George Zimmerman's Father: Trayvon Martin Told My Son, 'You're Going To Die Tonight' (VIDEO)

George Zimmerman's father, Robert Zimmerman, appeared on an Orlando-area news broadcast to defend his son, and told a reporter that Trayvon Martin said to his son: "you're going to die tonight."

Zimmerman's father outlined the scuffle that was part of Zimmerman's report to the police, which was made public yesterday. The threat the elder Zimmerman attributes to Martin did not appear in that report.

Zimmerman told police that on the night of the shooting that a fight began after Martin sucker-punched him, climbed on top of him, and repeatedly banged his head into the ground.

"After nearly a minute of being beaten, George was trying to get his head off the concrete, trying to move with Trayvon on him into the grass. In doing so, his firearm was shown. Trayvon Martin said something to the effect of 'you're going to die now or you're going to die tonight,' something to that effect. He continued to beat George and at some point, George pulled his pistol and did what he did."

WATCH:

EXCLUSIVE: Robert Zimmerman interview: MyFoxORLANDO.com

"I never foresaw so much hate coming from the president, the Congressional Black Caucus, the NAACP," he said. "Every organization imaginable is trying to get some notoriety or profit from this some way. But there's so much hate. I've never been involved in hate and George hasn't. It's really unbelievable."

"I just hope at one point, they're willing to go beyond the hate that they have."

But Robert Zimmerman's detailing of the altercation between his son and Martin aired the same night that ABC News broadcast police surveillance video showing Zimmerman the night of the shooting which seems to contradict his son's story. A handcuffed Zimmerman is shown being led by police into the station, and he has no visible injuries or blood stains on his body.

Yesterday, the special prosecutor in the case said that police at the scene requested a warrant for Zimmerman's arrest, but were rebuffed and told to wait.

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Comments

[DovS]

12:49 PM on 04/05/2012

While I have serious doubts about the accuracy of Magistrate Zimmerman's hearsay testimony, if it were true, it would illustrate a flaw in Florida law because it acknowledges that George Zimmerman was armed with a gun and George admitted that he stalked Trayvon Martin. That could have very reasonably put Trayvon Martin in fear for his life and that means that, under Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law, Martin would have had the right to use lethal force to defend himself. He could have tried to take Zimmerman's gun and kill him and been in the legal right. If so, how could those actions be a defense for Zimmerman? It seems to me that the Florida "Stand Your Ground" law is so messed up that, when someone threatens you, you have the right to kill them and then, when you try to do so, your attacker gains the legal right to kill you since your defense makes them feel threatened. Is murder illegal at all in Florida anymore?

[helenlig]

01:37 AM on 04/03/2012

"'I never foresaw so much hate coming from the president, the Congressional Black Caucus, the NAACP,' he said." Any one have a clue what "hate" this guy saw coming from President Obama? Does he realize statements like these just hurt his credibility and his son's case?

[Bobio]

08:16 PM on 04/02/2012

I love the way Zimmerman's father. Knows everything that happened that night. He'll be a pretty good witness during the trial. Especially since he is a judge. Also is judge Zimmerman in a witness relocation program? Because they bured his face out while he told his account of what appended.

[connemd]

09:04 AM on 04/01/2012

I think everyone would have preferred that your son obeyed the police as he says he was trying to get others to do with the neighborhood watch. How can he expect the neighborhood folks to obey the law when he himself refused to obey the law when the law told him to back off ande wait for the proffessionals. if he had been obedient to the laws he was supposedly trying to enforce a 17y/o unarmed child would have watched the allstar game, given his cousin the skittles and none of this would be happening...

[Rafalsays]

12:18 AM on 04/01/2012

And his dad is an eyewitness? sorry, no. what else is he going to say? my son is a murderer?

[Michael Red Walls]

09:00 PM on 03/31/2012

A father's attempt to save his son. Sorry Dad...not this time.

[thrustblog dot blogspot]

08:43 PM on 03/31/2012

Short piece with new (?) viewpoint on Trayvon Martin killing: "Stand Your Ground Justifies..." on leftcoastvoices - a blog.

[justobserve]

07:17 PM on 03/31/2012

Isn't nice to have a father a judge who defends you by telling , um, lies? It reminds one of the Dutch killer, whose father was also a judge, of the girl from Alabama in Aruba. The main point is still: where are all the injuries to show Zimmerman got beaten and was afraid for his life to the extent that he needed to kill an unarmed boy? Shouldn't he or the police have to get him to the emergency room at least to have a record? How did they think a dead body there and no investigation?

[mdmcarauder805]

09:53 PM on 03/31/2012

Can you prove that the father isn't telling the truth? That is just your opinion which doesn't make it fact.

[sueb03]

10:33 PM on 03/31/2012

As much as anyone can prove he IS telling the truth. We all have opinions. This is an opinion comment column. People tend to believe the evidence that supports their view.

The prosecutors and jury (if there is one) will have all the evidence to weigh. Only their opinions count. The rest of us are just playing detective.

[taatiita]

10:29 AM on 04/03/2012

How does Zimmerman's father know what Trayvon said to George? His grimy behind WASN'T there with them.. that alone makes his "side" of the story S-T-U-P-I-D.

[Conservativepolicysucks]

06:24 PM on 03/31/2012

Robert Zimmerman is a racist. He obviously hates black people. Maybe that's where his son gets his ideas from.

[mdmcarauder805]

09:54 PM on 03/31/2012

This ranting is just your opinion and not fact.

[taatiita]

10:27 AM on 04/03/2012

You are equally ranting all over the post with your two bit opinion.
Seems like everyone who doesn't share your view on this is either your enemy, ranting or clueless. What are you now, Zimmerbear's defense attorney?

[Michael Red Walls]

09:03 PM on 03/31/2012

How did this possibly pass the moderators??? White women choose to have sex with black men, as do hispanic women. Why....because we treat them with respect, and make them feel like a Queen.

[ushern2012]

05:10 PM on 03/31/2012

Based on undisputed facts in this case and this krazy Florida statute, if Trayvon had a gun he could have lawfully shot and killed zimmerman. Trayvon was acting lawfully if he did punch zimmerman in the nose knocking him down beating him in his own "so-called" self-defense because he was trying to save his own life from a deadly aggressive attaker who had a gun.

Stand Your Ground Law Is NOT a License To Kill. You can't go out and Instigate a fight then claim self-defense when you shoot and murder someone. That would be INSANITY.

This case was an abuse of discretion for the Sanford Police Department to not to effect an arrest and send it to the state's attorney's office. Trayvon had his rights as an American just like we all have. Just imagine if Trayvon had the face of Justin Beiber, would this have occured?

Doesn't matter if he had tattoos, or if he did smoke a joint every now or then, he was just a normal teenager who could have easily passed for President Obama's biological son.

[jl13]

08:20 PM on 03/31/2012

"if Trayvon had a gun he could have lawfully shot and killed zimmerman" are you stating that you know that Zimmerman attacked Martin first or are you saying that the act of following someone is enough to permit deadly force by your interpretation of the Florida SYG law?

[luv my cats]

04:24 AM on 04/01/2012

Based on what has been stated, Zimmerman was following Martin. How could Martin have known if Zimmerman meant him any harm. If Martin was being chased for no reason, it does seem reasonable that he would have wanted to defend himself against Zimmerman. But since Zimmerman already had Martin pegged (in his own mind) as someone suspicious (or worse) he made sure that Martin wouldn't be able to dispute, or defend himself against, anything that he said against him.

[ushern2012]

09:33 PM on 03/31/2012

According to the 911, he disobeyed the dispatcher's suggestion NOT TO FOLLOW, I heard him running, breathing hard trying to catch up with Trayvon, according to the girlfriend, he asked Trayvon " What Are You Doing Here" then pushed him. He was the aggressor and the instigator of the fight. You CANNOT instigate a fight then cry self-defense when the other person victoriously over powers you. Zimmerman was the combative and vigilante one.

Following someone with a gun is creepy, life threatening and provoking. Trayvon didn't do anything unlawful, he was just trying to get home out of the rain wearing his hoodie.

Zimmerman had NO identification from the Law Enforcement, nor did he have Credentials to confront anyone. This case MUST be heard by a Grand Jury.

Hear the facts before you make a hero out of a murderer.

Joe Horn shot and killed two Hispanic men that were on his property stealing.

I'm for Justice, not in favor of my "own kind."

[kaywahrheit]

04:18 PM on 03/31/2012

Two enactments would solve this pro-zimmerman responses here : 1) An offer to break his nose again and see how much blood stain he can keep away from his shirt/ jacket within the time frame it took the paramedics to arrive, cater to Trayvon, and then move to wonderful George,
2) Paramedics should produce the state-of-the art drycleaning machine they used to clean George's clothes. If you read officer Timothy Martin's incident report, he says: " [Zimmerman's] back was COVERED [not dotted] with grass..." The FBI has an ax to grind here. I don't trust that Republican special prosector, Mrs Corey who divides her time fighting Obamacare and pursuing the Trayvon case!

[jl13]

08:23 PM on 03/31/2012

I hope that there is going to be real, definitive evidence one way or the other. I have personally seen people get broken noses without getting blood all over themselves. It should be really easy for them to prove whether his nose was broken or not. Has anyone interviewed the paramedics yet?

[Michael Red Walls]

09:06 PM on 03/31/2012

Exactly, so if Zimmerman's back was covered in grass, how was his head bashed on concrete?

[RedDonnaAnn]

04:15 PM on 03/31/2012

Does the senior Mr. Zimmerman know that Trayvon Martin weighed 140 pounds? Even I would stand a chance at getting that beanpole off me. The kid was 6' 3" and 140. You must be joking.

[f8222]

05:27 PM on 03/31/2012

nah, he is not joking, he is lying...I guess he has not listened to the audio recording of the kid begging for help. And also listen for the hate his son shows when calling the police for the black kid. Like father like son, bunch of liers.

[working4myboyj]

09:41 PM on 03/31/2012

LIKE FATHER LIKE SON

[bluw7]

04:15 PM on 03/31/2012

That is a ridiculous lie, Who in a life and death struggle is going to say such a long winded verbal statement. That clearly is a rehearsed ,practiced, supposed statement. Zimmerman was the instigator,Zimmerman stalked,chased,confronted and killed Martin. This making Martin out to be the aggressor won't stand Zimmerman was bent on confronting Martin even when the 911 dispatch told him not to pursue. This Zimmerman guy is a racist with a bias against Black people. This guy needs to be brought to justice

[justobserve]

07:24 PM on 03/31/2012

To avoid being accused of using race baiting, let's say Zimmerman is paranoid. His killing of Martin is not unlike paranoid people who heard voice telling them to kill innocent people.

[sueb03]

10:50 PM on 03/31/2012

Bingo - Zimmrman has a history of these tactics, even had complaints from residents. He was a paranoid who thought he was a super hero crime fighter. He also thought that black men are criminals. Maybe simple predjudice, maybe outright hate of young black men - hard to say. This time it didn't go like in the movies.

[working4myboyj]

09:44 PM on 03/31/2012

YOU CAN TELL IT WAS REHEARSED. THE JUDGE KNOWS WHAT TO SAY BUT I HOPE PEOPLE USE THEIR COMMON SENSE......... THE GUY WITHOUT THE GUN SEES THE GUN AND TELL THE GUY WITH THE GUN ' YOU ARE GONNA DIE TONIGHT". PLEASE STOP THE LIES ALREADY.

[bailey1katie]

01:33 PM on 03/31/2012

Robert Zimmerman leased a hate filled racist upon society. One can see what went on in that household. He never held his son accountable for anything. He got his son out of several domestic abuse charges. He got his son off on attacking a woman at a party. He got his son off on attacking police. Now, he is trying to get his son off for muder. Robert Zimmerman bred and conditioned that racist. Robert Zimmerman is responsible for enabling a violent women beating, police attacking, child murdering racist. Trayvon's murder lies at the feet of Robert Zimmerman.

[RedDonnaAnn]

04:16 PM on 03/31/2012

No one is responsible for George Zimmerman's actions but George Zimmerman.

[bailey1katie]

05:10 PM on 03/31/2012

That fruity George did not fall far from that fruity family tree. Robert Zimmerman blames Black people. George Zimmerman blames the slain child. All of the men in that family are liers. Their dysfunctional family dynamics are obvious and appalling. They are the most hated family in America.

[working4myboyj]

09:47 PM on 03/31/2012

I TRULY BELIEVE THAT. BEING IN THE JUDICIARY SYSTEM FOR SO LONG HIS FATHER PROBABLY CAME HOME AND TALK RACIST EVERYDAY.