FL - 17-yo Boy Shot to Death by Neighborhood Watch Captain

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Why hasn't this man been arrested??? I just don't understand this!

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.

"He was a good kid," Crump said in an interview, adding that the family would issue a call for the Watch captain's arrest at a news conference on Thursday. "On his way home, a Neighborhood Watch loose cannon shot and killed him."


More at link: http://news.yahoo.com/family-florida-boy-killed-neighborhood-watch-seeks-arrest-044537742.html
 
Just nuts. Why indeed?

Since when is the neighborhood watch armed and dangerous???

I don't know how its done there but here, you do not carry weapons, you carry flashlights and cel phones.

You do not confront "suspicious" folks, you phone in tips to LE who then ask patrol to swing by and have a look.

Have I missed some crucial fact here? WHy is this watch captain not being charged with something, anything??
 
That is just terrible! I'm sure the boy being black in a white community is why he was considered "suspicious," especially if he was visiting there and wasn't known to the people. But the watch captian should never have gotten out of his car and confronted the boy and definately shouldn't have shot him. The man should be convicted of first degree murder!
 
As much as I hate vigilante nuts with guns, I'm sensing there's something not being said here.

The watch captain guy (who is only 26, and a college student, I was surprised, this type of thing usually seems to happen with much older men) found the boy "suspicious" and then followed him in his car. At some point George the Watch guy got out of his car and then it appears an altercation occurred. It seems to me that whatever George claims happened in that altercation is why he hasn't been arrested.

There was a very similar case here recently where a nutso home owner shot a young man to death in his driveway at night, as the young man was fleeing. He had been in a wreck and was standing in the driveway calling a friend to come pick him up when the vigilante chased him and shot him 3 times in the back. He was arrested and charged with murder for that, we'll see how his trial goes.

It would be interesting to hear what's on the 911 tapes.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/08/family-of-trayvon-martin-_n_1332756.html
 
I agree with teenager's family. Where is self-defense? If the guy was armed and in his car, and teenager unarmed, why did the guy get out of his car to begin with?
 
I agree with teenager's family. Where is self-defense? If the guy was armed and in his car, and teenager unarmed, why did the guy get out of his car to begin with?

I agree, and I think LE owes the family a lot more explanation if they plan not to charge George Z.
 
Not everyone has the ability to handle/carry a gun safely; there is no excuse for this cowboy's actions. Charges are definitely in order.
 
Here's a much more detailed article.

Apparently there was a loud verbal argument that went on long enough for more than one resident of the neighborhood to call 911. Then, after shots were fired more neighbors called 911. It doesn't appear George Z ever did.

After the shooting he was taken to the police station to complete the investigation and apparently at that point it sounds like there was a belief that it might have been justified.

I'm going to reserve judgement here. It may well be self-defense.

This is a gated community. Clearly it's the decision of the residents that they want to be protected, and they want to refuse entry to anyone they don't like walking around. It seems a neighborhood watch captain, in such a neighborhood, would be within their rights to stop and engage someone who looked out of place. And then the unthinkable happened.

Reading between the lines this boy didn't live in a community like this. I think if he were raised in this community with "gated community standards" you submit to questioning more than someone from Miami might have learned to submit to. It's understood by those who buy into the 'gated community' type residence that they are glad to have their watch captains, and support that kind of scrutiny. Personally, I'd hate it.

I hope there are more answers and there is peace here. No matter what, this is a loss.

http://www.wftv.com/news/news/local/police-man-neighborhood-watch-shoots-kills-teen-vi/nK8LR/
 
Just nuts. Why indeed?

Since when is the neighborhood watch armed and dangerous???

I don't know how its done there but here, you do not carry weapons, you carry flashlights and cel phones.

You do not confront "suspicious" folks, you phone in tips to LE who then ask patrol to swing by and have a look.

Have I missed some crucial fact here? WHy is this watch captain not being charged with something, anything??

Exactly. And why did he shoot?? Did the boy do something to provoke him? There doesn't seem to be much information in that article. It seems to me that he shot the poor kid unprovoked. The kid has Skittles on him for gosh sakes!!
 
Thanks for the more detailed article, Jeanna. What a sad story no matter what really happened. A boy is dead. :(

I'm all for the right to carry guns but this seems to be a situation where maybe his life would have been saved if someone hadn't shot so quickly. Couldn't he have just pointed the gun at him until cops arrived?
 
Self defense against what? This kid wasn't even armed.... And just visiting his dad... And i am sure it wasn't the first time he was there...

I expect to be able to walk around safely in a gated place... Just remember my visit at my uncle and aunts gates home...

Rest in peace young Trayvon...

Micci
 
There was more than one 911 call. According to the video linked in the OP, Z. called 911 and reported suspicious person (supposedly police told him to let police handle it). Then the neighbors called in to report a fight.
 
Saying "they always get away" is certainly damning.

But I can see a case where you could shoot someone in self defense and truly be acting in self defense even though the other person didn't have a gun.

I don't know whether that's the case here, and maybe we'll know more soon. If they got into a physical fight, (just speculating) that could lead to someone pulling out a concealed weapon and defending themselves.

This sounds like the case of two puffed-up hotheads coming together and a tragedy occurring.
 
Doesn't sound like that to me. G.Z. was reportedly told by police not to interfere, so what business did he have confronting anyone?
 
Doesn't sound like that to me. G.Z. was reportedly told by police not to interfere, so what business did he have confronting anyone?

I don't know. I don't know the rules of a gated community - as far as I know, they're private property and have the right under the rules of private property to elect/appoint watch captains who have the right to confront anyone they deem in their little minds to be suspicious. Because the whole neighborhood is owned and maintained by the neighborhood association, not the city. I think the legal key here may rest with the rights of gated private property owners vs. neighborhoods where the common areas (streets, sidewalks) are public property. It would be interesting to know more about their legal rights in this community.
 
I don't know. I don't know the rules of a gated community - as far as I know, they're private property and have the right under the rules of private property to elect/appoint watch captains who have the right to confront anyone they deem in their little minds to be suspicious. Because the whole neighborhood is owned and maintained by the neighborhood association, not the city. I think the legal key here may rest with the rights of gated private property owners vs. neighborhoods where the common areas (streets, sidewalks) are public property. It would be interesting to know more about their legal rights in this community.

But it wasn't like he would have been a stranger... He was visiting his dad.... I just don't understand why GZ didn't wait for the police if he really was concerned.. In my opinion in what we know right now GZ took the law in his own hands and played police..

I don't want to blame him but there is not much reason for me right now to believe in self defense ...

Micci
 
Why hasn't this man been arrested??? I just don't understand this!

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.

"He was a good kid," Crump said in an interview, adding that the family would issue a call for the Watch captain's arrest at a news conference on Thursday. "On his way home, a Neighborhood Watch loose cannon shot and killed him."


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


from your link above.

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."

GMAB, Trayvon was almost home! This is tragic and I am having a hard time seeing any 'self defense' excuse.

This family needs justice.
 
Chief Bill Lee of the Sanford Police Department on Thursday evening said the account given by Martin’s family and attorney is correct, that Zimmerman saw the young man walking home from the store. He said that Zimmerman did indeed call 911 and report a suspicious person, and that he was told not to follow him.

“For some reason he felt that Trayvon, the way that he was walking or appeared seemed suspicious to him,” Lee said. “He called this in and at one part of this initial call [the dispatcher] recommends him not to follow Trayvon. A police officer is on the way at that point.”

Lee said that Zimmerman instead followed Martin.

“I believe that Mr. Zimmerman was trying to, by his account, find an address to give the officers and also trying to keep Trayvon in eyesight.”

Zimmerman told the police that Martin noticed that he was being followed and asked, “what’s your problem?”

That's when a physical confrontation ensued, Lee said. And moments later, Martin was shot.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/08/family-of-trayvon-martin-_n_1332756.html

this stinks to high heavens. Trayvon could have thought he was being follow by some pervert.

Zimmerman was told, by LE not to follow him but he did and now a life has been ended. I'm not saying I believe that Zimmerman meant to kill someone that night, but if he had listened to LE, Trayvon would still be alive.
 
Wow... And reading the article posted above makes me really wonder... Apparently LE is investigating GZ regarding two other happenings...
And GZ with his background should have known better but to disobey the orders NOT to follow Trayvor...

Micci
 
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