Teenager shot/killed while Tweek's hero gets off free

[Aksannyi]

Just saying it twice is not really that big of a deal on a 911 call.

Majority of calls, even non-emergency individuals will usually repeat race, age, problem multiple times anyways. Its actually quite annoying hearing "so and so stole my phone" 7 times, but not giving out a actual address.

I'd be more concerned about he guy saying "they always get away with this".

Who always gets away with it? What are they getting away with exactly? Since they "always" get away with it, you take matters into your own hands instead?

Bolded part is so true, I work in dispatch and the one thing we need more than anything else is the address and it's always the last thing they think to give.

[Milkster]

Shitty font color but yeah, you get the idea.

[Sera]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/...,6764116.story

Witnesses in Trayvon Martin death heard cries before shot

By Frances Robles

The Miami Herald

9:36 PM CDT, March 15, 2012

SANFORD

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They heard the desperate wail of a child, a gunshot, and then silence.

Trayvon Martin, 17, died Feb. 26 in a dark pathway some 20 minutes after a neighborhood watchvolunteer called police saying he thought a young stranger looked suspicious. It was raining, and the volunteer thought the kid in the hoodie walked too slow and peeked in windows.

Three witnesses contacted by The Miami Herald say they saw or heard the moments before and after the Miami Gardens teenager’s killing. All three said they heard the last howl for help from a despondent boy, and believe the sequence of sounds shatters the notion that Trayvon was killed in self defense.

As the controversy grows, so does the number of voices disputing the official version that watch captain George Zimmerman gave to police: that the 6-foot, 3-inch, 140-pound teen assaulted him when Zimmerman, 28, tried to question him. In fear for his life, he pulled Kel Tek .9mm handgun from his waistband and shot.

From Facebook to twitter and online petitions, local police and prosecutors are getting tens of thousands of demands for criminal charges as the national media shines a spotlight on a small, racially diverse town with a history of police tension. There are now more and more calls for theU.S. Department of Justice to intervene and try to answer: what really happened to Trayvon Martin?

“I heard someone crying – not boo-hoo crying, but scared or terrified or hurt maybe,” said Mary Cutcher, 31. “To me, it was a child.”

Watch captain George Zimmerman said he tailed Trayvon in a mission to find out if the teen was up to no good. Zimmerman was out to put a stop to recent burglaries. He dialed police – his 46th call in the past 14 months to report shady people, reckless drivers and other disturbances around his neighborhood.
He offered to follow his suspect, but the dispatcher told him: “We don’t need you to do that.”
But Zimmerman did anyway. Some minutes later, Trayvon was killed with a gun the watch volunteer was licensed to carry.

“This was not self defense,” Cutcher said. “We heard no fighting, no wrestling, no punching. We heard a boy crying. As soon as the shot went off, it stopped, which tells me it was the child crying. If it had been Zimmerman crying, it wouldn’t have stopped. If you’re hurting, you’re hurting.”

She and her friend say they heard the sounds from a few steps away, where they were inside beside an open window. Seconds later, they dashed out to find a boy face down on the ground and a man standing over him, a foot on each side of the body on the ground, with his hands pinning the shooting victim down.

“I asked him, ‘What’s happening here? What’s going on?’ said Cutcher’s friend, who did not want her name published for fear for her safety. “The third time, I was indignant, and he said, ‘just call the police.’ Then I saw him with his hands over his head in the universal sign of: ‘Oh man, I messed up.’”

The women, who were the first on the scene, said they saw Zimmerman pacing back and forth.
“I know what I heard. I heard a cry and a shot,” the second witness said. “If there was a fight, it did not happen here where the boy was shot. I would have heard it, as this all happened right outside my open window.”

The women think there may well have been a physical altercation between the two, but it must have taken place in a different spot, where Zimmerman perhaps had a chance to compose himself and draw his weapon.

Cutcher was one of eight or nine 911 callers that night but she said investigators dismissed her, and a detective failed follow up with her. Both women said police seemed very blasé.

“Mr. Zimmerman’s claim is that the confrontation was initiated by Trayvon,” Police Chief Bill Lee said in an interview. “I am not going into specifics of what led to the violent physical encounter witnessed by residents. All the physical evidence and testimony we have independent of what Mr. Zimmerman provides corroborates this claim to self defense.”

To claim self defense, someone has to show there was danger of great bodily harm or death, Lee said.

“Zimmerman had injuries consistent with his story,” Lee said.

Zimmerman had a damp shirt, grass stains, a bloody nose and was bleeding from a wound in back of his head, according to police reports.

“If someone asks you, ‘Hey do you live here?’ Is it OK for you to jump on them and beat the crap out of somebody?” Lee said. “It’s not.”

A neighborhood eighth grader out walking his dog said his family also called 911.

“I saw someone lying on the ground, and I heard screaming,” said Austin, 13, whose mother asked that his last name not be published. “I don’t know that it was the person on the [ground] who was screaming, but to me it sounded like a kid who was crying. It was a yell for help, and I think it was Trayvon.”

Austin wasn’t sure if the person was in a fight or had slipped and gotten hurt. Austin’s Boxer puppy got off the leash so the boy went chasing after the dog and lost sight of the scene for a moment. Then, he heard a gun go off.

He ran home and told his sister to call the police.

The boy, who is black, has been rattled ever since. He feels angry and disconcerted, and wonders whether he’s at risk too.

“That people can stereotype like that makes you scared,” he said.

Austin’s mom said he’s been acting out in school and seems mad all the time.

“My son has a terrible feeling of guilt, because he did not do anything to help. He’s angry,” said Austin’s mother, Cheryl Brown. “They are saying that Trayvon looked suspicious, because he was walking slow. So I guess I have to tell my son: make sure you always run fast.”

Chief Lee released a statement Thursday disputing Cutcher’s account, saying it differed from what she originally told police, which she angrily denies.

Cutcher originally gave police a statement that matched Zimmerman’s account, said police spokesman Sgt. David Morgenstern.

Sanford’s Police Chief Lee is “asking the public and the media to give the system the opportunity to work, in the interest of safety of the community,” Morgenstern said.

Zimmerman, whose whereabouts are unknown, was not charged, and the case is now under review by the Brevard Seminole State Attorney’s Office. Local and national black leaders have rallied around the incident as the latest example of a double standard of justice in what they consider a case of racial profiling.

On Thursday, Zimmerman’s father hand-delivered a letter to the Orlando Sentinel, disputing widely repeated version of events, saying his Spanish-speaking son is not a racist.

“The media reports of the events are imaginary at best. At no time did George follow or confront Mr. Martin,” Robert Zimmerman wrote. “When the true details of the event become public, and I hope that will be soon, everyone should be outraged by the treatment of George Zimmerman in the media.”

A rally is planned for the Sanford City Council meeting March 26. Leaders are asking people to show up carrying Skittles, the candy Trayvon carried in his pocket when he died.

The witnesses say they are coming forward now, because they were shocked when no arrest was made.
“To me what happened here is that a grown man got whooped by a 17-year-old, and he was not afraid, but angry,” said the woman who heard from inside her house.

“They are protecting Zimmerman for some reason,” Trayvon’s mother Sybrina Fulton said in Miami. “They are protecting him and we feel that Trayvon is the victim.”

Lee said the matter needs to be taken to a grand jury as soon as possible.

“If the roles were reversed, our investigation would be exactly the same,” he said. “Our investigation is color blind and based on the facts and circumstances, not color. I know I can say that until I am blue in the face, but as a white man in a uniform, I know it doesn’t mean anything to anybody.”

Kid screamed for help before he was shot? yeah sounds totally like self defense.

[Churchill]

White kids ("teens") get shot by gang members and shit, not neighborhood watch vigilante cop wannabes who are taking the law into their own hands based on preconceived notions. The difference is that the gang members get the electric chair for killing that nice innocent white boy and this guy gets to walk around in his neighborhood feeling like a badass because he valiantly capped an unarmed, innocent teenage boy for walking around while being black.

I agree with whoever posted earlier that he should not get the death penalty, but life in prison. And make sure EVERY prisoner there knows he's a child killer. Convicts LOVE child killers. He'll have a great time in the clink. He'll be very popular.

is there really a difference?

[Sera]

is there really a difference?

Um, yes? The difference is the gang kids get prosecuted. Apparently if you're a white/not brown trigger-happy cop wannabe who shoots a ni**er child, you don't get punished. That's the main difference I'm seeing here.

The police specifically told that man to stand the fuck down. He chased that kid. He LOOKED for a confrontation. That UNARMED kid cried for HELP before that guy gunned him down.

But the killer isn't in handcuffs yet.

So yeah, big difference.

[Churchill]

I don't really care about the consequences, the question asks is there a difference between the two people.

You said "White kids ("teens") get shot by gang members and shit, not neighborhood watch vigilante cop wannabes who are taking the law into their own hands based on preconceived notions. " which was the part I hi-lighted and clearly the part I was asking a question about. Your question seems to infer some sort of morality totem pole between the two. White kids get shot by gang members, [b/not[/not] etc clear personal hatred etc.

Is there some sort of difference between the two?

[Acevalefor]

I love how Zimmerman's father vehemently denies that his son followed Trayvon in his letter, yet we have Zimmerman himself telling the dispatcher that he was following the kid.

When the dispatcher told him not to follow the kid, there was no response. Zimmerman ignored the dispatcher and kept following the kid. He had an agenda and was clearly ready and willing to use force. He was already angry and had made up his mind who/what this kid was before he ever talked to him.

[Sera]

I don't really care about the consequences

well that's cool because apparently if you're not black/brown there aren't any

the question asks is there a difference between the two people.

You said "White kids ("teens") get shot by gang members and shit, not neighborhood watch vigilante cop wannabes who are taking the law into their own hands based on preconceived notions. " which was the part I hi-lighted and clearly the part I was asking a question about. Your question seems to infer some sort of morality totem pole between the two. White kids get shot by gang members, [b/not[/not] etc clear personal hatred etc.

Is there some sort of difference between the two?

I've not actually seen many cases of white kids being shot up by black kids in the hood. I'm sure it happens.
I *have* seen a lot of cases where black guys get shot by white dudes for "looking suspicious" though. It seems to be common enough for black people to have ground rules for how they act when they're in public -- ie: never run, never run with something in your hand (even if it is yours) etc. This was absolutely racially motivated. He didn't kill the kid because he hates black people, he killed the kid because he assumed that the kid was "suspicious" "on drugs" and up to no good because he was black and out after dark.

Headspace had it right. Aggravated LIVING while black.
And he has previous charges? put the guy the fuck away.

[Dantrag]

Shouldn't this be premeditated murder considering he was stalking the kid and when he went to confront him had the gun on him?

[Churchill]

Don't really care if a black guy got away with it, there are things that bother me more about our legal system than whether or not someone who kills someone goes to jail.

However, you are soapboxing and not answering my question. I am pretty sure someone else could post "damn, I always see white kids getting mercd by thugs". I am pretty sure that in neighborhoods where this is the case those people live in fear too, and have specific rules for themselves. I do not see the difference between some thugs mercing whitey and this guy going death wish on the colored kid.

[kuronosan]

If he does have non-self-inflicted injuries then the only logical explanation is that he grabbed the boy, the boy defended himself (and rather well I might add), and Captain Shitface chased him down out of anger that a minor whooped his ass.

I'm sure in his mind it was self-defense, since he likely instigated everything and ended up on the receiving end of a beating from a kid scared for his life.

It's okay though, he has a clean record and obeyed everything dispatch told him to do.

If I was a cop and this kid was dead with a hole in his chest holding skittles and an ice tea, I would have put that fucker in jail immediately just out of principle until I had figured out what actually happened.

You don't let a murderer go free without an investigation, no matter what. Guy is clearly not right in the head.

[Acturus]

they do? All the time? Can I have some hard evidence of this?

I personally was shot and killed three times growing up, each time I was in a black neighborhood.

[Sera]

there are things that bother me more about our legal system than whether or not someone who kills someone goes to jail.

wow

[Sera]

You can hear the screams in this recording here:

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/...ce?sc=fb&cc=fp

[Acevalefor]

wow

wow? I totally agree with him on that statement. black and white (pun intended) "you killed someone" or "you didn't kill someone" cases are small fries when you start talking about the incredibly fucked up policies surrounding border patrol, "lolwar on drugs", politically motivated crimes, and other stuff like the cops protecting their own and lying about/hiding evidence to protect their buddies.

So yeah, there are much bigger problems than who gets prosecuted for murder/manslaughter. Our system is far from great and there are many many lives taken by law enforcement officers every year in America. But let's make sure we make the next viral case about a guy shooting a teen with questionable circumstances then talk like it's the biggest problem in our legal system.

[Greatguardian]

And this is the part where I assume you're white just based on your post. Believe it or not, hispanics are amongst the MOST racist against blacks. Especially cubans & mexicans. Most people assume that if the ethnicity of the person in question is not white, it automatically means they're not racist. I promise you, some of the most racist people I have ever encountered have been chinese, hispanic and black.

Whitey ain't the only one who can get nasty toward other races.

Ever been around an Indian dinner table? It's p bad, in a mildly hilarious way. Indians don't hate white people, they just sorta look down on the silly brutes the way an adult smiles and pats the head of a 5 year old who's proud of being able to read Thomas the tank engine. They abhor blacks and muslims though. Latinos? Eh. It's more a perverse form of pity mixed with "Yeah just don't get near me". The caste system is pretty ingrained in their cultural identity. Hell, Indians won't even talk to other Indians if they have the wrong last name or are from the wrong part of the country.

Of course, you don't really see racist Indians doing shit like this in the news because they actually are better than everyone else. Poor Indians are left to slave away in the mainland, so all we have here are richies who can look down on the rest of the world from their flying castles and sip mango lasse. Curry, motherfuckers.

[Sera]

there are much bigger problems than who gets prosecuted for murder/manslaughter. Our system is far from great and there are many many lives taken by law enforcement officers every year in America. But let's make sure we make the next viral case about a guy shooting a teen with questionable circumstances then talk like it's the biggest problem in our legal system.

It's certainly not the biggest, but that doesn't mean it isn't a problem. When bumper stickers like this one still exist in 20fucking12 it is time to take a giant step back as a society and think about how fucking racist we are. That grown ass not-brown man would not have shot that young unarmed boy if he were a young unarmed white boy. Fuck I'm willing to put MONEY down that he wouldn't have even pursued the guy or called the cops. He was shot for being black. That is why he was shot. And the police department doing a shitty halfassed job at investigating doesn't make it look any better. Florida is full of fucking racists. Shit, half my racist ass hispanic family is from there.

Saying that it isn't the BIGGEST problem doesn't detract from it BEING a problem. A big one.

[Sera]

Ever been around an Indian dinner table? It's p bad, in a mildly hilarious way. Indians don't hate white people, they just sorta look down on the silly brutes the way an adult smiles and pats the head of a 5 year old who's proud of being able to read Thomas the tank engine. They abhor blacks and muslims though. Latinos? Eh. It's more a perverse form of pity mixed with "Yeah just don't get near me". The caste system is pretty ingrained in their cultural identity. Hell, Indians won't even talk to other Indians if they have the wrong last name or are from the wrong part of the country.

Of course, you don't really see racist Indians doing shit like this in the news because they actually are better than everyone else. Poor Indians are left to slave away in the mainland, so all we have here are richies who can look down on the rest of the world from their flying castles and sip mango lasse. Curry, motherfuckers.

Yeah indians are pretty horribly racist -- ever tried to be a black man and get a cab in Manhattan? HA. Good luck. If you're not wearing a three piece suit and waving hundred dollar bills, you better have a cute white girl with you or you are gonna be walking for a while.

[Dantrag]

Ever been around an Indian dinner table? It's p bad, in a mildly hilarious way. Indians don't hate white people, they just sorta look down on the silly brutes the way an adult smiles and pats the head of a 5 year old who's proud of being able to read Thomas the tank engine. They abhor blacks and muslims though. Latinos? Eh. It's more a perverse form of pity mixed with "Yeah just don't get near me". The caste system is pretty ingrained in their cultural identity. Hell, Indians won't even talk to other Indians if they have the wrong last name or are from the wrong part of the country.

Of course, you don't really see racist Indians doing shit like this in the news because they actually are better than everyone else. Poor Indians are left to slave away in the mainland, so all we have here are richies who can look down on the rest of the world from their flying castles and sip mango lasse. Curry, motherfuckers.

Every group is racist against every group. Some just don't show it the same way others do. Puerto Ricans are racist against people from the Dominican Republic. You get the same shit everywhere.

[Sera]

Every group is racist against every group. Some just don't show it the same way others do. Puerto Ricans are racist against people from the Dominican Republic. You get the same shit everywhere.

cubans are racist against all other hispanics, blacks, indians, and asians. true story.