Trayvon Martin: 'Shoot first' law under scrutiny

[Bocephus]

There is no legal position in a neighborhood watchman. He had no authority in this position other than to report and watch. When he left his vehicle, this position was abbrogated.
Then you should be well aware of the limitations of those who are not law enforcement. I wish Zimmerman knew his limitations. A young man would be alive today. I do not wish to argue against another’s experience, but rest assured my law enforcement experience is sufficient for me to rely on my own opinions in such matters.

Watching was all he might have been doing when he left the vehicle. If he was just going to call the cops and tell them about a suspicious guy he saw a few blocks back while he was on his way to the grocery store then it would have been a waste of time. If its important enough to call the police over, it’s important enough to stick around to describe where he went and what was going on.

 

[Dawnia]

Z might have thought that every black male in the neighborhood - with a HOODIE on -
looked suspicious (to him). Recent burglaries were ascribed to black males. If that
view governed Z’s perceptions he could have been in error in his perceptions while not guilty of following and killing the stranger on purpose. Yet he did fiollow and kill him.

The Sanford PD had a website up with all of the 911 calls made by Zimmerman. It was up earlier today, but seems to be gone now. If he thought all black males in hoodies were suspicious, you’d think there would be a pattern of such types of calls. That doesn’t seem to be the case. If it was, you’d think somebody on the anti-Zimmerman side wouldn’t have noticed.

The only pattern I saw was that he called the police about once a month for various things from kids playing in the road to security alarms being tripped to burglary reports.

 

[donsnow]

catharina:
Sorry, catharina,

The original investigation which closed this case is now under -]witch hunt/-] investigation.

I cannot agree with your claims to Trayvon’s innocence. It’s a tragedy he got himself killed. If he had kept walking to his father’s girl friend’s house, he’d be alive. Trayvon had a cell phone with which to call for PD help. Why didn’t he use it?

So, the evidence does not support your claims for Trayvon.

God loves you,
Don

 

[donsnow]

I have not heard the Sanford PD say so.
In fact, the Snaford PD asked for an arrest warrant!

Catharina,

I repeat, who started the reinvestigation?

God loves you,
Don

 

[Bocephus]

OR — maybe Zimmerman was hot on the hunt,
too engrossed in his “preceptions” to be fair about them.

What in heaven’s name does “acts like he’s on drugs” mean to Zimmerman?
That has not been explained in any reasonable way to anyone.

There might be days when strangers saw me stumbling/limping around
from rheumatoid arthritis but THEY decide I’m acting like I’m on drugs.

Thanks - but no thanks.

Quite sure Martin didn’t have rheumatoid arthritis, but ok.

Zimmerman is in hiding now and will be there until the investigation is wrapped up. Until then, you can ask what acting like he’s on drugs looks like and make all the assumptions you wish. I however will presume that there are multiple possible scenarios, including some that would make Martin responsible for his own demise and some that should put Z behind bars. Until the investigation is done and the findings are publicly reported I’m afraid there is a chance that you and others who wish to hold Martin up as an angelic figure, may be let down.

 

[pnewton]

Watching was all he might have been doing when he left the vehicle. If he was just going to call the cops and tell them about a suspicious guy he saw a few blocks back while he was on his way to the grocery store then it would have been a waste of time. If its important enough to call the police over, it’s important enough to stick around to describe where he went and what was going on.

He was running, if you heard the tape, and was gasping for breath. In light of the way this played out, I would say you are mistaken. Chasing the guy down to watch him is not only counter to the proper way do be a neighborhood watch, it also can result in quite a mess, as Mr. Zimmerman now finds himself in (not to mention a dead Mr. Martin). I would bet that in the years to come, Mr. Zimmerman will be a real advocate of calling the police, then sitting tight while they do their job. His emotional state and lack of training really mucked things up.

 

[pnewton]

Catharina,

I repeat, who started the reinvestigation?

God loves you,
Don

The Sanford PD continued the investigation and turned evidence over to the Grand Jury. I never heard that it was closed down. Therefore, I do not thing there is a re-investigation.

I think there are no witches involved.

 

[Dawnia]

He was running, if you heard the tape, and was gasping for breath. In light of the way this played out, I would say you are mistaken. Chasing the guy down to watch him is not only counter to the proper way do be a neighborhood watch,** it also can result in quite a mess**, as Mr. Zimmerman now finds himself in (not to mention a dead Mr. Martin). I would bet that in the years to come, Mr. Zimmerman will be a real advocate of calling the police, then sitting tight while they do their job. His emotional state and lack of training really mucked things up.

I think that take “unstatement of the year” status.

 

[Bocephus]

He was running, if you heard the tape, and was gasping for breath. In light of the way this played out, I would say you are mistaken. Chasing the guy down to watch him is not only counter to the proper way do be a neighborhood watch, it also can result in quite a mess, as Mr. Zimmerman now finds himself in (not to mention a dead Mr. Martin). I would bet that in the years to come, Mr. Zimmerman will be a real advocate of calling the police, then sitting tight while they do their job. His emotional state and lack of training really mucked things up.

I was aware that Martin ran, but not Z. Z lost him and that may be why he left the truck. I wasn’t aware of how limited his training was, nor was I aware that there was enough information available to piece together the case that made that clear.

 

[donsnow]

Why? For the life of me I can not figure out why it is uncharitable to attempt to find the truth.

Hi, again,

Because the reinvestigation implies that the plain truth wasn’t the truth. The Sanford PD already had the plain truth, imo.

And, I cannot understand why anybody thinks a reinvestigation is necessary.

God loves you,
Don

 

[slate]

It’s a tragedy he got himself killed. If he had kept walking to his father’s girl friend’s house, he’d be alive.

Trayvon got killed from a gunshot via GZ. Had GZ chosen not to shoot TM he would be alive. To reiterate clearly, TM didn’t get himself killed, as a fact, GZ shot him. Some may believe that it’s reasonable to think that TM just freaked out and started beating on GZ. I am not one of those people. For you to claim that TM got himself killed by his actions is a HUGE leap of faith.

 

[pnewton]

I however will presume that there are multiple possible scenarios, including some that would make Martin responsible for his own demise and some that should put Z behind bars. Until the investigation is done and the findings are publicly reported I’m afraid there is a chance that you and others who wish to hold Martin up as an angelic figure, may be let down.

We shall all see more as this unfolds. Those who assume Martin’s innocence are speculating, as much as those who assume Martin “got himself killed”. Patience is needed on all sides. This month will see much unfold in this case.

 

[pnewton]

I was aware that Martin ran, but not Z. Z lost him and that may be why he left the truck. I wasn’t aware of how limited his training was, nor was I aware that there was enough information available to piece together the case that made that clear.

Perhaps I should not assume his emotional state. However, a jury will attempt such an assumption based on his name-calling and assumptions about Martin, just like they will decide if he was running. He did sound like he was huffing and puffing to me. I have listened to a lot of these sort of incidents unfold live over the years, then had the detailed filled a little later. It is amazing how much one can hear, and how one can be mistaken.

 

[donsnow]

There is no legal position in a neighborhood watchman. He had no authority in this position other than to report and watch. When he left his vehicle, this position was abbrogated.
Then you should be well aware of the limitations of those who are not law enforcement. I wish Zimmerman knew his limitations. A young man would be alive today. I do not wish to argue against another’s experience, but rest assured my law enforcement experience is sufficient for me to rely on my own opinions in such matters.

Good evening, pnewton,

I know, in Texas the neighborhood watch is observe and report. Both the Neighborhood Watch person and uniformed security guards are merely private citizens. However, this didn’t happen in Texas and it may not have happened in your state.

It happened in Florida where the law was passed to protect citizens from the very accusations that are now brought against the Florida law and against George Zimmerman.

I’m sorry, sir, but I will keep my opinion that Florida law and George Zimmerman are subjects of a media, FBI and DOJ witch hunt until the FBI, DoJ and special investigator back out of the picture. Than and only then, to the way I see it, would there be no witch hunt. That’s my opinion and I’m sticking by it.

God loves you,
Don

 

[pnewton]

I’m sorry, sir, but I will keep my opinion that Florida law and George Zimmerman are subjects of a media, FBI and DOJ witch hunt until the FBI, DoJ and special investigator back out of the picture.

Perhaps the Grand Jury will bring charges and this will be a moot issue. If not, I agree that the DOJ will bring charges, right or wrong. Either way, I see a trial in Mr. Zimmerman’s future.

 

[donsnow]

The Sanford PD continued the investigation and turned evidence over to the Grand Jury. I never heard that it was closed down. Therefore, I do not thing there is a re-investigation.

I think there are no witches involved.

Hi, again,

Thank you for that information. Finally, some more facts.

With all due respect, pnewton, all the media hoopla along with the presence of FBI and DoJ smacks of a witch hunt, to me.

God loves you,
Don

 

[donsnow]

Trayvon got killed from a gunshot via GZ. Had GZ chosen not to shoot TM he would be alive. To reiterate clearly, TM didn’t get himself killed, as a fact, GZ shot him. Some may believe that it’s reasonable to think that TM just freaked out and started beating on GZ. I am not one of those people. For you to claim that TM got himself killed by his actions is a HUGE leap of faith.

Good evening, slate,

You’re entitled to your opinion. In my mind, Trayvon got him self shot and killed by sitting on George Zimmerman while beating his face and banging his head. I just can’t see it the way some of you do, leaving out some germane facts. Trayon Martin provoked George Zimmerman to shoot him; ipso facto he got himself killed.

God loves you,
Don

 

[Cider]

when i first heard about it, i thought it was an upper class predominantly white gated community because of how it was presented on the news.

i’ve been looking for the video of who it was on tv that was shouting this was because of a YBM in a WGC or something like that. he basically was saying that trayvon was killed because he was a young black male and he was walking in a white gated community.

did anyone else see that? turns out whites were a minority in that gated community.

I saw the news clip on tv and it was a congressman but I can’t remember his name.

 

[Bocephus]

We shall all see more as this unfolds. Those who assume Martin’s innocence are speculating, as much as those who assume Martin “got himself killed”. Patience is needed on all sides. This month will see much unfold in this case.

This, I agree with 100 percent.

 

[donsnow]

Perhaps the Grand Jury will bring charges and this will be a moot issue. If not, I agree that the DOJ will bring charges, right or wrong. Either way, I see a trial in Mr. Zimmerman’s future.

Hi,

Thanks again! I wondered why a Grand Jury hadn’t been mentioned before now, that is due process. I’ll certainly go along with the Grand Jury’s findings.

God loves you,
Don