On this day in 2012, Trayvon Martin, an African-American teen walking home from a trip to a convenience store, is fatally shot by George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer patrolling the townhouse community of the Retreat at Twin Lakes in Sanford, Florida. Zimmerman later claimed to have shot the unarmed 17-year-old out of self-defense during a physical altercation. After police initially opted not to arrest Zimmerman, whose father is white and mother is Hispanic, the case sparked protests and ignited national debates about racial profiling and self-defense laws. Zimmerman later was charged with second-degree murder; following a high-profile trial that riveted America, he was acquitted of the charges against him.
On February 26, Martin, a Miami high school student, was in Sanford visiting his father. Dressed in a hooded sweatshirt, the teen was on his way back to the home of his father’s fiancée, after buying a bag of Skittles and a bottle of juice, when he was spotted by Zimmerman, a 28-year-old insurance-fraud investigator who was captain of the neighborhood patrol at the Retreat at Twin Lakes, which recently had experienced a series of break-ins and burglaries. Zimmerman called the non-emergency line of the Sanford police to report that Martin looked suspicious then ignored a police dispatcher’s advice not to follow the young man.
Moments later, gunfire rang out. When officers arrived, Martin was dead at the scene. Zimmerman, who had a bloody nose and cuts on the back of his head, was questioned then released. There were no eyewitnesses to the shooting, and police chose not to arrest Zimmerman, who claimed to have acted in self-defense.
After Martin’s parents raised concerns about the police investigation into the death of their son, who had no criminal record, the case gained national attention. Protest rallies were held in cities nationwide, including New York City, where on March 21 hundreds of people gathered for the Million Hoodie March and demanded justice for Martin, who many believed Zimmerman had profiled as suspicious and threatening simply because the teen was black.
Two days later, President Barack Obama said of the shooting: “If I had a son, he would look like Trayvon.” In addition to raising a national debate about race relations, the shooting drew attention to Florida’s controversial Stand Your Ground law, which allows people to use lethal force if they fear for their safety and does not require them to retreat from a dangerous situation, even when it’s possible to do so.
On April 11, 2012, following weeks of demonstrations, a special prosecutor appointed by Florida’s governor charged Zimmerman with second-degree murder. He pleaded not guilty and the case went to trial in June 2013. In court, the prosecution portrayed Zimmerman as a wannabe cop who had profiled Martin as a criminal, chased him down and fought him.
Prosecutors also tried to poke holes in Zimmerman’s self-defense claim by pointing to inconsistencies in his statements to the police. Defense attorneys for Zimmerman, who did not take the stand, contended he only shot Martin after the teen attacked him. On July 13, after deliberating for 16 hours over two days, a jury of six women found Zimmerman not guilty.
In November 2013, the city of Sanford announced new rules forbidding volunteers in its neighborhood watch program from carrying guns and pursuing suspects.
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First, good riddance, Martin was a punk looking for someone to open some whoop ass on him.
Such a good boy, just coming home with his skittles and tea. Hmmm, just so happens that skittles and WATERMELON iced tea are 2 of the 3 ingredients in a brew called Lean, among other names. The 3rd ingredient is Robitussen, a cough syrup with Dextromethorphan as the active component.
The autopsy on Martin indicted his liver showed definite signs of heavy use of Dextromethorphan. In the doses he was taking paranoia is prevalent. This evidence was not allowed at Zimerman’s trial. And as I recall, even the fucking can of WATERMELON ice tea was not allowed because it was considered racist.
How in the world Zimmerman beat that 2nd Degree Murder charge is a miracle. Fucking punk was sitting on Zimmerman smashing the back of his head into a concrete curb and he’s charged with 2nd Degree Murder??? At the time sundance at CTH made it his life’s mission to get the facts out almost none of which were ever admitted at trial.
Most glaringly was the timeline for Martin after he left the convenience store. A 15 minute walk home turned into almost an hour as he was tripping on his purple drink before Zimmerman spotted him casing out those apartments.
Remember the media, especially when NBC edited Zimmerman’s 911 call to make it appear he was racist? As hard as it is to believe, they’ve only gotten worse since.
And man, did his parents or whatever the fuck they were dine off this. Made millions, were celebrated when the way they raised Martin was disgusting. Seems I recall different factions of the “family” got into a public street fight over who could sell t-shirts.
I never knew that. Robotripping is some seriously bad shit.
Zim should have dumped his whole magazine and reloaded.
After all Zim was an evil “white hispanic” wasn’t he!
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they’ll be on welfare again in five years
Good summary of St. Skittles. Also worth noting that St. Skittles had been carrying a slim jim, which was found in the bushes near the assault. Also, St. Skittles was “visiting” his old man because he had been expelled for fighting. Not to mention that he had been caught previously with stolen goods, drugs and larceny tools, but not prosecuted due to Miami Dade’s policy of letting delinquents off without prosecution since it’s clearly a racist thing to subject “yooots” to the judicial system.
The other really interesting thing about this trial is that despite having the deck stacked against him at every turn, Zimmerman was found not guilty. History will probably show that this trial marked the last gasp of a dying western culture justice system. If the same case was tried today, Z would certainly be found guilty.
“If I had a son, he would look like Trayvon.” Said Michelle.
If Trayvon had a father, he’d look like Michelle.
The lesson, for boys of all races – but especially blacks, should have been that no matter how much some weird dude is bugging you by following you and giving you the eye, you can never jump him or otherwise initiate violence. But because this whole case was used by the Obama re-election campaign to try to stoke black voting, that message didn’t make it through. A lot of stupid people acknowledge that Martin probably jumped Zimmerman, but think Zimmerman shouldn’t have shot Martin. That’s the legal theory that “he shoulda took his beating like a man”. Sorry – there’s no obligation to take a beating, especially since there have been plenty of cases of one punch being lethal. As soon as the photos of Zimmerman’s bleeding head came to light, the charges should have been dismissed. Thankfully Zimmerman was acquitted.
Just imagine, Trayvon Martin has been crime free for the last 7 years! it’s the little contributions that make our society safe.
It is almost the end of Black History Month.
the thug from Miami Gardens met his match in Seminole county but the false narrative lives on. just like, ‘hands up, don’t shoot’.
Counter with “Pants up, don’t loot!”
I think they should dump Martin Luther King Day and instead enact “Travon Is Dead — Hip, Hip, Hurrah Day!”
Florida teen Trayvon Martin is shot and killed – 2012
Best day ever!
Hey Trayvon! Still dead asshole?
Let’s not forget the national narrative picture of him was as an innocent looking young boy in a hoodie from previous years, whereas the most recent photo of him before his death, sourced from FB? showed that POS was no baby-faced skinny teenager, but actually a very large young adult, with a thug-like appearance.
If it stalks like a thug, gets stoned like a thug, steals like a thug, then it must be a thug.
Dang…I gotta’ add this day as a yearly celebration . Zimmerman saved the taxpayers at least 500K .
Amen, another damn urban THUG is off the streets. WHO IN THE HELL CAN EVEN READ OR WATCH HISTORY .COM???? Re-write history dot come is a better name for them.
The pot smoking thug almost beat Zimmerman to death – I guess they forgot that part. I am so tired of the BLM hoax and BS narrative. Calipso Louie Farrakahn, New Black Panthers, Sharpton/Jackson idiots, who else?! ALL ASSHOLES to normal people.
Mr; Quinn, why give thesese lib-tarts the time of day on your site?
Black thugs don’t matter.