Why did George Zimmerman kill Trayvon Martin?
I agree, i'm so angry with this outcome, Trayvon was the one using SELF DEFENSE, Zimmerman came after HIM and then declares to using self defense, complete bull, Zimmerman caused it, he should of been given AT LEAST manslaughter, its a shame, this society is so corrupt, even the Casey Anthony trial, same thing...let off free. - TRAYVON attacked him because Zimmerman came after him, if some creep was following you and stalking you, your telling me you would let this guy come after you and being a young boy of course he's going to try and defend himself, trayvon was the on using self defense!!!! you people are idiotic, Zimmerman is a creep, there was no need to kill someone, if it really was self defense why not shoot him in the leg huh? that would of stopped him! why did he have to actually KILL another human being, trayvon deserved to LIVE and have life, so what if he smoked pot or wasn't a straight A student, that doesn't make it ok to kill someone, I believe he didn't want trayvon to be there to testify. sick world we live in.
Is George Zimmerman guilty of killing Trayvon Martin?
Yes he's guilty of killing Trayvon. He's admitted to doing so. The bullet in Trayvon came from his gun that he was holding when the cops arrived. The question is...was this shooting somehow justified as either self defense or under Florida's vague "stand your ground" law, or was it 1st degree murder. 1st degree murder carries a very specific set of requirements that the prosecution must prove to the jury in order to get a conviction. We don't have all the information so it's impossible for us to make this determination. Zimmerman claims Trayvon attacked him, so he shot in self defense. Ok...that would make sense except that we also know Zimmerman was following Trayvon - against the direct advice of the 911 operator he was on the phone with at the time. This strongly indicates that Zimmerman intended to confront Trayvon - but by itself does not prove that he did. If Zimmerman did indeed start the fight as it were, can he still claim self defense? After all, based on what we know of Trayvon's actions that night, he was not looking to confront Zimmerman. In fact he was on his cellphone with his girlfriend and told her he was scared because he was being followed. If Trayvon felt threatened by Zimmerman, might it have been Trayvon - not Zimmerman - that was acting in self defense? In this case Zimmerman would probably be found not-guilty of first degree murder. Trayvon was on his way back to his step-mother's house. He was visiting them, so he was not a resident of the neighborhood. Zimmerman and Trayvon did not know each other therefore any information about Trayvon's previous behaviors is irrelevant here. Furthermore, as a member of the neighborhood watch, it was never Zimmerman's job to follow, let alone confront, Trayvon. The only "suspicious" thing Trayvon was doing was walking back to the house. As I said there are a lot of details we're missing, and honestly we're never going to know the fully story because Trayvon can't tell his side of the story. I think the jury will find Zimmerman not-guilty. The cops didn't do a proper job collecting evidence at the scene, and have already been accused of changing witness' statements. It's basically going to be OJ Simpson all over again.
If Trayvon Martin had won the fight against George Zimmerman and killed him with one punch, would he have been presumed innocent (via stand your ground) given that Zimmerman is unable to provide his side of the story?
It's telling that the premise of this question has Trayvon Martin, a slightly built teenager, somehow strong enough to kill a man with one punch. Even well-trained fighters can't ordinarily do that. It plays into the fear of black men as criminal supervillains. Zimmerman certainly had that view, which goes a long way toward explaining why he shot Martin.Had Martin walked away from this altercation rather than Zimmerman, it's safe to say that he would have been arrested and charged with murder quite quickly. He would face trial with a legal presumption of innocence, but it would be hard given the circumstances to avoid a conviction for one charge or another.
Why did George Zimmerman chase Trayvon Martin?
No one has suggested that he chased Martin at all. It has been stated that he followed him to see what he was doing that is different than chasing someone. The reason he followed him is that there were recently burglaries in the neighborhood, the suspect matched Martin's description and Martin was observed walking through people's yards and peering in their windows.
How could George Zimmerman have been defending himself if Trayvon Martin was walking away?
@ Joe in Texas, you will see more Trayvon Martins now. We are walking through your neighborhoods. To get even? No. To let Joe in Texases know that ALL black people look suspicious to you. That's when if you do start shooting black people in your neighborhood. You'll know it's not us....it's you and your mindset about black people looking suspicious. You, Joe in Texases have to change your mindset about what is suspicious to you.
Do you think if George Zimmerman DID NOT have a gun he would have followed Trayvon Martin?
Yes. I think he was what we called when I was a medic a "roger rescue." By this I mean someone who seeks out the gratification of being "a hero" by emulating police and public safety professionals but without actually going through the rigorous training to have developed any sensible judgement or deeper understanding of the considerations actually made by professionals.This kind of personality is very common in the field. You encounter people with cars loaded up with radios or lights, who carry equipment they are only roughly knowledgeable about, and who often make situations worse or even dangerous. Sometimes their motive is simply misguided desire to assist, but more often this type does not appear to have the same personality as real rescuers or cops, they are playing a role, and the hero in their make-believe is themselves.This kind is very different from many volunteer services, in that they don't adhere to training (if they ever get any) or the logic behind it, instead they act like someone would on TV.The "roger rescue" types who are fixated on cops are dangerous. Cops carry weapons, so they do too. But cops get very rigorous training and endless practice on how to avoid using deadly force. It's easy to carry a gun. It's harder to carry a gun, face a dangerous or frightening situation, and to handle that situation without ever drawing it. It takes training, and an adult playing at being a cop to fulfill a fantasy role for themself is dangerous indeed.But all that said, when that person gets themselves into a situation where they are flat on their back and are being beat up on, the law says they may use deadly force.I should also point out that there is another common self-deluded type on the streets. Teens who think of themselves as tough guys and who are quick to confront and get in fights with nutty people who might just be carrying a gun.Loose cannons, meeting to each others detriment.Both chose to confront the other, had either had the sense to simply avoid contact the situation need never have escalated.
How did George Zimmerman get acquitted for the charges of Trayvon Martin's death?
I watched the trial.The whole trial.If you watched it, a better question would be “How did George Zimmerman get charged with Trayvon Martin's death?”The local DA reviewed the evidence and wanted nothing to do with the case. He knew trying Zimmermann was a losing proposition. The governor brought in a special prosecutor for that purpose.The entire trial was televised from end to end to ensure that there was no secret negotiations or hidden deals. No network carried it. No network reported the trial in depth during the actual proceedings despite painting Zimmermann as a cold blooded killer and Martin as a young and innocent child.What happened in the trial?Martin's girlfriend came off as a liar who changed her story to fit whoever she was talking to.The fact that Martin was a LOT bigger than Zimmerman became an issue.The prosecutor's star witness, a resident in the neighborhood wound up being the best possible witness the defense could ask for, basically placing Martin on top of Zimmerman.Ballistic evidence backed this up.So did stains on Zimmerman, the medical evidence, and the photographs.The prosecutor had such a weak case that they did something rather unusual; they attempted to tack on a child abuse charge at the end of the trial, knowing that their murder charge wasn't going to stick. The jury found Zimmerman not guilty, all the hype that the media made about stand-your-ground amounted to nothing. The rest is history.
Why did everyone forget the trayvon martin was no angel?
Treyvon got what he deserved. He didn't have to attack Zimmerman, the kid had issues with authority. He should have stopped and asked Zimmerman what was going on and not attacked him just because he is a "creepy white *** cracker" but Zimmerman indeed should have stayed away, however I respect his decision, he had a job and he was doing just that.
Should the shooting of Trayvon Martin prompt any changes in Florida gun or self-defense laws?
I don't think you guys even know what "stand your ground" even is! The law simply removes the REQUIREMENT that you retreat first that some states have. Meaning this: in a NON "stand your ground" state, if I'm walking down the street and somebody suddenly starts chasing me with a knife, I am legally obligated to turn tail and run (hoping that I'm faster than the guy) and try to get away before reaching for my weapon. However...If I'm not a fast guy, i'll simply be stabbed to death because I can't run and I wasn't allowed to stand my ground.Now in a "stand your ground" state, if someone starts sprinting at me with a knife, I can choose to run if I feel that is the best way for me to escape. Or I can instead choose to go straight for my gun before the guy gets to me. Then I would draw and yell. If he saw the gun and stopped, that would be that. He would walk away and I would continue on about my day. But if he didn't stop I would stand my ground and drop him. Thus saving my life.Now if people are getting away with starting a fight, then claiming the "stand your ground" defense for deadly force in the fight they started...then the law needs to be revised so that can't happen. But it is an important concept for self defense, There are many situations where being forced to retreat before standing and fighting will get you killed.