"I had a flashlight but it was dead"paraphrased quote George Zimmerman

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tsask

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On CNN there is a story with George Zimmerman recounting the events that tragic night.
He was quoted on a before unreleased recording as saying.....words along the lines of I wanted to see what was around corner...."I had a flashlight, but it was dead"

It would be difficult to categorically conclude that a functioning O Light M 20, for example would have altered the outcome, yet a high powered light used at the right time, right situation COULD MAYBE PERHAPS have made a difference.... if nothing other than facilitating separation of the individuals before the fight occurred.

This is yet another reason to make sure cells are fresh on EDC light prior to an evening excursion.
 

StarHalo

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Since clearly nbp is being sarcastic, I'll re ask that on behalf of the non-Americans.

In a Florida gated community in February, George Zimmerman was driving through the neighborhood when he noticed a teen on foot he felt was suspicious - Mr. Zimmerman was the neighborhood watch leader, so he took it upon himself to follow the kid in his car while calling the police. The police dispatcher told him to remain in his car and they'd send someone out. Mr. Zimmerman then left his car and began following the teen on foot, mumbling "they always get away." The phone call was still connected and recording when there was an audible scuffle, then yelling, then gunshots - Zimmerman shot the teen, 17 year old Trayvon Martin, dead. Martin was wearing a hoodie and was carrying a can of Arizona Tea and a bag of Skittles. Florida has a Stand Your Ground law, which states that you can use deadly force against someone you feel is threatening you - based on this law, Mr. Zimmerman was briefly interviewed by the police, then released without charge.

A Special Prosecutor filed murder charges against Mr. Zimmerman over a month after the incident, though he was only held a week before posting bail. He is now back in custody on an unrelated charge of not reporting income.
 

pblanch

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I live in Australia and I know who this guy is. Tragic Accident or whatever you want to call it. I dont think a light would have made a difference.
 

mvyrmnd

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Actually not. I have no idea what this thread is about. :shrug:

Sorry! Usually the only time someone uses :duck:is when they're inviting things to be thrown :oops: :wave:

In a Florida gated community in February, George Zimmerman was driving through the neighborhood when he noticed a teen on foot he felt was suspicious - Mr. Zimmerman was the neighborhood watch leader, so he took it upon himself to follow the kid in his car while calling the police. The police dispatcher told him to remain in his car and they'd send someone out. Mr. Zimmerman then left his car and began following the teen on foot, mumbling "they always get away." The phone call was still connected and recording when there was an audible scuffle, then yelling, then gunshots - Zimmerman shot the teen, 17 year old Trayvon Martin, dead. Martin was wearing a hoodie and was carrying a can of Arizona Tea and a bag of Skittles. Florida has a Stand Your Ground law, which states that you can use deadly force against someone you feel is threatening you - based on this law, Mr. Zimmerman was briefly interviewed by the police, then released without charge.

A Special Prosecutor filed murder charges against Mr. Zimmerman over a month after the incident, though he was only held a week before posting bail. He is now back in custody on an unrelated charge of not reporting income.

Oh. So a happy ending then. :sick2: :duh2:

Yes, I'm sure a working flashlight would have fixed everything :xyxgun:

That "Stand your ground" law sounds custom made to allow people to shoot each other without recourse.
 

John_Galt

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Sorry! Usually the only time someone uses :duck:is when they're inviting things to be thrown :oops: :wave:



Oh. So a happy ending then. :sick2: :duh2:

Yes, I'm sure a working flashlight would have fixed everything :xyxgun:

That "Stand your ground" law sounds custom made to allow people to shoot each other without recourse.
Not quite. Quite honestly, this is a thread topic that would be best discussed on the Underground, but since it's here:

The Stand Your Ground law is, in my opinion, quite a necessary law. When one is attacked, one should not be expected to be required to tuck tail and run, especially when one has the means to defend themselves. The SYG law allows for the common-sense legal defense that you were met with violence outside your home, and because of this, you felt the need to defend yourself with counter-violence. Mr. Zimmerman shot Martin once, and only once. His testimony matches that of several witnesses-from-afar, that Martin had him on the ground, on his back, and was punching him and slamming his head into the ground. Records show that Martin was bleeding from the back of the head at the scene, and that he had facial bruising such as one would get from being punched repeatedly. Fists are quite deadly, and there has been more than one case where a fist fight has resulted in the death of one of the parties involved.

So Zimmerman, having followed Martin, to determine what was going on, and keep track of his whereabouts to inform the police when they eventually arrived, was met with physical violence from a physically aggressive teenager. [Backstory: according to reports, this community had suffered a large increase in the number of break-ins in the last months. A neighbor noting suspicious activity and following up on it, while contacting the police is not a bad thing] Placed in a situation that was further escalated, Zimmerman shot Martin, killing him.

The whole situation is FUBAR, and the media, as usual, is not reporting all information, or all information without bias, which is definitely not helping the situation. Martin was not, as the media likes to portray, a nice, sweet and caring youth. He was a tall, strong and well built "yoot" who had been in trouble at school on multiple instances for his antics. And zimmerman is not the neo-nazi he was originally portrayed to be, either.

Also:
-Zimmerman was not told explicitly to remain in his vehicle, it was reported that way, but the dispatcher actually only suggested remaining in his vehicle.


---------
We are a nation of laws, with a legal/justice system meant to interpret and investigate. This system must take its time, noting that public scrutiny will highlight their actions. In the end, I cna only hope that the court of public opinion, which requires no basis of fact, does not affect the investigation and trial proceedings.
 
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Yamabushi

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He is now back in custody on an unrelated charge of not reporting income.
Zimmerman's bail was revoked because the judge said he and his wife lied to the court about their finances so he could obtain a lower bond.

BTW, for those who aren't familiar with the case, many people contend that the main reason Zimmerman confronted Trayvon Martin was that the teen was black.
 

John_Galt

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Zimmerman's bail was revoked because the judge said he and his wife lied to the court about their finances so he could obtain a lower bond.

BTW, for those who aren't familiar with the case, many people contend that the main reason Zimmerman confronted Trayvon Martin was that the teen was black.

A perfect example of the CPO I mention above. I have to love how that's always the first claim in situations like this.
 

ragweed

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I am still trying to find out where the CSI guy was. In my area in the midwest there is always one that shows up & sometimes several.
 

StarHalo

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The SYG law allows for the common-sense legal defense that you were met with violence outside your home, and because of this, you felt the need to defend yourself with counter-violence.

Would this be your position if Trayvon Martin had shot and killed an unarmed George Zimmerman, who was chasing him on foot?
 

John_Galt

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Would this be your position if Trayvon Martin had shot and killed an unarmed George Zimmerman, who was chasing him on foot?

If evidence showed that Zimmerman had been the first to use physical aggression. But that is not what the evidence, eye witnesses, nor Zimmermans story add up to.
 

Yamabushi

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If evidence showed that Zimmerman had been the first to use physical aggression. But that is not what the evidence, eye witnesses, nor Zimmermans story add up to.
This case is a classic example of the Rashomon effect; everyone saw and remembered the same event differently from the perspective of their prejudices. Then the media report the "facts" through the filter of their own prejudices, and people read the media reports through yet another set of filters.

Zimmerman said he saw a suspicious guy holding something in his hand who suddenly started to run; so he got out of his car to follow. Trevon Martin's girlfriend, who was talking to him on his cell phone, said Martin saw a creepy guy following him in a car so she told him to run (he was killed 70 yards from the townhouse where he was staying as a guest).

Although I generally agree that you shouldn't be required to retreat from an aggressor, the problem in this case is that initially, Zimmerman appears to have been the aggressor. He followed, then pursued and then approached Martin who apparently was fleeing to safety.

No one seems to have seen exactly how the fight started, or if and when lethal force became justified. Martin was 4" taller than Zimmerman; Zimmerman outweighed Martin by 40 pounds. Some witnesses said Martin was on top of Zimmerman; other witnesses said Zimmerman was on top of Martin.
 
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JacobJones

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Hmmm. Personally I believe Zimmerman to be in the wrong, following somebody who you are suspicious of is always a stupid idea (unless you are trained and authorised to do so, aka police officers) as it can lead to confrontation and possibly death of innocent people. Maybe Martin was engaging in criminal behavior, maybe he was just walking home after a hard days work, either way Zimmerman should not have approached him.
 

nfetterly

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Interesting discussion, I guess. But I really can't see why it's here. Perhaps a "Law and order" forum should be added to CPF.

The original question was...'if he had a working flashlight (apparently quoted as flashlight didn't work".

The whole thing is FUBAR as mentioned above. If Zimmerman had a working flashlight and shone it on Martin, it would have seemed less suspicious / aggressive than following him in the dark. The media and many others who have weighed in on this in the news has just made it worse.
 

lampeDépêche

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I urge the moderators to close this thread or move it elsewhere.

It is (predictably) becoming an acrimonious exchange about a topic only peripherally related to the purpose of the forum.

It's not my forum, so I won't tell you what to do.

But I see tinder and increasing heat, and I don't see it ending any other way than in flames.
 
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