Allen West: Handling Of Trayvon Martin Case 'Is An Outrage'

Allen West weighed in on the shooting of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin on Thursday, expressing his support for a full investigation into the matter.

"From my reading, it seems this young man was pursued and there was no probable cause to engage him, certainly not pursue and shoot him...against the direction of the 911 responder," West wrote on his Facebook page.

However, West refused to bring the issue of race into the matter.

"Let's all be appalled at this instance not because of race, but because a young American man lost his life, seemingly, for no reason."

Read West's full statement, as posted to his Facebook:

I have sat back and allowed myself time to assess the current episode revealing itself in Sanford, Florida involving the shooting of 17-year-old Treyvon Martin. First of all, if all that has been reported is accurate, the Sanford Police Chief should be relieved of his duties due to what appears to be a mishandling of this shooting in its early stages. The US Navy SEALS identified Osama Bin Laden within hours, while this young man laid on a morgue slab for three days. The shooter, Mr Zimmerman, should have been held in custody and certainly should not be walking free, still having a concealed weapons carry permit. From my reading, it seems this young man was pursued and there was no probable cause to engage him, certainly not pursue and shoot him….against the direction of the 911 responder. Let’s all be appalled at this instance not because of race, but because a young American man has lost his life, seemingly, for no reason. I have signed a letter supporting a DOJ investigation. I am not heading to Sanford to shout and scream, because we need the responsible entities and agencies to handle this situation from this point without media bias or undue political influences. This is an outrage.

Comments

[gaubladt]

09:56 PM on 04/19/2012

Amongst themselves, the Republicans are predicting race war this summer.
So, they are sending out their point men to blame the Democrats for it, in advance. Thus, they expect to shed the blame, like Teflon sheds crimson stains.
ALEC put Stand Your Ground Laws on the books in order to foment racial violence.
Here in Texas, I asked my most extreme Bubba acquaintance: What is your take on Stand Your Ground laws?
His answer was very blunt, though, to the untrained ear, nearly unintelligible: "Now I get to shoot at N..s who walk on my property."
Now, that puts Alan West in a very curious trajectory.
It has become common place now. When the Republicans are guilty of something, they scream at their opponents, accusing them of doing that which they are guilty of. In this case, it's stirring racial tension.
The Kochs, and the Republicans have a vested interest in making sure that race hate thrives. That's what Stand Your Ground is all about.
Coca-Cola too?
Speaking of Coke, they have done some real dammage to our country, with these weird laws.
They must be held accountable to repeal Stand Your Ground and voter harrassment laws. It is the patriotic thing to do. And, they can do it.

[Fire Fox]

04:52 AM on 03/30/2012

I dont see any demonstrations for the two British guys , aged in their early twenties, killed in a street robbery by a black teen who was 17 years of age in Florida. A lot of hypocrits out there. One rule for all. No wonder racism is rife.

[MSlade]

05:40 AM on 03/27/2012

Good careful message, Mr. West. Master won't be dissappointed in your viewpoint. However, continue to use caution as your letter could be misconstrued to demonstrate that your viewpoint is similar to President Obama, Reverend Al Sharpton, Reverend Jesse Jackson, and the Congressional Black Caucus. In further review, you could have used supportive language such as newt gigrich and especially, Michelle Malkin. In fact, Malkin has fully demonstrated that even though she is in fact an anchor baby, her language and written words are more divisive than that of the meanest racist in the south. You see, she doesn't have any mirrors and doesn't represent herself as a minority, but as a white person despite her heritage. So, use caution out here.

[skibum415]

05:57 PM on 03/27/2012

1/2
Wow, your racism oozes through your writing like SPAM jelly from a fresh can of SPAM.

People like you make me wonder if you ever look in a mirror yourself to see what you have become because you clearly are jaded. If you aren't jaded you simply have so much hate in your heart toward people with an opposing view it is simply sad and frankly pathetic.

See, Michelle Malkin doesn't use her minority status as a crutch or a card to play which is why you don't hear her say she is a minority. Michelle is simply an American. I thought we all were American's. See, that is the problem with this Trayvon situation and what MSNBC is doing. They aren't telling the whole story and instead are race baiting their audience in an effort to build up racial tensions again. It's sad and disappointing.

[Queensladyday]

07:41 PM on 03/27/2012

Well. the color of Michelle Malkin does mean something to you.. since you are using her as a poster girl for your own so-called "racial tolerance". You fool no one.
Michelle Malkin IS a woman of color and has to deal with ALL the injustices Trayvon had to face. She may not say anything on TV.......but..YOU...spotted her difference.

[skibum415]

05:57 PM on 03/27/2012

2/2
So, why don't you represent yourself however you want to do that, pathetic, sad, and miserable as your existence may be. And instead of race baiting yourself by telling an elected U.S. Representative his ""master" won't be disappointed..." Rep. Alan West likely will never know you exist and if he does he will simply laugh and move on. Finally, instead of insulting yet another race with Michelle you could leave her out of it or better yet, use her as an example of someone who doesn't suck on the tit of the U.S. Government using her minority status as a mental block as to why she simply can't achieve in life or why something is owed to her. Instead she works hard, produces a good product for a market who appreciates it. That doesn't mean you have to. Hey, medical marijuana is legal in Colorado but I disagree and don't partake; it doesn't mean I go around demeaning them.

[carbonintheair]

05:30 AM on 03/27/2012

Is "stand your ground" an euphemism for "shoot to kill, ask questions later"?

[Iam12Vote]

08:13 PM on 03/25/2012

So Mr. West weighed in to say he wouldn't do much. And in an event where a private citizen used a gun under cover of some nominal authority this lawmaker has no opinion about the law. There's no real surprise from me that Florida gun laws are making a mess of this. The fact that this becomes a racial issue is real - but somebody had better fess up about the laws that made this a crime that wasn't prosecuted. I guess it won't be Allan West.

[skibum415]

06:06 PM on 03/27/2012

Apparently you need to go back to elementary school to learn to read.

1. ".., the Sanford Police Chief should be relieved of his duties..."
2."...this young man laid on a morgue slab for three days."
3. "The shooter, Mr Zimmerman, should have been held in custody..."
4. "... [Zimmerman] certainly should not be walking free, still having a concealed weapons carry permit."
5. "From my [West's] reading, it seems this young man was pursued and there was no probable cause to engage him, certainly not pursue and shoot him….against the direction of the 911 responder."
6. "I have signed a letter supporting a DOJ investigation."

So, just in case you can read and simply didn't, hopefully putting it in list form helps. These are the six specific items I located where Congressman West was either appalled, taking action, or reprimanding the local authorities.

[Iam12Vote]

09:09 PM on 03/27/2012

I appreciate seeing in detail that you and Mr. West do not address certain facts. He does not see that laws making it legal to carry a concealed weapon and that making it legal to use a legal weapon on another person at your own discretion might lead to a lawful murder in Florida.

The gun laws are a mess and obviously there's very little that local authorities can do about it. He is a lawmaker. What is he going to do about it?

[Tone Are]

05:07 PM on 03/25/2012

George Zimmerman :: THE NEW WHITE
http://mybrotherman.wordpress.com/2012/03/23/george-zimmerman-the-new-white/

[kengault]

02:04 PM on 03/24/2012

Black vs. Hispanic violence ...happens all the time.

[King7David]

01:01 AM on 03/25/2012

I'm a Latino male, and I can tell you that's a lie......li don't know we're you're from, but that's not the way it is in NYC..

[kengault]

10:06 AM on 03/25/2012

I am from NYC

[hitzoro]

08:14 AM on 03/25/2012

Dont know if its a race issue or not question is is it a murder issue murder is murder the face is the same . The good old boys look at the law different when watching from the club house

[noavailusernames]

12:52 PM on 03/24/2012

How refreshing it is to have someone who is in the public eye who has common sense when it comes to cross racial issues. Just the opposite of most Democrats, Obama, Sharpton, Jackson Jr., and most of the Congressional Black Caucus.

[King7David]

01:11 AM on 03/25/2012

What a comical statement. Tray on was killed in the month of February, and both the police dept. and State's Attorneys office tried to cover it up.
It wasn't until -We as a people- got involved that the wheels of justice started turning...

Noavailusername, do all of us a favor TROLL, and disappear.

[noavailusernames]

03:08 AM on 03/25/2012

Hi, I'm still here. I never obey KINGS.

[pmoschetta]

06:13 AM on 03/25/2012

Allen West's equivalence to common sense can be found in the haystack searching for that proverbial needle

[joeyfoto]

12:36 AM on 03/24/2012

Is Allen West really saying that he is too stupid to know that he represents a district in a racist Southern state? That is an outrage.

[pbeat]

09:10 PM on 03/23/2012

I would like to address the issue of Trayvon laying in the morgue for 3 days. I know he had a cell phone and I know everyone of the people on the contact list knew him. How did that happen. I would be a better investigator than the Sanford Police Chief.

[giftsthatpurr]

01:25 PM on 03/25/2012

f/f

[Clouddancer mogle]

08:14 PM on 03/23/2012

I don't understand....even when a cop shoots someone there is an immediate investigation of the shooting, and many time the cop is put on leave with pay while investigated......why not this guy?????? I just don't get it

[pbeat]

09:12 PM on 03/23/2012

He doesn't get paid. He claimed self defense, they bought it. C'mon, its the Sanford Police and the kid (perp,in their eyes) was dead, the community volunteer fake police guy was only slightly bruised. Nothing to see here. Lay him in the morgue and hope nobody shows up to identify him and all well that ends well. That was Then, THIS is now.

[NY Grandma]

07:34 PM on 03/23/2012

Mr. West actually said something intelligent.

[pbeat]

09:13 PM on 03/23/2012

I agree. I thought that too. Wow, first time I ever agreed with anything he ever said. Maybe since he doesn't have a district to run it, he should move to Sanford. Maybe he could get the black and T Party vote.

[mommy dearest]

02:44 AM on 03/25/2012

Someone else wrote it.

[ginster25]

06:17 PM on 03/26/2012

He took a different approach because it is hard work to do what these demonstrators do which AW has no interest in, so he trashes the people that do.

[speakingtruth2power]

07:32 PM on 03/23/2012

If there was no uproar, the killer would remain free, uncharged by a corrupt police department.

[Gary Susie]

05:50 PM on 03/23/2012

if people had not scream and shouted this would have been swept under the rug and no ivestigation would have happened.

[JBS]

06:53 PM on 03/23/2012

I think he's got a point though. Additional agitation isn't going to get justice done now. And, it could create a climate for Zimmerman to claim he can't get a fair trial if/when he is charged.

When Mr. Zimmerman has his day in court, the state gets only one chance.

I think the best hope is for the Florida Attorney General & his Grand Jury to make sure they do a complete & thorough investigation and insure that when criminal charges are filed they have the evidence to secure a conviction.

What needs to be done now is pay attention and make sure that is what happens.

[speakingtruth2power]

07:29 PM on 03/23/2012

The point is that this is another chapter of

a long history of racist killings in America.

The man would not have chased and killed

a white teenager walking home with candy.

[pmoschetta]

06:14 AM on 03/25/2012

The Florida Attorney General was been removed from the investigation

This has become a federal matter now

[pbeat]

09:15 PM on 03/23/2012

Listening to the 911 tapes of Trayvon screaming HELP is most horrifying especially after the gun blast and dead silence. The 911 tapes are all on the Orlando Centinel News page.

[carleronn]

05:36 PM on 03/23/2012

Now this is a mature, measured response. Have to love Allen West

[keysbreezin]

07:19 PM on 03/23/2012

I can't stand Allen West, but I have to acquiesce here, I agree.

[pbeat]

09:16 PM on 03/23/2012

I wouldn't say I HAVE to love Allen West, but this is the only thing I have ever agreed with.