Because he was threatening someone with serious bodily harm or death in the felony assault he was committing.
Hey Bluesguy, have you seen Margot2 around? Ever since I posted the Volume and page number of the Plat of The Retreat at Twin Lakes I haven't seen her! Must have got lost................. I think I'm done with citing facts and sources, it just makes people mad and they run off or change the subject. Oh well,
Still waiting for her to show how FL law supports her claims that Zimmerman committed a stalking and an assault that night. MARGOT....
How about dressing in a civilized manner? How about walking purposefully and directly and not furtively? How about not challenging a "cracker" to a fight?
How was he dressed in an uncivilized manner? Was it the hoodie? Martin probably went into the shelter to get out of the rain. Should he have stayed in the rain? How many units of purposefulness should Martin have walked with? 10? 20 units? What is the acceptable level of purposefulness and furtiveness for a person to walk in order to prevent somebody from calling for the police? The fight happened after Martin had the police called on him. I'm asking what he could have done before the fight to not have the police called on him.
Generally speaking, Martin has no right and cannot make any demand that he not be perceived as suspicious or a threat in the eyes of another. Zimmerman or anyone else can think what they want about Martin and do so without any basis, cause or rational. Whoever cast their eyes upon Martin is the absolute barer of what defines suspicious, dangerous or threatening. The Sanford Police Departments 'Watch Program' guidelines establish that the watchman themselves use their 'instincts' and their own 'judgements'. They also say its better to be overly suspicious and that many times your suspicions will be unwarranted. What could Martin have done? Stayed in school in lieu of destroying it. Obeyed his parent in lieu of getting kicked out 3 times. Stayed home in lieu of looking for some Skittles and Tea to go with the Codeine that he was trying to get from friends. Not go out after dark. Don't cut through other peoples yards at night. Use the front gate. Walk straight home using the closest paved walkways instead of walking down the street towards the 'creepy ### cracka' that is sitting in his truck. Go home in lieu of hiding and popping out to confront strangers. Don't punch strangers, especially when you can outrun them. I'd be willing to bet that there is another 17 year old male or female that lived in that same complex! I wonder if they; Stayed in school in lieu of destroying it. Obeyed their parents in lieu of getting kicked out 3 times. Stayed home in lieu of looking for some Skittles and Tea to go with the Codeine that they were was trying to get from friends. Didn't go out after dark. Cut through other peoples yards at night. Used the front gate. Walked straight home using the closest paved walkways instead of walking down the street towards the 'creepy ### cracka' that is sitting in his truck. Went home in lieu of hiding and popping out to confront strangers. Punched strangers that they could outrun? Zimmerman, a volunteer working for free attempting to do the right thing as a constructive citizen through his actions did get into a shooting. Martin who persistently ran afoul with all authority and social norms through his lifestyle and actions got shot.As for me, in the absence of evidence, Ill side with the benefactors, the volunteer, the doers, the voter, the taxpayer and the Patriot over those who are not.Yesterday, the volunteer was the backbone of moral duty. Now, volunteers are 'busy bodies', 'wanna'be's' and 'losers'. Respectfully,
This is beyond silly....... TM had gotten home or 'just about' home, so why not just use his brains and get in the house, shut the door and settle down w/his skittles and tea and let the whole incident go since he had not done anything really wrong? And IF the cops showed up, which would be very highly unlikely since Z didn't know where he lived, explain he had gone to the store and saw someone watching him, not knowing who he was, he headed straight home. Is there something wrong w/using your damn common sense and decide NOT to go back and assault someone? The stupid kid made a stupid decision that killed him...... if he had stayed home instead of itching for a fight, he would be alive today.
Why does that matter? What is wrong with the police being called? The Police would have turned up and Zimmerman would have told them he had disappeared or that he had just seen him enter a house with a key and there was no longer a reason for further investigation. Alternatively had the police turned up earlier they ,ight have spoken to Martin. Found out he lived there apologised and left. What is the problem?
If a person, even a teen, walks at a steady pace w/a destination in mind, instead of lollygagging, slowly creeping along, wandering all over people's property, isn't going to make someone suspicious enuf to call the cops......... And if the cops were called - so what? If the teen didn't have anything on his mind except to get home and stay there. wanting to keep himself out of trouble, why would the cops being called be a problem for him?
The question assumes that Martin wasn't doing anything that would be perceived as suspicious. Martin was walking around the neighborhood after dark. Martin was unknown to Zimmerman. Martin emerged from behind someones home in their grass. Martin stopped in someones yard. Martin was looking at homes. Looked like he was on drugs. Appeared to have no purposeful destination. Was carrying something in his pocket. But lets assume that Martin entered into the complex using the main gate and was walking directly to his home. That would probably suffice as not being suspicious to Zimmerman IMHO. A smile and a wave by Martin would went a long way to deflect any suspicions as well. Zimmerman suspecting Martin isn't a bad thing. Zimmerman calling the police isn't a bad thing. Martin walking home isn't a bad thing. As part of any watch program, police observance or an attempt to protect yourself or others there is a cost. And much of that cost is watching and suspecting many people in the hopes of catching the one. How convenient it would be just to avoid all of that watching and looking and the PD just drive to all of the criminals homes and pick them up directly! Respectfully.
He wasn't wandering around or walking on anyone else' lawn.. He was walking home by the most direct route. What would YOU do if a menacing black man followed you first in his car and then on foot?
If Martin was committing a crime, why wouldn't Zimmerman have mentioned it? He had time to mention that he was walking and standing. You'd think he would have mentioned the crime allegedly being perpetrated right in front of him.
True, and another possiblity is that the police could have arrived and caught Martin stealing a bicycle that was left out, or stealing a cellphone out of someones car or even burglarizing someones home! These possibilities are very plausible and consistent to Martins history, attitudes and lifestyle. This isn't to say that Martin is guilty of crimes that he didn't actually commit but to suggest that people assume that Martin COULD NOT do such things and he factually was going home without any possibility of criminal behavior. In short, its very possible that Zimmerman did thwart possible crimes by Martin. If Martin were to burglarize a home he could have been shot or he could have beaten or killed the resident as well(remembering that Martin was beating Zimmerman in a public space and wasn't afforded the anonymity of being inside someones condo). Although this is unlikely, there are people that are saying that it isn't possible.
As much as I would like to respond Margot2, you are simply trolling to illicit a response. You can fool me the first 152 times but not 153! LOL,
It isn't required that Martin be committing a crime in order to be suspicious. Committing crimes and being suspicious aren't interchangeable. For instance, if a guy walks into a bank and starts shooting the place up and runs out with a bag of cash, is that suspicious? No, its not suspicious its a crime. But, if the robber is pacing back and forth in front of the bank with women's stockings pulled over his head that would be suspicious even though no crime had been committed. The very definition of 'suspicious' is that there is an absence of any tangible criminal action. Zimmerman did not suspect Martin of committing any particular crime. He didn't see any crime and he didn't mention any crime. The Watch Program guidelines say to call the non emergency number with simple suspicions and to call 911 with actual crimes or threats to life or property. And that's what he did. Lastly, each person could have acted perfectly and the police could have still been called. Happens all the time. Respectfully,
I did mention facts! I said it was a fact that it was possible for Martin to have committed a crime on the way home. Which was simply in response to peoples notion that it wasn't possible for Martin to have done those things. My response wasnt to indict Martin but to address claims by others.
It was also possible he did a number from Singing in the Rain.. How about a little critical thinking here?
True, thus you and I are in agreement that there needs to be mindful and concerned citizens to watch out for such behavior and to call the police and to watch where that person went. Its possible that Zimmerman would steal a bike, its consistent to who Martin is that Martin would steel a bike. By the way, did you concede that Martin was first seen on private property and not on common property? Respectfully,
Impossible Unlikely Improbable Possible Plausible Probable Certain. These terms have their place. For instance, for me to mention that it "was also possible he did a number from Singing in the Rain" that would be out of place and not relevant. Yet it would be a correct response if you claimed that it wasn't possible that he did the song. If you introduce the impossibility, I get to prove its possibility. Respectfully,
That is not what Zimmerman observed. - - - Updated - - - Where did Zimmerman state he saw Martin committing a crime?
LOLOL.. That isn't what Zimmerman observed... TM was walking and looking around. He wasn't peering into windows. George is a lame assed character with a gun. George would likely have followed me in my hoodie and projected that I was going to steal something.. He's an idiot.. regardless of color and you should be smarter than to laud a moron.
