Trayvon Martin was running from danger, standing his ground when shot

After hearing the first release of the 911 tapes concerning George Zimmerman shooting Trayvon Martin, I believe that the police have been releasing a little information at a time so that those listening will not get too upset.

Although that has not worked, the initial release suggests that Zimmerman was stalking someone he felt was "real suspicious" and out of place. Wanting to be a hero, he followed (stalked) Martin although the police had discouraged it. Of course, Zimmerman would not have ignored police if he felt he was endangered. He felt thoroughly secure because he was packing a deadly firearm. Only when Martin viewed himself threatened did a scuffle break out, and unfortunately Zimmerman was the only one with a peacemaker.

Zimmerman took the law into his own hands. He was not arrested or given a drug test by police. He was able to state that he felt Trayvon looked drugged, but couldn't tell what he was holding in his hand. He stated that Trayvon looked, "up to no good."

To listen to the 911 tapes, go to: http://www.clickorlando.com/news/GRAPHIC-Trayvon-Martin-911-calls-released/-/1637132/9450044/-/6m827cz/-/index.html.

From listening to the tapes released to the public, certain portions, Zimmerman's phone number and the address of another caller, have been edited out. It is unknown what other information has been edited from the tapes. One source reported that Zimmerman called Martin a "coon" during the 911 call. The word "assholes" is bleeped from the tape, and Zimmerman also says, "...BLEEP is running."

Trayvon could have been running because he was afraid of a man watching him from a pickup truck, proving that he felt himself in danger. Zimmerman does not sound afraid on the tape, but rather he disobeys the police and appears to be winded while running after Martin.

According to Wikipedia, the "Stand Your Ground" law "governs U.S. federal case law in which self-defense is asserted against a charge of criminal homicide. The Supreme Court ruled in Beard v. U.S. (1895) that a man who was "where he had the right to be" when he came under attack and "...did not provoke the assault, and had at the time reasonable grounds to believe, and in good faith believed, that the deceased intended to take his life, or do him great bodily harm...was not obliged to retreat, nor to consider whether he could safely retreat, but was entitled to stand his ground."

Martin is the one who was threatened by a person older, heavier, and better armed. Zimmerman is a neighborhood watchman who was probably well versed in the "Stand your ground" law, and in my opinion, Martin probably had not heard of it. According to ABC News, the neighborhood Watch group was not supposed to carry weapons.

In the dark, Zimmerman accused Martin of acting wrong and under the influence of drugs. After police told Zimmerman not to follow Martin, Zimmerman appears to have had every intention of going after Martin himself (vigilante justice) because when the officer asked him where he was going to meet officers at the scene, he told them to call him instead of saying he would meet them at the mailboxes or in one location.

Martin was wrongly judged, and Zimmerman was let go, without arrest. This case reminds me of a time when black men could be lynched for questioning a white man, whistling at a white woman, or for looking a white man in the eye, and our form of justice let all the perpetrators off the hook. Trayvon Martin had just celebrated his 17th birthday the month he met Zimmerman who is Hispanic. This life episode resembles nightmarish scenes of slaves being hunted through the swamps by masters with coon dogs and shotguns.

Yes, an investigation should be made and the international community should be outraged by this questionable law and senseless death. With the law in his other pocket, Zimmerman pulled out a firearm and silenced Martin while no other witnesses could intervene. We need to be more than just sad about this one and demand justice for Martin and future unarmed, innocent sidewalk walkers who happen to be young, black, and unarmed.

We need to also closely look at the law. http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0700-0799/0776/Sections/0776.013.html

©2012 Tomi Johnson. All rights reserved.