We’ve been talking a TON about the Trayvon Martin shooting. Looks like there will be a grand jury in the case.
The only information we’ve heard has been from the Martin family, and people with racial or political agendas. There has been a LOT of information that is unfounded or simply untrue presented, and a LOT of stuff that just isn’t there.
Here are a few big questions I have.
#1: How did Mr. Zimmerman go from watching a live Mr. Martin from inside his vehicle and talking with 911, to Mr. Zimmerman being injured and outside his car with a dead Mr. Martin on the ground?
The Martin side says Zimmerman charged and accosted, and possibly assaulted Martin, Martin defended himself and when he got the upper hand Zimmerman shot him.
Zimmerman has claimed he left his car to verify the street sign (which makes sense to me as in the 911 call he doesn’t seem particularly alarmed by Martin, just deeply suspicious, and its often easier to step out of a car to read a sign than start and shimmy the car around for a better look. Also This is a Florida housing development, where ALL the houses and streets look the same, so not knowing what street he was on seems quite possible) and Martin jumped him from behind.
#2. I want to see Mr. Martin’s Autopsy report. First I’m curious why it seems the majority of pictures of Mr. Martin I’ve seen have been of a boy of about 12-14 years old, and a single B&W head shot of an older martin with a wispy mustache wearing a hood. Was he really 6’4″ and 140lbs, or was he much bigger than that?
Also were there drugs and alcohol in his system? I’m not going to speculate too much, when I was his age I was WELL known for taking walks at odd times just for the sake of getting out of the house and getting away from the adults in my life which I think is a universal frustration of teenagers and young adults. Still he went out in the rain after dark for skittles and Iced tea? Could be, but might not be.
#3. Mr. Martin was visiting relatives because he was under a 10-day suspension from his school. Why was he suspended. This seems like a fairly major suspension. Granted schools these days suspend students because its much easier than thinking. Still if this is for something like drug use or fighting might lend credibility to Mr. Zimmerman’s claim of being assaulted without provocation.
Some people are saying that this might bring Florida’s Castle Doctrine under fire. Nothing is impossible, but Mr.Zimmerman is facing some VERY serious charges, I fail to see what the Castle Doctrine has to do with any of this.
Be interesting to hear the facts as they are presented in the court of law.
**UPDATE** Bob has a similar post with his own questions and observations. Go give it a read.
How dare you throw out the ” F-bomb” on this case .. Just saying .
#1 – Let’s also talk about the response time to a repeated “suspicious person” calls, eh. That is a huge factor in why Zimmerman may have felt the need to confront or follow Martin. — So, how long did it take from start to finish to get cops there?
#2 – Did Martin have blood on his hands, busted knuckles, defensive wounds?
On a related note, did the police check for finger prints on the doors or windows of the home near the scuffle? I haven’t heard anything to suggest that Martin was trying to break in — but that might have been the trigger point. Again — is a chance to eliminate a cause or suspicion that has not been addressed.
#3 – I read that Martin was suspended for being late to class too often. From personal experience with my oldest son, it could indicate there was other behavior problems. My child was late to class because he was across the street from the high school smoking — long before he turned 18. We lucked out that he was only smoking cigarettes.
I posted about some of the things the media isn’t covering…addressing similar points as you did.
Yeah your post is awesome, I’ll put a link in mine.
I had forgotten about the condition of Martin’s body. I’ve heard quite consistently that martin was killed with a single 9mm shot. Of course I have heard from both sides that Martin and Zimmerman were scuffling before the shot was fired (Martin family and friends claim Zimmerman attacked first and Martin defended himself before being shot, Zimmerman claims he was jumped which likely means he would need to fend Martin off enough to draw his gun), also while both scenarios could result in a contact wound (which lots of smoke and powder are found under the skin and in the wound channel) weather or not this was a contact shot or not would clarify the stories.
I’m certainly anxious to cut through a lot of the false stories and speculation and see what actual physical evidence police and other investigators have.
“Some people are saying that this might bring Florida’s Castle Doctrine under fire. Nothing is impossible, but Mr.Zimmerman is facing some VERY serious charges, I fail to see what the Castle Doctrine has to do with any of this.”
Castle Doctrine isn’t the law that is under fire. The law that is under fire is the Stand Your Ground law. What SYG did was remove any requirement to retreat before using deadly force in self defence in anyplace that you had a right to be as long as your use of deadly force was reasonable and you were not in the commission of a crime at the time. In effect, SYG is seen as extending some of the Castle Doctrine protections against prosecution to outside the home. That is why people get the two confused. Robb Allen has a post with a quote from Jon Gutmacher (who is probably the number one expert on Florida firearms law in existance) that explains better than I can.
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I notice the media is playing CYA with the disclaimer under the photo of Martin (undated photo)
The Martin family were not witnesses to the incident so anything they say has no validity.
I am going to take a wait and see attitude.
Paul in Texas