George Zimmerman - Florida Unarmed Teen Shooting

[Heffay]

I have a problem with the race baiting. I have a problem with people ignoring everything but the races of those involved.

You seem to have a lot of problems.

[JeremiahMN]

Jeremiah, glad to hear you are happy stand your ground didn't pass in MN. Also had a good chuckle when you decided people with any racist tendencies shouldn't have a right to defend themselves agains lethal force. Maybe when Heffay is re-writing the stand you ground law for next year you can get together with him to make sure it's clarified that the law only applies to dyed in the wool bleeding heart politically correct liberals.

Per Zimmerman, the kid was walking away from him, he was following him. That's not defense, that's offense. If Zimmerman got popped for trying to detain the kid, that still doesn't make it self defense.

[Heffay]

Jeremiah, glad to hear you are happy stand your ground didn't pass in MN. Also had a good chuckle when you decided people with any racist tendencies shouldn't have a right to defend themselves agains lethal force. Maybe when Heffay is re-writing the stand you ground law for next year you can get together with him to make sure it's clarified that the law only applies to dyed in the wool bleeding heart politically correct liberals.

And, we're officially back to crap.

[aaron878]

Funny, all you armchair prosecutors have all the evidence you need to try the man for murder. You must be baffled by the fact that conjecture and imaginary facts haven't been enough to execute the man. I hear the new black panthers have put out a wanted dead or alive poster for Zimmerman. Maybe you guys should go get you some justice.

Most sensible folks don't see every young black high school student as a threat that warrants lethal action. Also most people don't see stalking an unarmed kid and shooting him self-defense. That's why a grand jury will be convening on April 10th, we have laws in this country, no need for vigilantes or lynch mobs.

[nyffman]

I like to think I live in a country where the police need a reason to stop people, as a consequence, I think wannabe cops have zero right to detain people. Zimmerman called 911 43 times in 2011, none of those calls resulted in an arrest. That's why he decided to take things into his own hands and it had disastrous results.

This is why I've mostly quite posting in this thread. It seems that a great deal of emotion is being substituted for facts. I don't know where you found that information, but the following quote in a LA Times article may contradict your quote but certainly refutes your sentiment.

"He once caught a thief and an arrest was made," Cynthia Wibker, secretary of the homeowners association, told the Herald. "He helped solve a lot of crimes."

[David]

I agree, Nyffman. Coming down so forcefully on either side of this issue is just plain dumb without even some of the most basic facts known.

[aaron878]

I like to think I live in a country where the police need a reason to stop people, as a consequence, I think wannabe cops have zero right to detain people. Zimmerman called 911 43 times in 2011, none of those calls resulted in an arrest. That's why he decided to take things into his own hands and it had disastrous results.

This is why I've mostly quite posting in this thread. It seems that a great deal of emotion is being substituted for facts. I don't know where you found that information, but the following quote in a LA Times article may contradict your quote but certainly refutes your sentiment.

"He once caught a thief and an arrest was made," Cynthia Wibker, secretary of the homeowners association, told the Herald. "He helped solve a lot of crimes."

I will contradict myself, he called the police 46 times in 2011

http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/03/17/v ... itual.html

[illbits]

Per Zimmerman, the kid was walking away from him, he was following him. That's not defense, that's offense. If Zimmerman got popped for trying to detain the kid, that still doesn't make it self defense.

I don't think there is anything offensive about following and observing someone acting suspiciously if you are part of a neighborhood watch. I have also not heard a shred of evidence that he tried to "detain" him. I heard that he lost track of the kid and was walking back to his vehicle when he was suddenly attacked. While he lay on the ground being pummeled and begging for help because he could not escape or stop the beating to his head he resorted to lethal force. I bet 80% of the people here would do the same thing in those circumstances and the rest are either trained fighters or typical victims. If it turns out to be a situation more like what you've described then Zimmerman will certainly not get stand your ground protection or even self defense protection. But there is apparently a reason he hasn't been arrested and that reason is likely that his actions were justifiable.

Don't be surprised if you ever have to resort to deadly force and your lives are ruined because you are tried and convicted in the media and public opinion before you even get a chance to tell your side of the story. Just remember you were one of "those people" who convicted another in the court of public opinion when it wad someone else was "on trial" and all the facts were not yet released.

[illbits]

Most sensible folks don't see every young black high school student as a threat that warrants lethal action. Also most people don't see stalking an unarmed kid and shooting him self-defense. That's why a grand jury will be convening on April 10th, we have laws in this country, no need for vigilantes or lynch mobs.

Most sensible folks don't have an athletic 6'-2" "kid" beating their head into the ground either.

[aaron878]

I heard that he lost track of the kid and was walking back to his vehicle when he was suddenly attacked.

Can you please point me to the news story that states this? I've read many articles but this wasn't in any of them.

I have read that the 911 calls contradict Zimmerman's statement. But I haven't seen his statement because it wasn't released and Zimmerman hasn't commented to the press.

[David]

I will contradict myself, he called the police 46 times in 2011

Nope. This is what I mean about jumping to conclusions before all the facts are in AND verified.

But, as Andrew Cohen reports at the Atlantic, Zimmerman’s 46 calls to police came over the course of 11 years, not one, with the confusion owing to a typo on a report released by the Sanford police. And given the level of crime in the area, an average of four calls per year may not be an inordinate amount at all. (The website Crimemapping.com lists 282 crimes within a mile of the site of the shooting within the last six months, including three burglaries within the gated community itself.)

http://pjmedia.com/blog/treyvon-martin- ... a-verdict/

[aaron878]

Most sensible folks don't see every young black high school student as a threat that warrants lethal action. Also most people don't see stalking an unarmed kid and shooting him self-defense. That's why a grand jury will be convening on April 10th, we have laws in this country, no need for vigilantes or lynch mobs.

Most sensible folks don't have an athletic 6'-2" "kid" beating their head into the ground either.

Most sensible people let the police do their job, for the third time, if I was in this situation and someone chased me down and detained me, I would feel justified in hitting them in the nose, and I wouldn't feel bad about the grass stains either.

[aaron878]

I will contradict myself, he called the police 46 times in 2011

Nope. This is what I mean about jumping to conclusions before all the facts are in AND verified.

But, as Andrew Cohen reports at the Atlantic, Zimmerman’s 46 calls to police came over the course of 11 years, not one, with the confusion owing to a typo on a report released by the Sanford police. And given the level of crime in the area, an average of four calls per year may not be an inordinate amount at all. (The website Crimemapping.com lists 282 crimes within a mile of the site of the shooting within the last six months, including three burglaries within the gated community itself.)

http://pjmedia.com/blog/treyvon-martin- ... a-verdict/

Fair enough, but the police releasing incorrect information to the press isn't me "jumping to conclusions" its the police department screwing up.

[David]

But that happens all the time. How many news stories have you ever had personal knowledge of and knew that what the police or the news were saying was wrong? How many times have you seen police and other officials have to recant information that was inaccurately released? It will be months before everything is known and verified about this, if ever. Until then, everyone participating so forcefully in this discussion (where it relates to facts and the conclusions to be drawn from them) is wasting his time and energy, and is probably just hoping to fit the facts to a personal opinion already held.

Zimmerman could be a murderer. He could be a hero. I have no idea, and neither does anyone else here.

[Snowgun]

But that happens all the time. How many news stories have you ever had personal knowledge of and knew that what the police or the news were saying was wrong? How many times have you seen police and other officials have to recant information that was inaccurately released? It will be months before everything is known and verified about this, if ever. Until then, everyone participating so forcefully in this discussion (where it relates to facts and the conclusions to be drawn from them) is wasting his time and energy, and is probably just hoping to fit the facts to a personal opinion already held.

Zimmerman could be a murderer. He could be a hero. I have no idea, and neither does anyone else here.

+1