Lo que todos debemos saber sobre Trayvon Martin (1995-2012)

On February 26, 2012, a 17-year-old African-American named Trayvon Martin was shot and killed in Sanford, Florida. The shooter was George Zimmerman, a 28-year-old white man. Zimmerman admits killing Martin, but claims he was acting in self-defense. Three weeks after Martin’s death, no arrests have been made and Zimmerman remains free.

Here is what everyone should know about the case:

1. Zimmerman called the police to report Martin’s “suspicious” behavior, which he described as “just walking around looking about.” Zimmerman was in his car when he saw Martin walking on the street. He called the police and said: “There’s a real suspicious guy. This guy looks like he’s up to no good, on drugs or something. Está lloviendo y está caminando por allí mirando a su alrededor ... Estas a ** agujeros siempre se salen " [Orlando Sentinel]

2. Zimmerman siguió Martin contra de las instrucciones explícitas del despachador de la policía:

Dispatcher: "¿Lo estás siguiendo?"
Zimmerman: "Sí"
Dispatcher: "OK, nosotros no le tenemos que hacer eso. "

[Orlando Sentinel]

3. Antes de la publicación de la 911 cintas, El padre de Zimmerman emitió un comunicado afirmando que "[un]t ningún momento George seguir o confrontar el Sr.. Martin ". [Sun Sentinel]

4. Zimmerman estaba llevando a a 9 pistola milímetro. Martin llevaba una bolsa de Skittles y una lata de té helado. [ABC News]

5. Martin pesaba 140 libras. Zimmerman pesa 250 libras. [Orlando Sentinel; WDBO]

6. Profesor de Inglés de Martin lo describió como "como A y B del estudiante que se especializó en la alegría." [Orlando Sentinel]

7. Martin no tenía antecedentes penales. [New York Times]

8. Zimmerman "fue acusado en julio 2005 with resisting arrest with violence and battery on an officer. The charges appear to have been dropped.” [Huffington Post]

9. Zimmerman called the police 46 times since Jan. 1, 2011. [Miami Herald]

10. According to neighbors, Zimmerman was “fixated on crime and focused on young, black males." [Miami Herald]

11. Zimmerman “had been the subject of complaints by neighbors in his gated community for aggressive tactics” [Huffington Post]

12. A police officer “corrected” a key witness. “The officer told the witness, a long-time teacher, it was Zimmerman who cried for help, said the witness. ABC News has spoken to the teacher and she confirmed that the officer corrected her when she said she heard the teenager shout for help.” [ABC News]

13. Three witnesses say they heard a boy cry for help before a shot was fired. “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.” [Miami Herald]

14. The officer in charge of the crime scene also received criticism in 2010 when he initially failed to arrest a lieutenant’s son who was videotaped attacking a homeless black man. [New York Times]

15. The police did not test Zimmerman for drugs or alcohol. A law enforcement expert told ABC that Zimmerman sounds intoxicated on the 911 cintas. Drug and alcohol testing is “standard procedure in most homicide investigations.” [ABC News]

The Martin case had been turned over to the Seminole County State Attorney’s Office. Martin’s family has asked for the FBI to investigate.

FUENTE: ThinkProgress.Org