Trayvon Martin #2

Why did the local police not arrest George Zimmerman?  He claims he shot Trayvon Martin in self-defense, and they said they had no evidence to disprove that.   However, recorded 911 conversations between Zimmerman and the 911 operator show that he was actively pursuing Martin, not the other way around.   The 911 operator told him to wait for the police and not pursue Martin on his own.

He claims that Martin jumped on him from behind.  There is absolutely no evidence of that.  It's his word against a young man who was unarmed and is now dead.

We have the 911 phone dialogue in which the operator said he should not pursue Martin but wait for the police to arrive.   And then we now have the word of the 16 year old girl friend that Martin was actually on the phone with.  There is nothing to suggest he did anything except try to get away from Zimmerman -- except Zimmerman's word that Martin jumped him from behind.

In addition to lack of evidence to refute Zimmerman's claim of self-defense, police cite Florida's Stand Your Ground law that allows residents to use lethal force (guns) if they feel their lives are threatened by an intruder.  Martin was walking down a street, not intruding in a house.   Because it was a gated community that had experienced numerous recent burglaries and Zimmerman was a Neighborhood Watch volunteer, he wants this to be considered intrusion (into the neighborhood).

Of course, it's known now that he was not an intruder into the gated neighborhood but the guest of one of the residents.

The Republican legislator who co-wrote that 2005 law says it does not apply in this case.  "Anyone who is out pursuing and confronting people is not protected by this statute," he said.

Meanwhile, with public pressure mounting, Florida's governor has met with the parents and assured them the further handling of the case will not be in the hands of those who initially declined to arrest Zimmerman.   They have both withdrawn from the case, and further investigation will be handled by the state's attorney office with assistance from the U. S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division.

Eleven states have similar laws as Florida's.  A recent survey shows that Florida's cases of intruders being shot have increased three-fold since the law was passed in 2005.   Before this law was passed, you were supposed to make a reasonable attempt to get out of the threatening situation before using lethal force.
 
Some legal experts say people take the new law as license to murder and have the flimsiest explanations for why they feel threatened.   It was at the insistence of the NRA that the laws have been passed.  Not a big surprise.

Ralph