Pending the outcome of some voice analysis, there is arguably enough evidence in the 911 tapes to warrant the arrest of George Zimmerman in connection with the Feb. 26 shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. The voice testing is needed to determine if Zimmerman uttered a racial slur while in pursuit of Martin, and which of the two can be heard crying out for help during their altercation in Sanford, Fla.
Here are seven observations about Zimmerman's 911 call to police, and one point about the neighbors' calls:
First, Zimmerman began his call by saying, "We've had some break-ins in my neighborhood." I'd like to know if that is true. And it strikes me as peculiar that he did not identify himself immediately. The Orlando Sentinel reports that, in the last 15 months, Zimmerman had called the Sanford police 46 times. So why not begin this latest call by saying, "Hey, it's me, George Zimmerman, from the neighborhood watch?" Wouldn't a neighborhood watch volunteer want the police to know who he was? If not, why not?
Second, he never offered anything concrete to justify a request for police assistance. He first told the police operator that the teen he was watching is "a real suspicious guy." Then he said he "looks like he's up to no good, or he's on drugs, or something." Well, what exactly was it about Martin that raised Zimmerman's suspicions? "It's raining and he's just walking around, looking about," he said. But walking in the rain with your eyes open isn't by itself nefarious. Maybe that's why Zimmerman then took it up a notch.
Third, having offered a litany of nonspecific concerns, Zimmerman calmly tried to portray Martin as an aggressor: "He's just staring, looking at all the houses. Now just staring at me." That was followed by: "Now he's coming toward me." Then, the more menacing: "He's got his hand in his waist band." Finally: "Something's wrong with him. Yup, he's coming to check me out. He's got something in his hands, I don't know what his deal is."
Fourth, Zimmerman seeks a form of complicity from the operator that was not reciprocated. He mutters, "These a-, they always get away." To his credit, the operator did not react. Instead, he continued to solicit locational information from Zimmerman.
Fifth, Zimmerman seems to make a racist statement. After he reports that "he's running," the door to his truck can be heard opening. If Martin were running, that is hardly the behavior of a confrontational individual against whom deadly force need be used. And the blogosphere is on fire with conjecture that Zimmerman called Martin a "coon." I raised the audio of that part of the tape, and it sure sounds like he said that. If it's confirmed, that statement alone should provide sufficient probable cause to indict Zimmerman for a hate crime.
Sixth, Zimmerman ignores the operator's advice. After he departs from his truck to pursue Martin, Zimmerman's breathing is audibly labored. The operator hears that, and asks, "Are you following him?" Zimmerman replies, "Yep." The operator responds: "We don't need you to do that." This would seemingly have been another natural opportunity for Zimmerman to say, "I'm a neighborhood watch volunteer." Instead, he softly says, "OK." Then, the continued sound of his breathing suggests he was still pursuing Martin.
Seventh, Zimmerman was willing to report his name and phone number, but strangely stopped short when asked for his address. Asked if he lived in the area, he again said nothing of his neighborhood watch role. He gave part of his address, and then stopped. He said, "Oh, crap, I don't want to give it out loud, I don't know where this kid is at." Instead, he tells the operator to have the police who arrive on the scene to "call me and I'll tell them where I'm at."
Then there are the calls from neighbors who heard the ensuing altercation. Florida law provides that there is no duty to retreat so long as the person using deadly force "reasonably believes that such force is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to himself." On at least one of the 911 calls logged by neighbors, a man is heard crying in distress just before the fatal gunshot is audible. Who was it, Zimmerman or Martin?
If a voice analysis shows it to be Zimmerman, that will suggest he was justified in using deadly force, that he was crying for help and restraining himself before drawing his gun.
If, however, it is Martin crying out for help, Zimmerman's ability to cloak himself in "stand your ground" will evaporate, and that identification will appropriately lead to his arrest.
Originally published in the Philadelphia Inquirer.
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Zimmerman will be foung innocent. if he has to spend any time it will be to apease the masses.
If, however, it is Martin crying out for help, Zimmerman's ability to cloak himself in "stand your ground" will evaporate, and that identification will appropriately lead to his arrest."
True, but it seems unlikely that it was Martin yelling for help. Martin had at least 6 inches on Zimmerman, and the witnesses's 9-1-1 call reported Martin on top of Zimmerman, on the ground, beating Zimmerman up, and Zimmerman's injuries are consistent with that. This article shocked me:
http://www.americanthinker.com/2012/04/zimmerman_and_ketman.html
Indeed. George Zimmerman didn't expect his neighbors to be listening in on the happenings of their neighborhood because George Zimmerman's psychosis had him thinking he was the ONLY hero allowed and the only one in the community smart enough to make then safe. He needed the glory.
Unfortunately for him, not everyone drinks his cool-aid and we have been armed with the reasoning trait. Police records have recorded his car bells going off from the moment he got out of his car to pursue this child.
Step count matters! How many steps from the driveable road to interior sidewalk did George Zimmerman take after admitting he was following the child. We know that the steps after police said back off and his "ok" that none of those steps taken resulted in hearing his SUV's bells being heard again (over a full minute of walking/running/pursuing AFTER "ok", but only several seconds before "ok" had we heard the SUV bells of a door open), so it was obviously steps not towards his SUV.
How many steps were taken by George Zimmerman to reach the interior part of the grounds from the driveable part where he first stalked Trayvon Martin from his SUV while on the phone with the police and recorded by dispatch?
Zimmerman is lying.
if Martin had finished the job he started and killed Zimmerman nobody would be marching and protesting for Zimmerman.
Nope, it won't show that he was justified. It could show premeditation as I have contended all along that Zimmerman (a study of law, raised by a judge) committed cold, calculated murder and did everything 'required by law' to ensure he would get away with a crime he executed perfectly. George Zimmerman seems to me to be a sociopath. Look at his friends and his lawyers of choice. He has surrounded himself with people very stupid in order to make him self look like the superior law expert. He can impress them reciting what daddy and his studies have taught him, but when that got old, he needed to show them proof of his talent.
Zimmerman is lying!
I hear talk (which may or maynot be true) is this is really regenerating the Black Panther Party Movement. There are no more hiding of the racist attitude. Our President has been so disrespected that if we as a whole do not come together (boycott something, marching in every state "like the illegal people demanding rights in this country, which blows my mind, ect.").
Sorry, if you do not like what I've said, but you have the right to stop reading.
Travyvon Martin was on spring break, walking back to the gated community where he was staying (if I'm wrong, please correct me), after going to get skittles candy and a bottle of tea. Ok, lets all think about this; (a)it was raining, (b)he had his hood up, (c)didn't regconize his conforter either, (d)at age 17 his guard is up because "walking or driving while black is scary for a man of color," and (e) this man was not in a marked police car, no uniform, etc.
I can see an uprising in this country about the murders of our young black men. Is this a form of genocide (by cop/non-cop)? I'm as tired as every other person of color in this country about the "in your face" racist attltudes, especially since our President is of color.
1 Trayvon was white and Zimmerman shot him...would he have been released/investigated?
2 Trayvon was white and Zimmerman was black would he have been released/investigated?
3.Both were black would he have been released/investigated?
4. Both white would he have been released/investigated?
Finally
5,. Trayvon is Black and Zimmerman is white...well we know the answer to #5 and I think we all know the answers to 1-4
"The guy on the bottom who had a red sweater on was yelling to me: ‘help, help…
When I got upstairs and looked down, the guy who was on top beating up the other guy, was the one laying in the grass, and I believe he was dead at that point."
http://www.examiner.com/unsolved-cases-in-national/new-witness-says-george-zimmerman-was-not-aggressor-trayvon-martin-shooting#ixzz1r1R1knFp
I've not heard about a 2nd eyewitness.
Years ago, my brother and his wife divorced. One evening a few months later, she comeover to his house and wanted to get back together. My brother did not want to. She pulled out a gun and shot herself in the side. My brother grabbed her and carried her to my car (my keys were handiest) and rushed her to the hospital. On the way there he was speeding so a police officer gave chase for a short way to the hospital, my brother quickly turned into the hospital, for she was already unconciuos. She did not die but it was close, the rapid transport is probably what saved her life. At the hospital my brother was arrested and taken straight to jail, I don't remember what the charge was, I think he was being held for suspected attempted murder. Lucky for him, after he spent three days in jail, she regained enough strength to talk, and told the police she had shot herself. This also took place in Florida.
My point is, even after my brother rushed his x to the hospital, very probably saving her life, he was taken into custody, just in case. Because she had been shot. Why wasn't Zimmerman taken into custody?
This whole thing stinks to high heaven! I am glad there is an ongoing investigation.