Not too long ago, precisely on the 26th of Feb, a young boy-just 17yrs old- was shot dead because......errrrr...*thinking* what did the news say again?- allegedly knocking down the neighborhood watch crime captain with a punch to the nose, repeatedly slammed his head on the ground and tried to take his gun. don't forget his age people...... he was 17...only 17
Days later, new reports ve emerged, the night captain or whatever he is called told a lie, according to an eye witness.
READ THE FULL STORY:
George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watch crime captain who shot dead
17-year-old Trayvon Martin, originally told police in a written
statement that Martin knocked him down with a punch to the nose,
repeatedly slammed his head on the ground and tried to take his gun, a
police source told ABC News.
Zimmerman had claimed he had called police about Martin, whom he found
suspicious, then went back to his car when Martin attacked him, punching
him.
The new information is the most complete version yet of what Zimmerman
claims happened on the night of Feb. 26 when he shot and killed the
teenager.
In addition, an eyewitness, 13-year-old Austin Brown, told police he saw
a man fitting Zimmerman's description lying on the grass moaning and
crying for help just seconds before he heard the gunshot that killed
Martin.
The initial police report noted that Zimmerman was bleeding from the
back of the head and nose, and after medical attention it was decided
that he was in good enough condition to travel in a police cruiser to
the Sanford, Fla., police station for questioning. He was not arrested.
Martin's girlfriend had said in a recording obtained exclusively by ABC
News that she heard Martin ask Zimmerman "why are your following me, and
then the man asked, what are you doing around here." She then heard a
scuffle break out and the line went dead.
Phone records obtained by ABC News show that the girl, who is 16 and
asked to remain anonymous, called Martin at 7:12 p.m., five minutes
before police arrived, and remained on the phone with Martin until
moments before he was shot.
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ABC News has also learned that Martin was staying in Sanford at the time
because he'd been suspended from Krop High School in Miami after school
officials found him with a baggy that they suspected contained
marijuana. He was staying at his father's fiance's house in Sanford.
Family spokesperson Ryan Julison confirmed to ABC News that Martin was suspended for an "empty baggy that had contained pot."
"It's irrelevant to what happened on Feb. 26, does not change material
facts of the situation, specifically that had George Zimmerman not left
his vehicle and heeded the police dispatcher's guidance, we wouldn't be
here today," Julison said.
During Zimmerman's call to 911, the dispatcher asked him if he was
following the teen. When Zimmerman replied that he was, the dispatcher
said, "We don't need you to do that."
Martin's mother, Sybrina Fulton, said at a news conference today, "All
I've got to say is they killed my son, and now they're trying to kill
his reputation."
The new information threatens to heighten tensions in the emotionally
charged case. Sanford's Mayor Jeff Triplett told ABC News that "the city
today is a tinder box."
"This city is a glass house, and making matters worse the civic center
has a lot of glass," he said referring to a town hall meeting slated for
5 p.m. where family and residents will be airing grievances about the
Martin shooting.
In addition, the Rev. Al Sharpton said today that he and other
protesters intend to "occupy" Sanford on Easter weekend and pray that
the city arrests Zimmerman.
The details of Zimmerman's early account of the confrontation could
complicate pressing charges against him, which one veteran prosecutor
has already said could be difficult.
"The stand-your-ground law is one portion of justifiable use of deadly
force," veteran State Attorney Angela Corey told ABC News. "And what
that means is that the state must go forward and be able to prove it's
case beyond a reasonable doubt… So it makes the case in general more
difficult than a normal criminal case."
Zimmerman shot Martin dead the night of Feb. 26 after following him for
several minutes. Zimmerman told police Martin looked suspicious because
he was wearing a hoodie, and when he confronted him the two fought --
ultimately resulting in a single bullet in Martin's chest.
Zimmerman claimed self defense and this weekend the lawyer counseling
him, Craig Sonner, told ABC News that he was likely to invoke Florida's
controversial stand-your-ground law in his defense.
The law affords people enormous leeway to use deadly force if they feel
their life is seriously endangered. Sonner said Zimmerman felt "one of
them was going to die that night," when he pulled the trigger.
Corey, a veteran prosecutor known for her zealous defense of victims
rights was hand-picked by Florida Gov. Rick Scott for the job. But she
faces other challenges in the case.
While in life Trayvon Martin was barely 17, when it comes to justifiable
homicide his size -- about 6-foot-3 and 150 pounds -- makes him an
adult in death.
Zimmerman, 28, is 5-foot-9 and weighs well over 200 pounds.
But with the Department of Justice and the FBI investigating this case
as a possible hate crime, Corey might want to pursue that as well.
"So it would depend on which charge if any we're able to file," she
said. "Before we would be able to determine, one, if this is a hate
crime, and two, whether or not that would enhance the crime."
Corey's team is now re investigating a case that the Sanford Police
Department is accused of bungling. Possible police missteps include
failing to administer a toxicology exam on Zimmerman, not impounding his
car, and failing to contact key witnesses -- like Martin's girlfriend,
who was talking to the teen by cell phone and heard most of the scuffle
with Zimmerman unfold.
ABC News has learned there is tremendous pressure from local and state authorities for an arrest.
Corey said parts of the investigation might only take a few more days to
complete but charges, if they ever come, could be weeks away.
what do u think??? (stand-your-ground law my foot)
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