thepoliblog

Ask George Zimmerman

Here are questions that George Zimmerman must be asked, so that we can get a clear picture of what led to his killing of Trayvon Martin on the evening of February 26, 2012.

George Zimmerman got out of his truck because Trayvon Martin, alarmed by the truck that was stalking him, began to run.  Why didn’t George Zimmerman get back into his truck after the police dispatcher, having been informed of that, told him “We don’t need you to do that.”?

If George Zimmerman had returned to his vehicle, there would have been no confrontation.  In fact, the Miami Herald quotes the Police Department’s coordinator of volunteers as saying that she had warned volunteers – including George Zimmerman – against doing anything more than observing and reporting, and had told them never to act as vigilantes.  (http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/03/17/v-print/2700249/trayvon-martin-shooter-a-habitual.html,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting_of_Trayvon_Martin)

If the police had been alarmed by what Zimmerman was describing in his calls, they would have intercepted Trayvon Martin and questioned him.  If the police had questioned him, Trayvon Martin would have been annoyed, but would not have felt threatened, as he did feel when confronted by the  person who seemed to be stalking him.
That George Zimmerman got out of his truck and initiated contact with Trayvon Martin refutes the assertion by the police that they had not found evidence to contradict his assertion of self-defense.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting_of_Trayvon_Martin)

Now put yourself in Trayvon Martin’s shoes.  You had done nothing wrong, and were just walking along in the pleasant cool of the evening, looking about at the interestingly unfamiliar but pleasant suburb that you were visiting.  Gradually you become aware that, incredibly, you are being stalked by a stranger in a truck.  The driver must be a criminal or crazy person, and must be be sizing you up to rob or abduct you.  You start to run.  The stalker then gets out of his truck and corners you.  Worse,  this stalker has a gun.  You try to fend him off, to avoid being forced into a situation where you would become unable to defend yourself.  Wouldn’t you reach for the gun, out of desperation?  How can punching and a gun-grab by a stalked person be called “an unprovoked attack”, as George Zimmerman asserts? Travon Martin’s actions were all in self defense.  Trayvon Martin was the one who “stood his ground”.  And he did so only because he had no choice.

Blaming Trayvon is like blaming the victim of a bully for defending himself.

I have a guess as to why George Zimmerman got out of his truck to chase Trayvon Martin.  George Zimmerman’s patrolling was obsessive, according to the police department.  Its obsessiveness suggests that he had fantasies of becoming regarded as a hero.  Those fantasies are probably why he chased his suspect on foot.  Also, he was emboldened by having a gun.