George Zimmerman sues Trayvon Martin’s family, prosecutors for $100 million

[drcube]

He was being followed, did NOT know if the other party was armed, and had no right to attack.

How do you know Martin did not know that Zimmerman was armed?

Are you a mind reader?
Did you ask Martin and get a response?

Sorry, it isn’t relevant.

Sure seems like it is. So, why did you think Martin was suspicious?

 

[Guinness]

He was being followed through the back of townhouses by an unknown armed man that ended up killing him. Yeah, Zimmerman was a danger to Martin and Martin knew it.

You know what Martin was thinking? Fascinating.

 

[humbleseeker]

waiting for you to tell me why you think Martin was suspicious.

Zimmerman tells the dispatcher that there have been a bunch of break ins recently and he noticed a suspicious man slowly walking in the back of the neighborhood, while it’s raining, looking into houses. He was elected by the neighborhood council to be the neighborhood watch coordinator in 2011. He made multiple calls to the police in the months prior to the shooting to report people he thought were suspicious.

 

[drcube]

You know what Martin was thinking? Fascinating.

Martin told his girlfriend he was being followed. Why wouldn’t he think he was in danger? It seems much more unlikely that he would think he was safe.

Zimmerman tells the dispatcher that there have been a bunch of break ins recently and he noticed a man slowly walking in the back of the neighborhood, while it’s raining, looking into houses. He was elected by the neighborhood council to be the neighborhood watch coordinator in 2011. He made multiple calls to the police in the months prior to the shooting.

There might have been break-ins, but, by itself, doesn’t make Martin suspicious. Zimmerman claims he was looking around, then he was looking at houses, then he was looking at him (I wonder why he would have thought Zimmerman was a danger if he was getting stared at by this stranger and then the armed stranger starts following him). Zimmerman also said he looked like Martin was on drugs (Martin was sober at his murder). Sure sounds like a reliable source to me.

 

[vz71]

How do you know Martin did not know that Zimmerman was armed?

Are you a mind reader?
Did you ask Martin and get a response?

I know because all of the evidence says that.
The gun was pocketed and hidden from view.
It was dark.
Trayvon made no mention of the weapon on the phone.
He attacked, which makes no sense if he is aware of the weapon.

 

[drcube]

I know because all of the evidence says that.
The gun was pocketed and hidden from view.
It was dark.
Trayvon made no mention of the weapon on the phone.
He attacked, which makes no sense if he is aware of the weapon.

It’s not clear that Zimmerman would keep his weapon hidden from view. Yes, it was dark, but he may have seen it. Attacking may have been a result of him trying to protect himself from an armed man. You don’t know, but you won’t even explain why you think Martin was suspicious, so I have significant doubts about your conclusions until you explain yourself.

 

[humbleseeker]

So these are the facts:

From January 1, 2011, through February 26, 2012, police were called to The Retreat at Twin Lakes 402 times.[34] Crimes committed at The Retreat in the year prior to Martin’s death had included eight burglaries, nine thefts, and one shooting.[35]

Zimmerman, being the neighborhood watch coordinator, would surely know about some of these. With this knowledge, and given his community role, you think it’s unreasonable for Zimmerman to be suspicious and call the police when he sees a man walking slowly, through rain at night, and peering into houses?

 

[drcube]

So these are the facts:

From January 1, 2011, through February 26, 2012, police were called to The Retreat at Twin Lakes 402 times.[34] Crimes committed at The Retreat in the year prior to Martin’s death had included eight burglaries, nine thefts, and one shooting.[35]

Ok, so they decided to start a neighborhood watch.

Zimmerman, being the neighborhood watch coordinator, would surely know about some of these. With this knowledge, and given his community role, you think it’s unreasonable for Zimmerman to be suspicious and call the police when he sees a man walking slowly, through rain at night, and peering into houses?

Except he was peering into houses. Zimmerman said he was looking at houses. Now, let’s say Zimmerman thinks he was suspicious. What he should do: call the police. He did that. Then he got out of his car and started following Martin, even after Martin ran. Zimmerman shouldn’t have followed him (the dispatcher said so and it’s against the rules of neighborhood watch) and he shouldn’t have been armed (against the rules of neighborhood watch)… So, Zimmerman vastly exceeded what he should do as a neighborhood watch volunteer and made himself a threat to Martin. Martin ran, but then when Zimmerman kept following him, he attacked realizing that Zimmerman was a threat. I only wish that Martin had been armed to be able to better protect himself.

 

[vz71]

It’s not clear that Zimmerman would keep his weapon hidden from view.

It is from Zimmerman’s own account of where his weapon was. And it also makes sense given the problems he had reaching it once Martin was on top of him.
If the weapon was out and visible, it certainly would be easier to reach. Instead it was within his jacket.

 

[drcube]

It is from Zimmerman’s own account of where his weapon was. And it also makes sense given the problems he had reaching it once Martin was on top of him.
If the weapon was out and visible, it certainly would be easier to reach. Instead it was within his jacket.

Well, let’s all believe Zimmerman’s account. Maybe Zimmerman couldn’t get to his weapon because he couldn’t handle himself physically.

And you still haven’t answered why you think Martin was suspicious. Why don’t you just tell us why you thought Martin was suspicious?

 

[vz71]

you won’t even explain why you think Martin was suspicious,

Because it is irrelevant.
Zimmerman was there and came to that conclusion. Yours or mine were not there that night and have no influence.

 

[vz71]

even after Martin ran.

What?
In what report is this little gem?

 

[vz71]

(the dispatcher said so and it’s against the rules of neighborhood watch)

(against the rules of neighborhood watch)

You know the rules of the neighborhood watch program that this neighborhood participated in?

Can you link to them? Post them?

 

[humbleseeker]

^
I searched but didn’t find anything. There was a reference to this:
The Twin Lakes Neighborhood Watch program was not registered with the National Neighborhood Watch Program, but was administered by the local police department.
(Maybe the National Neighborhood Watch has such rules)

The police representative who helped facilitate the neighborhood watch did acknowledge during the trial that she advised members not to interact or initiate contact with a suspicious person, but it wasn’t a rule. Couldn’t find anything about a restriction from being armed while a member of the watch and the police representative said everyone has a right to defend themselves if attacked.

 

[vz71]

Well, let’s all believe Zimmerman’s account.

His is the only witness to all of the events.
And his story was checked out by police, they also administered a lie detector.

He was shown to be truthful. Not just from the analysis, but also from the police investigation

 

[Theo520]

He brought gun to a fist fight and used lethal force to defend himself in a fight that he instigated.

You have no understanding of the law in this area. Trayvon instigated the assault.

 

[dvdjs]

You have no understanding of the law in this area. Trayvon instigated the assault.

Huh?
If you re-read the thread, you will note that I have been discussing the facts and the moral implications of the Zimmerman’s action. I have not contested their lawfulness, which have been adjudicated.

 

[dvdjs]

What?
In what report is this little gem?

Zimmermans’s call to the police.

 

[Guinness]

Martin told his girlfriend he was being followed.

The basis of the lawsuit is that the person who testified to that was not, in fact, not the person allegedly on the phone with Martin, and, as a small matter, following someone isn’t a crime.

Why wouldn’t he think he was in danger? It seems much more unlikely that he would think he was safe.

I don’t claim intimate knowledge of Martin’s or, for that matter, Zimmerman’s thoughts in the run up to the incident, and thinking your in danger isn’t sufficient justification for pounding someone’s head into the pavement.

 

[Ender]

No, just no, (do want to hear your answers though) he ended up dragging a dead boy’s name through the mud, a boy he ended up following despite not being told too, and he’s the one suing, why?

Zimmerman told his side of the story. If it’s true then it’s hardly dragging Martin’s name through the mud. That’s really what the suit is about: getting to the truth of the matter. Why should we assume that the fault lies mostly with Zimmerman rather than Martin? Because the media presented it that way?