KSDK
The controversial case of an unarmed teen shot to death by a neighborhood watch captain in a Sanford, Florida neighborhood has been handed over to the State Attorney's Office.
The State Attorney will decide whether to criminally charge neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman in the teen's death.
"In this case, Mr. Zimmerman has made the argument of self-defense," Sanford Police Chief Bill Lee said. "We don't have the grounds to arrest him."
Attorney Natalie Jackson, who is representing Martin's family, said Zimmerman, 25, should be arrested and charged with the 17-year-old's death.
The family says they want justice.
"My son left Sanford, Florida in a body bag," said Martin's father, Tracy Martin. "While George Zimmerman went home to to go to sleep in his own bed. It's senseless and the police in Sanford, isn't giving any answers and we actually feel that justice hasn't been served and isn't being served."
Jackson said Martin was unarmed while walking back to his father's home from a convenience store.
He was carrying a bag with Skittles and iced tea inside.
When Zimmerman spotted him, he called 911 to report a "suspicious-looking" person.
According to the family's attorney, Zimmerman then disregarded a 911 operator's instructions not to approach the teen.
Martin was shot and killed in ensuing the confrontation.
"I don't know if the whole thing was a racial issue, it may have been a 'Zimmerman wants to be a hero' issue. It becomes racial because Zimmerman thought that black males with hoodies are criminals," Jackson said.
Zimmerman was arrested in 2005 for resisting an officer with violence and battery on a law enforcement officer.
The case was dismissed because no evidence could be found.
Zimmerman attended a pre-trial diversion program and a deal was made with his attorney to get the case dropped.
It's unclear whether the State Attorney's Office will pursue charges in Martin's death.
I think that Zimmerman should be in jail for killing that person with no reason. This guy should of think before he acted on his own. If he wanted to be a hero he should of check if he is dangerous and then report it to the police.
ReplyDeleteJimmy P.7
I honestly think that he should have killed the child. I also think that they should do something about the fact that he did that. I think that he was a racist man and shouldn't have done it.
ReplyDeleteMacKenzie N.1
I think that the man had no right to shoot the kid. The man that killed him should be locked up. It would be different if the kid was yelling at the man and trying to kill him! But there was no reason the guy should of did that.
ReplyDeleteCheyenne J.3
Ok, first off when your going to kill someone it should be for a definate reason. Skittles and ice tea isn't going to harm many people. If every person that looked suspicious was shot, there would be a lot of people killed everyday. There is going to be at least one person that thinks you are suspicious looking. I probably look suspicious to someone but they don't just kill me because of it. Zimmerman needs to be punished.
ReplyDeleteElle O. p7
Nobody has a right to kill others just because they look suspicious and looking suspicious is a subjective prospect. I think Zimmerman should go to jail and sentenced to death. He didn't think deeply, so he should pay for that. Also, it seems like that if Martin was a white boy, Zimmerman wouldn't have shoot him.
ReplyDeleteSeoHyun P. P1
I totally agree with Elle, skittles and iced tea are rarely going to kill someone. As Zimmerman mentioned, he shot him for self defense, i believe that to be a total lie. He seems just to be a crazy man for doing that and something must be wrong with him. Jail or prison is where he should be right now. Ugh..the things people do to get attention.
ReplyDeleteLiana H.3
Zimmerman should be thrown in jail. A "suspicious person" really?? At one point in life EVERYONE is going to look suspicious, that doesn't mean people should go around shooting every suspicious person out there. This is ridicuous.
ReplyDeleteSavannah T7
I can't believe he didn't get arrested just because he pleaded self-defense. There was nothing on the kid,save the ice tea and skittles, and I'm sure he couldn't do much harm with those. It seems to me that the only reason Zimmerman shot him was to make a name for himself. He definitly did that, it's not a good name, but he's famous now. You have to wonder what goes through these people's minds...
ReplyDeleteAlex H. p3
i think that the watchman should of figured out who the kid was before he started shooting him, because that was very dangorous. but the guy who shot the kid dint mean to, but he shouldnt of shot him.
ReplyDeletecam k.
This boy was killed over skittles and iced tea because he had his hood up. You can't say that Zimmerman wasn't being racist towards him. I just saw on the news that he was charged with 2nd degree murder. He deserves to sit in jail for life for what he did. I get that he was trying to do his job and he was trying to act like a hero, but if it was a white man with his hood up, this wouldn't of happened. Self defence? He didn't do anything to him. All he had was skittles and iced tea.
ReplyDeleteLinda R. 1
I agree with the majority of the people commenting Zimmerman shooting this kid because he looked "suspicious" is totally ridiculous. If Florida didn't have the law of which you can shot someone for self-defence Zimmerman would be totally screwed, but also you should know Martin wasn't the perfect child his mother made him out to be. He was suspended from school for 10 days for something 'drug related'. So at some point a couple people thought it could have been a drug-deal gone bad, but others thought it was still Zimmerman being racist.
ReplyDeleteCheyenne Hjelle
Period 7
I cannot believe how this Zimmerman guy got away with shooting a kid for looking "suspicious" when he was only carrying a bag of skittles and iced tea. I think that if you could shoot someone that looked "suspicious" then I think that there would be alot of dead people in this world. It is ridiculous that George Zimmerman killed this innocent kid and got away with it. I think that this man should be jailed for what he did. If Zimmerman did this for fame, then it wasnt very smart of him, because now he really isnt going to have a great name and people will probably not think of him as a great guy, they probably will always remember him as the guy who killed and innocent kid.
ReplyDeleteLindsay F. Period 1
Agreed! this is just ridiculous! Just because someone looks suspicious doesn't mean you should them! If that was the case airports, schools, and many other places would have some serious problems.
ReplyDeleteKatelyn v.3
I agree with Katelyn. I don't actually think he looked suspicious,I think he is just trying to cover up what he did. There is no way someone could look suspicious with tea and skittles. I think he should be put in jail for life. He's a bad person who doesnt deserve to be innocent
ReplyDeleteMegan W. 7
I think there was some racial. Prfiling in this case. I think this Zimmerman guy miss judged the kid and panicked. If I was a white guy I'm sure he would of at least asked whats up first then take action. I wounded if there's qualifications for being a nieghborhood watchman? Like mayb a background in law enforcement. If there were qualifications like that situations like this probably wouldn't occur. Lik a retired police officer that lives in a nieghborhood would be perfect.
ReplyDeleteNick J 4th hour