Sure we know George shot Trayvon but there’s a lot of speculation and innuendo needlessly flying around. Today we go Hard In The Paint to clear it up. Leggo!!!!
On February 26, 2012…George Zimmerman fatally shot Trayvon Martin. This is fact. There have been less facts and more assumptions as to what happened prior to Trayvon being shot. The belief as to whether Zimmerman was right or wrong in his shooting has been cut down racial lines. Why anyone would expect less? I mean, this great country of ours has a history of young black men being gunned down. Recently though, it’s been mostly young black men gunning down young black men (which never gets enough news coverage). So here we have poor George who is of mixed Latino-Caucasian decent.
For those on either side of the fence, I’m going to stick the facts. Trayvon was 17 and George was 28 at the time. George is the Neighborhood Watch for his neighborhood, i.e. he was on patrol (although not that night). George had a gun. Travyon had a bag of Skittles and a can of Ice Tea. As Zimmerman is on his way to the store, he sees Trayvon and places the call to 911. Here is the complete transcript of that call:
Dispatcher: Sanford Police Department. …
Zimmerman: Hey, we’ve had some break-ins in my neighborhood, and there’s a real suspicious guy, uh, [near] Retreat View Circle. Um, the best address I can give you is 111 Retreat View Circle. This guy looks like he’s up to no good, or he’s on drugs or something. It’s raining and he’s just walking around, looking about.
Dispatcher: Okay, and this guy is he white, black, or Hispanic?
Zimmerman: He looks black.
Dispatcher: Did you see what he was wearing?
Zimmerman: Yeah. A dark hoodie, like a grey hoodie, and either jeans or sweatpants and white tennis shoes. He’s [unintelligible], he was just staring…
Dispatcher: Okay, he’s just walking around the area…
Zimmerman: …looking at all the houses.
Dispatcher: Okay…
Zimmerman: Now he’s just staring at me.
Dispatcher: Okay. You said it’s 1111 Retreat View? Or 111?
Zimmerman: That’s the clubhouse…
Dispatcher: That’s the clubhouse. Do you know what the—he’s near the clubhouse right now?
Zimmerman: Yeah, now he’s coming towards me.
Dispatcher: Okay.
Zimmerman: He’s got his hand in his waistband. And he’s a black male.
Dispatcher: How old would you say he looks?
Zimmerman: He’s got a button on his shirt. Late teens.
Dispatcher: Late teens. Okay.
Zimmerman: Something’s wrong with him. Yup, he’s coming to check me out. He’s got something in his hands. I don’t know what his deal is.
Dispatcher: Just let me know if he does anything, okay?
Zimmerman: How long until you get an officer over here?
Dispatcher: Yeah, we’ve got someone on the way. Just let me know if this guy does anything else.
Zimmerman: Okay. These assholes, they always get away. When you come to the clubhouse, you come straight in and make a left. Actually, you would go past the clubhouse.
Dispatcher: So it’s on the lefthand side from the clubhouse?
Zimmerman: No, you go in straight through the entrance and then you make a left…uh, you go straight in, don’t turn, and make a left. Shit, he’s running.
Dispatcher: He’s running? Which way is he running?
Zimmerman: Down towards the other entrance to the neighborhood.
Dispatcher: Which entrance is that that he’s heading towards?
Zimmerman: The back entrance…fucking [disputed/unintelligible]
Dispatcher: Are you following him?
Zimmerman: Yeah.
Dispatcher: Okay, we don’t need you to do that.
Zimmerman: Okay.
Dispatcher: All right, sir, what is your name?
Zimmerman: George…He ran.
Dispatcher: All right, George, what’s your last name?
Zimmerman: Zimmerman.
Dispatcher: And George, what’s the phone number you’re calling from?
Zimmerman: [redacted]
Dispatcher: All right, George, we do have them on the way. Do you want to meet with the officer when they get out there?
Zimmerman:: Yeah.
Dispatcher: Alright, where you going to meet with them at?
Zimmerman: If they come in through the gate, tell them to go straight past the club house, and uh, straight past the club house and make a left, and then they go past the mailboxes, that’s my truck…[unintelligible]
Dispatcher: What address are you parked in front of?
Zimmerman: I don’t know. It’s a cut through so I don’t know the address.
Dispatcher: Okay. Do you live in the area?
Zimmerman: Yeah, I…[unintelligible]
Dispatcher: What’s your apartment number?
Zimmerman: It’s a home. It’s 1950, Oh, crap. I don’t want to give it all out. I don’t know where this kid is.
Dispatcher: Okay. Do you want to just meet with them right near the mailboxes then?
Zimmerman: Yeah, that’s fine.
Dispatcher: All right, George. I’ll let them know to meet you around there okay?
Zimmerman: Actually, could you have them call me and I’ll tell them where I’m at?
Dispatcher: Okay, yeah. That’s no problem.
Zimmerman: Should I give you my number or you got it?
Dispatcher: Yeah, I got it [redacted]
Zimmerman: Yeah, you got it.
Dispatcher: Okay. No problem. I’ll let them know to call you when they’re in the area.
Zimmerman: Thanks.
Dispatcher: You’re welcome.
Based on testimony from himself, George leaves his truck and as we all know by now…a few minutes later after a brief tussle, Martin lay dead. Trayvon’s father lived in that gated community that George lived in. George never identified himself to Trayvon. Trayvon did not have a weapon on him. Where am I going with this?
See as adults we have a responsibility to behave as adults. Sometimes our hopes, dreams, aspirations, fear and doubt get in the way of that but make no mistake we are adults. All the other things that people want to throw out there don’t really matter at the end of the day. George Zimmerman shot an unarmed teenager in cold blood. No one knows what happened for sure but we do know that an adult shot an unarmed teenager. See how plain and simple that is. But Theo, what about this and what about that? If “IF” was a “Fifth” I’d be drunk by now. There are adults and there are children. Children are immature and prone to be impulsive. Adults are supposed to be mature and prone to reasoning based on their years of experience.
Sure there’s evidence coming into play from both sides that I could do my media spin on but I won’t do that. A child is dead, his murderer is on trial and frankly there’s enough media spin going on. God knows Frank Taafe must be getting a huge check because although he isn’t he comes across like an expert on everything because he has spoken to known experts regarding every piece of evidence referencing this case. Mr. Taafe cannot possible have a day job. At least not now any way. My advice to Mr. Taafe, sit down, shut up and allow the case to play itself out because the more you talk and the way you act…it gives more educated people the impression you have your own agenda.
That being said folks, there it is in a nutshell. No spinning. No implications. No assumptions. When you remove everything else, here’s what we have. Trayvon Martin’s father stayed in the gated community. Trayvon Martin had a bag of Skittles and an Ice Tea on his person. George Zimmerman called 911. Based on that call, Zimmerman states Trayvon started walking towards him and then took off running. At that time, 911 asked Zimmerman was he following Trayvon. Zimmerman answered yes and was told, “Okay we don’t need you to do that.” Minutes later Trayvon lay dead 70 yards from where his father lived. An unarmed 17 year old male was shot in cold blood by a 28 year old male. These are the facts and they are undeniable. Let’s collectively stop making this case out to be more than what it is. I’m out.
By the way, the State Attorney’s Office is doing a rather horrible job in prosecuting this case.
HARD IN THE PAINT 