• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Family of Florida boy killed by Neighborhood Watch seeks arrest

Status
Not open for further replies.
D

Dram

Member
http://news.yahoo.com/family-florida-boy-killed-neighborhood-watch-seeks-arrest-044537742.html


ORLANDO, Florida (Reuters) - The family of a 17-year-old African-American boy shot to death last month in his gated Florida community by a white Neighborhood Watch captain wants to see the captain arrested, the family's lawyer said on Wednesday.

Trayvon Martin was shot dead after he took a break from watching NBA All-Star game television coverage to walk 10 minutes to a convenience store to buy snacks including Skittles candy requested by his 13-year-old brother, Chad, the family's lawyer Ben Crump said.

Trayvon, who lived in Miami with his mother, had been visiting his father and stepmother in a gated townhome community called The Retreat at Twin Lakes in Sanford, 20 miles north of Orlando.

As Trayvon returned to the townhome, Sanford police received a 911 call reporting a suspicious person.

Although names are blacked out on the police report, Crump and media reports at the time of the shooting identified the caller as George Zimmerman who is listed in the community's newsletter as the Neighborhood Watch captain.

Without waiting for police to arrive, Crump said, Zimmerman confronted Trayvon, who was on the sidewalk near his home. By the time police got there, Trayvon was dead of a single gunshot to the chest.

"What do the police find in his pocket? Skittles," Crump said. "A can of Arizona ice tea in his jacket pocket and Skittles in his front pocket for his brother Chad."

Crump said the family was concerned that police might decide to consider the shooting as self defense, and that police have ignored the family's request for a copy of the original 911 call, which they think will shed light on the incidents.

"If the 911 protocol across the country held to form here, they told him not to get involved. He disobeyed that order," said Ryan Julison, a spokesman for the family.

"He (Zimmerman) didn't have to get out of his car," said Crump, who has prepared a public records lawsuit to file on Thursday if the family doesn't get the 911 tape. "If he never gets out of his car, there is no reason for self-defense. Trayvon only has skittles. He has the gun."

Since Trayvon, a high school junior who wanted to be a pilot, was black and Zimmerman is white, Crump said race is "the 600 pound elephant in the room."

"Why is this kid suspicious in the first place? I think a stereotype must have been placed on the kid," Crump said.
Click to expand...


updates so far
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trayvon_Martin
 
R

ruxtpin

Banned
I read this on Yahoo earlier and couldn't believe the guy who did the shooting hadn't been arrested.

shit is whack
 
L

levious

That throwing stick stunt of yours has boomeranged on us.
it's incredibly sad that they have to fight for an arrest.
 
M

Monumental

Banned
Overzealous racist fucker. Nothing will bring back their son, but I hope the family's lawsuit completely ruins the murderer.
 
N

Neuromancer

Member
Parallax said:
damn, by a member of the neighborhood watch? they carry guns now?
Click to expand...
I think this was a neighborhood watch guy who just happened to also carry a gun.

My understanding of neighborhood watch was it's an agreement among neighbors to watch out for each other's property and call the police if they see something suspicious.

Here I looked it up on Wikipedia:

Neighborhood watches are not vigilante organizations. When suspecting criminal activities, members are encouraged to contact authorities and not to intervene.

The current American system of neighborhood watches began developing in the late 1960s as a response to the rape and murder of Kitty Genovese in Queens, New York. People became outraged after reports that a dozen witnesses did nothing to save Genovese or to apprehend her killer.[1] Some locals formed groups to watch over their neighborhoods and to look out for any suspicious activity in their areas. Shortly thereafter, the National Sheriffs' Association began a concerted effort in 1972 to revitalize the "watch group" effort nationwide.[2]
Click to expand...
Holy shit I thought Kitty Genovese was just in Watchmen.
 
S

SpectreFire

Member
Cat Party said:
I can't believe this is still happening in this country.
Click to expand...
I don't. It wasn't that long ago that black people were treated as second-class citizens. A lot of those people are still alive and so are their children. Racism on this level will take a while before it's effectively stomped out.
 
S

sammich

Member
I have a feeling if a guy named Muhammad had did this to a Zimmerman it would have been a lot worse for Muhammad... this is utter bullshit. Or even if the situation was reversed.
 
P

Parallax

best seen in the classic "Shadow of the Beast"
Neuromancer said:
I think this was a neighborhood watch guy who just happened to also carry a gun.

My understanding of neighborhood watch was it's an agreement among neighbors to watch out for each other's property and call the police if they see something suspicious.
Click to expand...

thats what i thought too. why the guy decided to approach this kid is beyond me. and "suspicious person" doesn't fucking cut it.
 
F

FStop7

Banned
squall211 said:
Aren't 911 calls public information?


Also, somebody post Bugs Bunny cutting Florida off the map.
Click to expand...

Probably has to do with involving a minor.

What a fucked up thing. You shouldn't be allowed to carry when you're on "neighborhood watch" patrol. All that is is someone who is out looking for trouble.
 
W

Wiseblade

Member
How do you become a member of the neighbourhood watch without knowing what your neighbours look like? At what point does being a member of the neighbourhood watch permit you to carry a gun? At what point does it become okay to shoot someone who poses no immediate threat to you?

If found guilty by a jury of his peers, this man deserves to punished by the full extent of the law in his area.
 
M

Mudkips

Banned
Neuromancer said:
Holy shit I thought Kitty Genovese was just in Watchmen.
Click to expand...

Prepare your mind: Why do you think it's called "Watchmen"?

Wiseblade said:
How do you become a member of the neighbourhood watch without knowing what your neighbours look like? At what point does being a member of the neighbourhood watch permit you to carry a gun? At what point does it become okay to shoot someone who poses no immediate threat to you?
Click to expand...

You did not read the OP.

Trayvon, who lived in Miami with his mother, had been visiting his father and stepmother in a gated townhome community called The Retreat at Twin Lakes in Sanford, 20 miles north of Orlando.
Click to expand...

He did not live there. He was visiting.
Being a member of the neighborhood watch does not permit you to carry a gun, you have the right to carry a gun already.
And at no point does it become okay to shoot someone who poses no threat.
 
B

BattleMonkey

Member
levious said:
it's incredibly sad that they have to fight for an arrest.
Click to expand...

"self defense" shootings in Florida often go like this. Arrests wont be made right away while an investigation goes on, then it will likely be going in front of a Grand Jury to see if it goes to trial.
 
Z

Zzoram

Member
So the white neighborhood watch captain shot a black teenager for walking around his own gated community with a bag of Skittles?

This man should get 2nd degree murder, at least.
 
S

Switters

Member
As someone who lives in a rich, white, beach town in south Florida I'm surprised this doesn't happen more often.

I know lots of communities have black neighborhoods, but Sarasota, being fairly small as it is, pretty much has folks quarantined to a pretty small area.

I feel so bad for this kid. Damn. I hope his family can get whatever closure they can out of this.
 
E

echoshifting

Banned
I'd like to give the authorities the benefit of the doubt here but a month and no arrest? Fucking disgusting. Wake the fuck up. This is murder.

Walking at night while black is not a fucking crime
 
A

andycapps

Member
Wow, I want to know what made the guy think that a black male walking on the sidewalk seemed so suspicious that he'd confront him and ultimately shoot him. I mean, just random guy walking down the street and you shoot him? Horrible.
 
E

echoshifting

Banned
andycapps said:
Wow, I want to know what made the guy think that a black male walking on the sidewalk seemed so suspicious that he'd confront him and ultimately shoot him. I mean, just random guy walking down the street and you shoot him? Horrible.
Click to expand...

Right in the chest, no less. That's what really gets me about this. He shot to kill. He murdered him.
 
G

glaringradio

Member
Ignis Fatuus said:
Shot in his own community, unbelievable.

I would support vigilante justice.
Click to expand...
Wasn't his community, he was visiting his father/step mother. So, I'm guessing white neighbourhood watch captain in gated community spots unknown black teenager. Confronts teenager, teenager hasn't a fucking clue what is going on, attempts to explain/show captain why exactly he is out on the streets by reaching to jacket pocket to reveal iced tea and skittles. Gets shot.

Going to guess the captain will get off scot free.
 
B

BattleMonkey

Member
If he got out of his car to confront the kid with a gun, the dude is so guilty. It goes against basic self defense laws. You only have the right to hold your ground.

echoshifting said:
Right in the chest, no less. That's what really gets me about this. He shot to kill. He murdered him.
Click to expand...

There is no other type of shooting.
 
C

commedieu

Banned
Cat Party said:
I can't believe this is still happening in this country.
Click to expand...

The article said Florida..

Damn shame. I'm sure some lawyer will make a case that Zimmerman was in fact in a life & death struggle and had to shoot the kid, as he had given up on his dreams of being a pilot, and delivering those skittles to his brother. To steal Zimmermans car..
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

Prolific swatter (17 yr old from CA) arrested in conjunction with hundreds of swatting offences
49
4K
DavidGzz replied
Texas father, one of FBI's 10 most wanted fugitives, arrested for daughters' 2008 "honor killing"
44
3K
MiyazakiHatesKojima replied
NYPD: Man arrested in death of Frank Cali, reputed Gambino crime family boss
4
656
Papa replied
  • Locked
Babysitter/Boyfriend Kills 4-Year-Old girl Who spilled Juice On his Xbox console.
4
960
Lucumo replied
Florida man wearing Trump hat arrested in fight over politics
2
76
4K
CannonFodder52 replied
Top Bottom