Zimmerman carried a gun and was in a car when he saw the victim. He chose to remove himself from his car and ultimately met up with T. Martin who was walking in his neighborhood. T. Martin was 17 years old, talking on his cell phone and told his phone partner that a man was following him. Zimmerman is an adult man with training as a neighborhood watch person that did not follow his instructions to avoid confrontation.
Zimmerman fatally shoots T. Martin causing his death. I rest my case. Zimmerman- guilty!
From his and the dispatcher’s testimony, Z got out of his truck to provide the additional information the dispatcher was requesting. He stopped following Martin when told to do so. The police dept’s NW coordinator testified that nothing they told the watch members was intended to preclude following from a safe distance.
from
statelymcdanielmanor.com (which has had very good legal/technical analysis)::
"In the videotaped interview, Serino and Singleton (eta: the police officers) questioned Zimmerman aggressively. At one point. Serino demanded to know why Zimmerman didn’t confront Martin and demand to know what he was doing. Zimmerman replied: “I didn’t want to confront him.” Zimmerman would continue with this response, which was entirely in character with his mild, even meek behavior. It’s also significant in that proponents of The Narrative have long demanded to know the same thing, while simultaneously seeking to portray Zimmerman as a vicious, raging brute. Anyone watching the videos and listening to Zimmerman’s responses in other interviews will be unable to buy The Narrative, at least in that respect.
When Serino suggested that perhaps Martin feared Zimmerman, Zimmerman explained that Martin approached and circled his truck: “…when he walked up to my car, he put his hand in his waistband and held it there.” Zimmerman explained that he didn’t speak with Martin in part because he was sitting in his truck, it was raining, and Martin keep a distance of about one car length, but also: “I guess fear; I didn’t want to confront him.” …
… He noted that in response to Serino’s questions on that topic, Zimmerman told him he didn’t confront Martin because “that wasn’t my job,” which undercuts the prosecution strategy of an out-of-control cop wannabe taking the law into his hands. Serino admitted that answer satisfied him. "
He chose not to confront Martin when he approached the truck, which would have seemed to be a fairly opportune time to do so.
One thing that has struck me as interesting is the fact that Zimmerman fired only one round. Police usually fire several. The legal rule is lethal force can be used while the threat of serious bodily harm is imminent but ceases to be legal when the threat stops. The police often shoot people in the back because of the time delay between observing a person who is shooting at them turning away and deciding to stop firing because the threat has ceased. (
forcescience.org/demos.html) It’s rare for someone to fire just one round when their life is in danger. Inconsistent for someone eager to kill as well. Is it indicative of Zimmerman not really being in fear of his life when he fired? Or is it indicative of Zimmerman’s reluctance to commit to killing to save his life? Or is it indicative of such an immediate and obvious cessation of action by Martin and presence of mind by Z in assessing and reacting to it?
"Singleton (first police interviewer) testified:
Singleton: “I had a silver cross on and he asked me if I was Catholic. I said, ‘No. I’m Christian. Why are you asking?’”
Zimmerman replied that he noticed a silver cross she was wearing and said it’s “always wrong to kill” someone.
Singleton replied: “if what you’re telling me is true then I don’t think that’s what God meant–you couldn’t save your own life.”
She testified that Zimmerman, who appeared to be shocked, said: “he’s dead?”
She replied: “I thought you knew that.’ "
