walking while black - Trayvon Martin

[Duchess]

I guess I am jaded because it is so common around here.

That's why I get concerned when you go in the middle of the night to see the new Harry Potter film.

[Lady Cop]

the 911 tape should be released. it has not.

[Cynical Ninja]

Have they arrested this trigger happy fuckwit yet or not?

[Lady Cop]

Have they arrested this trigger happy fuckwit yet or not?

it will probably be weeks before the state attny. makes a decision on charging. in the meantime, there is a big church rally taking place today.

[Lady Cop]

"There is no reason in the world to carry a gun for Neighborhood Watch," said Chris Tutko, a retired police chief who now directs Neighborhood Watch for the sheriffs' association. "It gets people more into trouble than out of it."

A manual published by the association for its "USAonWatch" program makes that very clear.

"It should be emphasized to members that they do not possess police powers and they shall not carry weapons or pursue vehicles," the manual states. "Members should never confront suspicious persons who could be armed and dangerous."

The sheriffs' association manual lists the type of suspicious activity that should be reported to police. Among the examples: "Someone peering into car windows" and "broken doors or windows."

Nowhere does it list walking while black, which is all Trayvon appeared to be doing as he made his way back to the house of his dad's fiancée after a candy run to 7-Eleven. Trayvon was armed only with a package of Skittles in his pocket.

[pspence]

I hate it when good kids get killed over stupid shit. I guess I am jaded because it is so common around here. That guy should be arrested and charged, not sure why he is walking around freely.

Me either...what a disgusting shame...looked like such a nice kid...what a tragedy.

[Kip]

Have they arrested this trigger happy fuckwit yet or not?

it will probably be weeks before the state attny. makes a decision on charging. in the meantime, there is a big church rally taking place today.

I don't see what's so hard about this decision. You have an unarmed person walking between Point A and Point B who's not bothering anyone or anything. You have a fucktard who shoots him. I don't see any cause for believing that this was a self-defense situation.

[username]

I heard on CNN yesterday that some witnesses did say there was an altercation and that the 911 calls captures some of that in addition to the gunshot.

Still, the stupid fucker shouldn't have approached the kid in the first place.

LC I'm sure knows about this but apparently there are 2 laws that come in to play here. "Stand in place" and "first aggressor", if I recall. LC?



*asking LC because I'm a lazy bitch and I don't want to look it up*

[Lady Cop]

it has to do with florida's stand your ground law. you are allowed to use deadly force when you feel your life is in danger. it was meant to apply to people in their homes who were invaded. i think it was expanded to include anywhere.
i think the fuckwit confronted the kid and got into a physical fight with him, he had a bloody nose and grass stains on himself. but i'll bet he was the first aggressor.

for more particulars who can google the fla. stand your ground statute you lazy bitch.

[Cynical Ninja]

Zimmerman needs to be locked up now and the key thrown away, an innocent young life taken away by a trigger happy moron.

[ramseycat]

This is a tragedy and the shooter should have been arrested by now. It doesn't say if he even had a permit to carry anywhere unless I misssed it.

Who wants the over/under on how long it take THE REVEREND AL SHARPTON to talk the parents into suing someone for wrongful death?

[Maggot]

Sharpton is the biggest racist out there today with Jesse Jackson a close second. MLK is rolling in his grave.

[SIXFOOTERsez]

First report I read said the 911 folks told the fuckwit to stand down and let the police handle it. Aparently he didn't to that, probably put his hands on the kid and got his ass kicked then shot the kid..
I hate rentacops

[ZEROSPHERES]

http://www.change.org/petitions/prosecut...von-martin

[Lady Cop]

i've just been watching a live presser from the parents and their lawyer. also a couple women who are witnesses. they are excoriating the Sanford Police for indifference. i will try to bring you more details when they are published.

my heart goes out to this mother.

i don't mean to be insulting Zero, but online petitions generally are utterly useless. they make no difference and are rarely read by anyone they are directed to. i wouldn't put my information on one.

[Lady Cop]

SANFORD --
News13
The parents of a teenager shot and killed in a local neighborhood spoke about their son's death Friday with a very different account of how police handled the investigation than we first heard.

Trayvon Martin was shot to death in late February by a neighborhood watch volunteer in Sanford. The 17-year-old was unarmed as he was returning to a relative's home from a nearby store.

That volunteer, George Zimmerman, has claimed he acted in self-defense, and has not been charged with a crime.

The Florida State Attorney's Office is reviewing the case.

Martin's parents, Tracy Martin and Sybrina Fulton, along with two witnessees, spoke at a news conference.

Witness Mary Cutcher said she called police four times about the shooting and was told not to worry. Cutcher also said the lead detective has yet to call her back.

The Sanford Police Department issued the following statement Thursday.

WFTV aired a report in which a witness in the Trayvon Martin case was interviewed. According to the witness she said police only took a two or three sentence statement from her. Actually officers who were canvassing the neighborhood looking for potential witnesses, the evening of the shooting, contacted her and she said she did not want to get involved. She did write a statement, for her roommate, and that was only after several attempts by officers who were asking for her information.

Her statements during the WFTV interview are inconsistent with her sworn testimony to police investigators. According to investigators notes she was called on February 29^th, March 1^st, and on March 2^nd when she and her roommate finally came in to be interviewed. The information she provided in her sworn statements regarding the actions of Zimmerman were consistent with the information Zimmerman provided.

[Lady Cop]

video and story from earlier today:

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/loca...9370.story

[ramseycat]

What a handsome young man he was. Zimmerman needs to be arrested. Let a jury determine if he is innocent or guilty after reviewing all the evidence. I don't believe for a minute that this was self defense. A kid with no weapon, no history of getting into trouble or violence against a man with a gun who had a rent a cop attitude is self defense. I don't think so. I still haven't seen it addressed in any new story if this man had a permit to carry.

[username]

What the hell is up with that witness?

[Lady Cop]

Ramsey: I still haven't seen it addressed in any news story if this man had a permit to carry.

he had a CCW, permit to carry concealed for personal protection only. he was NOT authorized or supposed to carry it in his neighborhood watch capacity. as the former Chief said, he did not have police powers, but he liked to play that he did. sort of like that moron dog chapman.

User, i am not sure about that witness either, i think she is getting her 15 minutes. she has made contradictory statements. and did not actually SEE anything until it was over.