Just the Facts, Ma’am

Facts in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin are changing daily, depending on who you listen to, but certain facts are incontrovertible and are central to what happened on February 26 of this year in Sanford, FL.

First of all, George Zimmerman, identified as the shooter, was also said to have been a member of a Neighborhood Watch Group.  For those who know anything about these organizations, it is that weapons are not permitted when acting on their behalf.

Secondly, volunteers for a Neighborhood Watch programs should be of good repute, trained on how to operate and willing to follow directions.  They are not members of a police force, just volunteers who act as eyes and ears for law enforcement.

George Zimmerman has a police record.  In 2005, he was arrested for resisting arrest with violence and battery on a police officer.  Zimmerman was attempting to stop the officer in question from arresting a friend.  It’s also reported that Zimmerman’s one-time fiancé had charged him with domestic violence.

Trayvon Martin, on the other hand, was as typical a teen as you are apt to find.  He was a 17 year old whose parents had divorced.  Trayvon was in Sanford visiting his father and girlfriend and was getting acquainted with his soon-to-be step brother.

Something about Trayvon caught Zimmerman’s attention that night.  Zimmerman told police dispatch Trayvon was "just walking around looking about.”  He added "This guy looks like he is up to no good. He is on drugs or something."

Zimmerman did have a history of such phone calls to police dispatch concerning young African American males, most of which parroted his call about Trayvon.  There were witnesses who later said Zimmerman also warned residents of that neighborhood about "young black men who appear to be outsiders".

Normal procedure would be for a Watch volunteer to call in the info on any suspects and then let the police do the investigation.  But that call to the dispatcher shows Zimmerman wasn’t about to wait. 

What Zimmerman didn’t know was that Trayvon knew he was being followed and at this point he started running.  He’d been talking to his girlfriend, as she has testified, and he stated he was afraid.

Since this incident, I have read so many different accounts of what African American families call “the talk” they have whenever their sons become young men.  It’s about how they should act whenever they are in public to protect themselves; maybe, many reason, to even keep themselves alive.  One of the most important rules talked about is never to run.  That will make police think you are guilty of something.

At this point, Zimmerman told the dispatcher that Martin was running.  The dispatcher asked Zimmerman if he was following Trayvon and when Zimmerman said yes, the dispatcher told him "We don't need you to do that."   Zimmerman seems to suggest something when he muttered “…these (expletive deleted) always get away.”

Trayvon lost his life that night.  We know he’d committed no crimes, but he was profiled by a neighborhood watch member who assumed the worst about him because of his hoodie.

The police accepted Zimmerman’s account of the shooting.  They let him go home with the gun he’d used to kill Trayvon.  He wasn’t drug tested, either.

Trayvon’s body, which the police tagged as a John Doe, was.  Three days later, Trayvon’s body was returned to his parents.

George Zimmerman is still free.