I agree. Zimmerman's going to walk, regardless of whether he's ultimately charged.
I know what I believe happened. I heard the tapes. I saw the map and the streets and where the initial call was placed and where the shooting occurred. I saw how far Zimmerman followed (chased?) Martin. Two-tenths of a mile isn't very far, but in a situation like this it's far enough for Zimmerman to have heeded the advice of the dispatcher and let the police check Martin out. IMO he went looking for a confrontation. I don't see a 17 year old, 140 lb kid with a can of ice tea as his only weapon initiating an attack on a man who not only outweighs him by a hundred pounds, but is toting a gun besides.
Zimmerman saw himself as the community protector. He saw someone he didn't recognize, and didn't believe belonged in his neighborhood. He took it upon himself to track this kid, and things spiraled out of control. Once it was over, and Zimmerman realized what he'd done, he had an "oh shit!" moment. He knew that people had to have heard the cries for help. He knew he was fucked if police decided he had no cause to shoot this young man. He also knew the law. So he tells paramedics he called for help and no one came. jmo, of course.
That may have been how it actually happened, Emma. However it happened, this is tragic. This did not need to happen, and it could have been averted at several points. If Zimmerman had simply followed Martin from a distance and observed, nothing more would have happenedIf Martin had not run, and Zimmerman had not chased him, nothing would have happened-Martin would have simply walked to his father's house, and that would have been it. From the facts we have, here's what I think actually happened-it makes a few assumptions, but not many:
This went bad, when Martin ran. This was a normal reaction. It was dark, Martin knew someone was following him; that made Martin nervous, and likely angry; he hadn't DONE anything, after all. Martin decided to run. Zimmerman decided to chase him, and caught up to him, probably close to the final scene. The verbal confrontation ensued. Zimmerman grabbed or tried to grab Martin. Martin responded like a typical 17 year-old; he was scared, and really angry now. Martin twisted or spun away from Zimmerman, winding up slightly to the side of and behind Zimmerman. The final piece of the puzzle comes into play here; if the iced tea was in a can (I did not know that earlier) here's where it comes into play. A full soft-drink can makes a reasonably effective improvised weapon of sorts, and it was all Martin had. Martin swung his hand, holding the can of tea, at Zimmerman's head, and connected. That was a heavy enough blow knock Zimmerman , already off-balance, to the ground, and accounts for the cut on the back of Zimmerman's head. Now, the tables were turned, and Martin had the advantage over his larger antagonist, now stunned and on his back. Martins's adrenaline was up; he was both scared, and fighting mad-again a normal reaction for a 17 year-old in that situation. He smacked Zimmerman in the face again with the can, trying to end the fight. If only he could put the bigger man out of action for a few seconds, he could get away and sprint to his father's house. Zimmerman , now losing the fight, panicked and yelled for help as Martin hit him again. Now, Zimmerman was desperate too; he reached for his gun, and used his other advantage, size, to push the smaller and lighter Martin off, drew, and fired one shot. A 9mm bullet will kill, but does not have a lot of knock-down effect; Martin hands still in front of him, fell forward to the ground, fatally hit.
Zimmerman's story about being hit as he got out of the vehicle is most probably false. He
most likely DID grab Martin, or at least, lunge at him in an attempt to do so, BUT,
unless someone saw that, it cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt, and without that proof, and without further evidence, and with Martin dead and unable to tell the other side of the story, there's nothing else to contradict Zimmerman's account of events that is conclusive. There might be enough evidence to indict Zimmerman for 2nd degree murder, but not enough to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Zimmerman's claim of self-defense is false. in the end, though, Zimmerman may walk free, simply because his lawyer tells the jury the Trayvon Martin in fact DID have a weapon that night-a can of iced tea, and as crazy as it sounds, that just might be how this ends. That ONE, seemingly insignificant detail, after all Zimmerman did wrong, might turn the case in his favor...
because the end of a twelve oz aluminum can full of liquid, swung with the strength of even a 140 lb. kid, is hard enough, and has enough weight behind it, to fracture a human skull and kill, as any forensic pathologist can demonstrate.
I'm wondering if you are being obtuse on purpose.
you watch an episode of a police crime drama on television and all of a sudden you want to sit in court as an expert.
