17 yo Trayvon Martin Shot to Death by Neighborhood Watch Captain #32

[Dr.Fessel]

George Zimmerman: Prelude to a shooting

A pit bull named Big Boi began menacing George and Shellie Zimmerman in the fall of 2009.

The first time the dog ran free and cornered Shellie in their gated community in Sanford, Florida, George called the owner to complain. The second time, Big Boi frightened his mother-in-law's dog. Zimmerman called Seminole County Animal Services and bought pepper spray. The third time he saw the dog on the loose, he called again. An officer came to the house, county records show.






"Don't use pepper spray," he told the Zimmermans, according to a friend. "It'll take two or three seconds to take effect, but a quarter second for the dog to jump you," he said.

"Get a gun."

That November, the Zimmermans completed firearms training at a local lodge and received concealed-weapons gun permits.


Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/nation...shooting_KnrkzId9fbXMspvRx3Q4hJ#ixzz1t6AJSuzS

BBM

Sounds like a made up story. Want to bet Francis Taaffe was the "source"? :floorlaugh:

 

[m00c0w]

If it intimidates me and I have already tried to get away from them it IS...according to what I have read it says that I have the right to defend myself if I am in fear of bodily harm or death, I am not saying I would kill someone but I would try to take out their kneecaps so that I could get away from them....and if I had to face charges of Battery so be it

I would far rather be judged by 12 than carried by 6

Being intimidated is not a justification for self defense. Please cite the statute that allows for "intimidation" to apply. There is a difference between feeling threatened and a threat being made. You can merely feel threatened by someone walking down the street, but until they have made a threat towards you, all you can legally do is try to get away from them. They actually have to carry out an aggressive act, and following you (even for two whole city blocks) isn't aggressive. They're carrying out a lawful activity in a lawful place.

 

[Just K]

Whoa, wait a minute. Folks for saying he was throwing a party for his AA degree but yet he was so close he was in the graduation ceremony anyway?

There is no source cited for much of the sympathetic remarks. The College said he was a General Studies major and that he had not graduated...that he was working toward an AA in General Studies. The school has an AS for Criminology.

 

[francie]

Dispatchers dispatch. It's what they do.
IMO GZ wanted LE to come. So, he called dispatch.

That's why he called them.

Why did he call the non-emergency number if he was so worried about Trayvon getting away?? Oh wait, he didn't let him get away. Hmmm.

:moo: :moo:

 

[Beyond Belief]

Was a conclusion ever reached if Trayvon was wearing his glasses that night? Was he able to see Zimmerman well enough when he was by/in the truck to know it was the same person confronting him?

 

[cityslick]

So apparently common sense and decency don't mean anything anymore, especially when it comes to the law. Unbelievable.

You can't put someone in jail simply because they didn't have common sense.

 

[uvamerica]

No, you wait until they cross the line, but before they hurt you.

As far as I know, merely following you is not crossing the line... it does not justify using self-defense, unless they follow you onto your property (that's not the only way to cross the line - the line can be cross verbally too).

This sounds like stalking

 

[Ninety5rpm]

Why did he call the non-emergency number if he was so worried about Trayvon getting away?? Oh wait, he didn't let him get away. Hmmm.

:moo: :moo:

That implies TM was trying to get away. Is that fact (citation?), or your opinion?

 

[m00c0w]

This sounds like stalking

Nope, it has to be willful, malicious, and repeated.

I'm not sure how merely following someone conveys malice.

 

[LambChop]

BBM

And I would prepare yourself for (at least) simple battery charges to be filed against you because you struck a civilian carrying out a lawful activity in a lawful place. Walking near you is not a crime, nor something that would justify a use of force.

I think most people know the difference. It is sometimes very apparent in their body language. Once a threat is presented you only have two choice fight or flight. For a woman flight is not always a wise choice. lol

 

[Ninety5rpm]

This sounds like stalking

It could be, but it has to last a lot more than a few minutes. I believe a pattern has to be established (of one person persistently following another person repeatedly over time).

 

[m00c0w]

It could be, but it has to last a lot more than a few minutes. I believe a pattern has to be established (of one person persistently following another person repeatedly over time).

Florida law requires malice. Merely following someone does not constitute stalking under Florida's statutory law.

 

[Sensei]

I truly cannot believe he was instructed to get a gun to shoot the dog! That's ridiculous... I can just see myself calling animal control and them telling me to go out and buy a gun??? Highly doubt it and the story! I know it's in print, but that doesn't mean it's the truth.

In real life Animal Control would come out and take the dog evaluate it and see if it's really a danger.

Encouraging someone to buy a gun when they could possibly shoot someone else while trying to shoot the dog is absolutely ignorant.

I agree completely and I don't know about Florida, but around here shooting someone's dog is a crime, a dog is property, and if you kill someone's dog you could be in real trouble... Animal control can and will fine the owners and or take the dog but you are NOT allowed to shoot it and I can't imagine a police officer or animal control telling you to get a gun for that.IMO JMHO and stuff..

 

[m00c0w]

I agree completely and I don't know about Florida, but around here shooting someone's dog is a crime, a dog is property, and if you kill someone's dog you could be in real trouble... Animal control can and will fine the owners and or take the dog but you are NOT allowed to shoot it and I can't imagine a police officer or animal control telling you to get a gun for that.IMO JMHO and stuff..

You're stating that if a dog is attacking you, you cannot take reasonable measure to protect yourself against death or great bodily harm?

 

[ggg]

Like I said earlier, a dog has a keen sense of judgment about people so that pretty well tells me the type of person Zimmerman is.


~jmo~

The dog cornered his wife, not him. So, the dog knows what kind of person the wife is?

 

[m00c0w]

Oh my word, how dare they put a picture of Zimmerman back from his younger years. This is totally unacceptable.

http://vancouver.24hrs.ca/News/world/2012/04/25/19679431.html

Except they clearly denote it's from 12 years ago.

 

[m00c0w]

Stalking someone with a gun in your hand conveys malice. We don't know if GZ had his gun in his hand or not, maybe that's why TM was concerned.

Hey, if we had all the answers, we'd be filling up other threads. :moo:

A gun was not in the scenario I responded to. Thanks.

 

[LynnM]

No, you wait until they cross the line, but before they hurt you.

As far as I know, merely following you is not crossing the line... it does not justify using self-defense, unless they follow you onto your property (that's not the only way to cross the line - the line can be cross verbally too).

I posted a couple days ago about being followed slowly by a man in a car as I walked home lo these many decades ago when I was 17. I didn't know him and I was frightened and I started running home. He got out of his car and ran after me. Fortunately I made it to a neighbor's house before he could overtake me because I don't think I could have outrun him (I'm a short bookworm).

Do you think there was any possibility that he wasn't about to do something illegal?

 

[cityslick]

I agree completely and I don't know about Florida, but around here shooting someone's dog is a crime, a dog is property, and if you kill someone's dog you could be in real trouble... Animal control can and will fine the owners and or take the dog but you are NOT allowed to shoot it and I can't imagine a police officer or animal control telling you to get a gun for that.IMO JMHO and stuff..

Do you think news is trying to sensationalize in the other direction now?

 

[grandmaj]

This thread needs to be tidied up. It will open when I have time to get to it.