something more common in less civilized parts of the world.

But what about the whole “Justice for Trayvon?”

What about him?

Let’s ask some questions about Trayvon Martin.

Why was Trayvon outside staring at homes on a rainy night?  Did Trayvon viciously attack George Zimmerman in the end?  Did he attempt to grab Zimmerman’s pistol?

Folks, this investigation into the Trayvon Martin shooting is not finished.  The FBI is now involved along with the Justice Department, and on April 10, 2012 the case is going before the Seminole County grand jury.  Those angry mobs, talking heads, and famous athletes need to save their protests until after the investigations are finished.  If they’re still upset after the evidence is presented and after the courts give their rulings, then so be it.  We have the right to freedom of assembly just as much as being innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

But when you see the news articles, hear about the protests, and see the massive anger towards George Zimmerman, it makes you wonder just which way the world works these days.

One of the most ridiculous things I heard was when President Obama made a comment about the matter.  He said, “If I had a son, he’d look like Trayvon.”

Oh, really?

We know that you don’t have any sons, Mr. President.  Here’s a better question for you:  Would you, President Obama, allow either of your daughters to date a charming young man like Trayvon Martin (a.k.a. “Slimm” & “no_limit_nigga”)?

Would you?