Why hasn't the Neighborhood Watch shooter been arrested?

[JoelUpchurch]

@JoelUpchurch

The Orlando Sentinel has a copy of the police report. Its cleaner than the one in the Tribune and it is a pdf and you can download it.

http://media.trb.com/media/acrobat/2012-03/69081607.pdf

I did a OCR on Officer Smith’s Report there may be some errors:
I high lighted a couple of passages. It does appear that Zimmerman was wearing a red jacket at the scene.

Poll Date: 2/27/2012 3:29 Reporter: S25894 Smith, Timothy Clearance: 0 open Report Type O
On 2/26/2012, at approximately 1917 hours, I responded to 1111 Retreat View Cir in reference to a report of a suspicious person. As I arrived on scene, dispatch advised of a report of shots fired in the same subdivision.

I was advised by dispatch that the report of shots fired was possibly coming from 1231 Twin Trees Cir.. I was then advised, after receiving multiple calls, that there was a subject laying in the grass in between the residences of 1231 Twin Trees La. and 2821 Retreat View Cir. I responded to 2821 Retreat View Cir and exited my marked Sanford police vehicle and began to canvas the area. As I walked in between the buildings I observed a white male, wearing a red jacket and blue jeans. I also observed a black male, wearing a gray hooded sweat shirt, laying face down in the grass.

I asked the subject in the red jacket, later identified as George Zimmerman (who was original caller for the suspicious person complaint), if he had seen the subject. Zimmerman stated that he had shot the subject and he was still armed. Zimmerman complied with all of my verbal commands and was secured in handcuffs. Located on the inside of Zimmerman’s waist band, 1 removed a black Kel Tek 9mm PF9 semi auto handgun and holster. While I was in such close contact with Zimmerman, I could observe that his back appeared to be wet and was covered in grass, as if he had been laying on his back on the ground. Zimmerman was also bleeding from the nose and back of his head.

Shortly after securing Zimmerman, Officer Ricardo Ayala arrived on scene. I advised Officer Ayala that I had not made contact with the black male subject laying on the ground. I observed Officer Ayala make contact with the subject and attempt to get a response, but was met with negative results. Shortly after this, other officers began to arrive on scene along with SFD Rescue 38 who began to give aid to the subject laying on the ground.

Zimmerman was placed in the rear of my police vehicle and was given first aid by the SFD. While the SFD was attending to Zimmerman, I over heard him state “I was yelling for someone to help me, but no one would help me.” At no point did I question Zimmerman about the incident that had taken place. Once Zimmerman was cleared by the SFD, he was transported to the Sanford Police Department.
Zimmerman was placed in an interview room at SPD, where he was interviewed by Investigator- D. Singleton. Zimmerman was turned over to investigations and this was the extent of my involvement in this case.

[Gangster_Octopus]

@Bricker

Who cares?

That’s not the standard the law requires.

He doesn’t have to fear that Martin would punch him to death before he can use deadly force.

What is the standard? Reasonable person? I really don’t know.

[Jack_Batty]

I read that last night, and it seems to me to be pretty shoddy paperwork to me. The officer goes out of his way to lay out anything he thinks may mitigate Zimmerman’s culpability – grass stains, as if he were lying on the ground - he overheard him say he cried for help but no one would help him - etc. but the only detail about Martin is black individual, gray hoodie, dead.

[RickJay]

@Gangster_Octopus

What is the standard? Reasonable person? I really don’t know.

Reasonable fear of “great bodily harm.” Case law has defined that, I would think (for example, being raped is great bodily harm; serious injury, stuff like that.)

If Zimmerman’s claim were true he would be in reasonable fear of that, I should think. You can hurt someone very badly if you have them on the ground and pound their head in. A guy in my hometown was punched out by a vagrant, just hit twice while on the ground, and suffered serious brain damage.

The issue is whether or not you believe George Zimmerman. As it stands, I do not.

[JoelUpchurch]

This is the report by Officer Ayala. There isn’t much more except for the attempts to revive Martin.

Report Date: 2/27/2012 2:28 Reporter: A49160 AYALA, RICARDO Clearance: 0 Open Report Type: O

On 2/26/12, at approximately 1917 hours, I was dispatch to 1111 Retreat View Cir. in reference to a complainant seeing a suspicious person in the area, While en route dispatch stated the they were receiving calls in reference to gun shots being heard in the area where 1 was responding to.

Ofc. T. Smith stated via radio that he was arriving in the area, Ofc T. Smith later states that there was one subject shot and he had one at gun point. Upon arrival Ofc. T. Smith had a white male, later identified as George Zimmerman, in custody. Zimmerman was also the original caller in reference to the suspicious person.

I then noticed that there was, what appeared to be a black male wearing a gray sweater , blue jeans, and white/red sneakers laying face down on the ground. The black male had his hands underneath his body. I attempted to get a response from the black male, but was met with negative results. At that time Sgt. Raimondo arrived and attempted to get a pulse on the black male but none was found. At that time, Sgt. Raimondo and I turned the black male over and began CPR. Sgt. Raimondo did breaths and I did chest compressions.

Sgt. S. McCoy arrived on scene and relieved me continuing compressions. Sanford Fire Rescue arrived on scene and attempted to revive the subject, but could not. Paramedic Brady pronounced the subject deceased at 1930 hours.

The scene was then secured with crime scene tape by Ofc. Mead and Ofc. Wagner. Ofc. Robertson began a crime scene contamination log.

Lt. Taylor arrived on scene and notified dispatch to have Major Crimes respond to the scene.

Ofc. Mead and Ole, Wagner were able to make contact with neighbors in the area. They were able to obtain statements from all witnesses on scene.

[Hentor_the_Barbarian]

The report seems to have omitted the part where they gave him a new shirt or took him home to get all cleaned up, or cleaned the grass off his back.

[JoelUpchurch]

@Jack_Batty

I read that last night, and it seems to me to be pretty shoddy paperwork to me. The officer goes out of his way to lay out anything he thinks may mitigate Zimmerman’s culpability – grass stains, as if he were lying on the ground - he overheard him say he cried for help but no one would help him - etc. but the only detail about Martin is black individual, gray hoodie, dead.

Come on, give it a break. Unless you think Officer Smith is lying in his report and if you do, explain why he is protecting a total stranger.

If you want to rant, start with the fact that Officer Smith never bothered to check if Martin was alive or dead.

[camille]

If this is the original report, how can Trayvon’s name and information be on it? And if it was later amended, then what’s to say any other part of it wasn’t amended?

[JoelUpchurch]

@Hentor_the_Barbarian

The report seems to have omitted the part where they gave him a new shirt or took him home to get all cleaned up, or cleaned the grass off his back.

I high lighted that part myself, so save the snarky comments for someone else. When I’m wrong I point it out. I don’t see you noting that he was bleeding at the scene and your video medical examine last night turns out to be wrong.

[Stoid]

@PatriotX

Where does this info come from?

I can’t say, that’s why I said (I think?).

@PatriotX

It’s not measured by the extent of injuries, but by the reasonableness of fearing imminent harm.

Others have answered:

@Blalron

To me, it seems entirely unreasonable for Zimmerman to believe that Martin was going to punch him to death. Especially since he knew the cops were on the way. All he would have to do is put his arms in front of his face to block the punches until the police arrived.

@Bricker

Who cares?

That’s not the standard the law requires.

He doesn’t have to fear that Martin would punch him to death before he can use deadly force.

What does he have to fear? (Yeah, I know, serious injury and the law says broken noses are serious…so we’re back to: was his nose really broken? How seriously was he already hurt so that a genuine fear of serious injury requiring lethal force was a reasonable response? What evidence do we have that such injuries had already occurred? Does the law say any blow any time is enough? Don’t those blows have to be severe enough to make your face puff up a little?)

And what do you, Bricker, believe he genuinely did fear, vs. the opportunity he saw to play cops and robbers? Not know to a legal certainty, but today, if you had to answer this based on what you have seen, do you believe any such fear was genuine enough to let Zimmerman’s choice to meet it with lethal force pass without legal consequences?

[Jack_Batty]

@JoelUpchurch

Come on, give it a break. Unless you think Officer Smith is lying in his report and if you do, explain why he is protecting a total stranger.

If you want to rant, start with the fact that Officer Smith never bothered to check if Martin was alive or dead.

What break? It’s shitty reporting. If anythingthing it’s incomplete. But I must say … “I overheard him saying he screamed for help” doesn’t seem like it should be in there at all. In fact, he went out of his way to say at no time did he question Zimmerman as if to drive the point home that, Zimmerman volunteered the information (to someone else but he heard it).

[Barrett_Bonden]

@JoelUpchurch

Come on, give it a break. Unless you think Officer Smith is lying in his report and if you do, explain why he is protecting a total stranger.

If you want to rant, start with the fact that Officer Smith never bothered to check if Martin was alive or dead.

I’m not defending any of the other stuff the police department has done, but it makes sense to me that when one party is standing, armed, and has already shot somebody, a lone police officer would prefer to secure the shooter before addressing the other guy.

[Stoid]

@Jack_Batty

I read that last night, and it seems to me to be pretty shoddy paperwork to me. The officer goes out of his way to lay out anything he thinks may mitigate Zimmerman’s culpability – grass stains, as if he were lying on the ground - he overheard him say he cried for help but no one would help him - etc. but the only detail about Martin is black individual, gray hoodie, dead.

C’mon… what else did the officer know beyond that? Martin was dead, not a lot of information is going to come from him at that moment.

@RickJay

A guy in my hometown was punched out by a vagrant, just hit twice while on the ground, and suffered serious brain damage.

Actually you can kill someone with a single blow to the face, in freak accident ways… a family friend of mine did exactly that many years ago. Big guy, 6’6", but slim, not muscular. Came upon a guy slashing his tires, confronted him, and when the guy turned to threaten or hurt him with a knife in his hand, my friend threw one punch - it was the first (and probably the last!) punch he had ever thrown in his entire life, and he killed the guy. Turns out he shattered the guys jaw and a bone shard went into his brain, hitting some vital spot that took him out instantly. Freaked my friend out horribly, as you might think. But that was a freak accident.

And no, he was not prosecuted. The man he killed had a knife in his hand, self-defense was pretty clear. Especially given the nature of the guy’s death it was obviously not my friend’s intention to kill him, just to keep him from stabbing my friend.

[DrDeth]

@JoelUpchurch

If you want to rant, start with the fact that Officer Smith never bothered to check if Martin was alive or dead.

Because at that point in time, he was the only officer on scene and there was a man with a gun standing there. You don’t turn your back on a gun man to check a body. Note that as soon as other officer arrived they immediately began checking on Martin, trying CPR etc.

Note also that Zimmerman’s gun was taken at the scene. There’s no hint it was ever returned.

[Hentor_the_Barbarian]

@JoelUpchurch

I high lighted that part myself, so save the snarky comments for someone else. When I’m wrong I point it out. I don’t see you noting that he was bleeding at the scene and your video medical examine last night turns out to be wrong.

I conducted no medical examination. It was you identifying the medical nature of “goose eggs” you keenly observed in your detailed still frames and blow ups.

As to the conflict between the report of bleeding from the nose and back of the head versus my own lying eyes, well, I’ll just say that one of them appears to be wrong, but I have not yet resolved which one that is.

[Jack_Batty]

@Stoid

C’mon… what else did the officer know beyond that? Martin was dead, not a lot of information is going to come from him at that moment.

Well, it seems to me if he’s going into so much detail about Zimmerman’s state, he should pay a little attention to Martin’s state as well. He didn’t mention anthing about Martin at all execpt that he was dead. Nothing about any marks on him, or the state of his clothes, or the fact that he was unarmed, etc.

The distinct feeling I get is that the officer assumed (and note, I’m saying I think he made an assumption, not that he was scheming) that he came upone a cut-and-dried crime scene (suspicious black guy reported; suspicious black guy dead; end of story) and he only put in the report the shit that fed those assumptions.

[you_with_the_face]

Here’s another thing that stands out.

The PD had a man in custody who just claimed to have taken blunt trauma to the head. Why didn’t they take him to the ER themselves, just for CYA purposes, being interviewing him? Sounds like a trip to ER would be proper protocol whenever you’re dealing with a potential concussion victim.

[BlankSlate]

@JoelUpchurch

Come on, give it a break. Unless you think Officer Smith is lying in his report and if you do, explain why he is protecting a total stranger.

If you want to rant, start with the fact that Officer Smith never bothered to check if Martin was alive or dead.

I don’t think Zimmerman was a total stranger to Sanford PD. Didn’t he even use police codes on the phone to the dispatcher?

I’m not buying a massive conspiracy, though. What I’d really like to know is what parts of Zimmerman’s story rang false to detective Serino. I still think the most logical scenario has Zimmerman trying to restrain Martin for the cops. He wouldn’t fear doing that because he had an overwhelming advantage, the ultimae plan B.

[Gangster_Octopus]

Zimmerman seems to have a healthy dose of paranoia and I wouldn’t be surprised if he ended up with a twitchy trigger finger because of it. There was clearly some physical altercation, but I am having trouble believing that Zimmerman was simply over-reacting due to in his mind he was messing with some tweaked-out gangster ninja who knew 75 ways o kill a man with a bag of skittles. My point being, Zimmerman may very well think or justify to himself that he was protecting himself, but I tihnk he got scared and shot Martin, even though he was hardly in any danger. Again, I think, nothing more nothing less.

[DrDeth]

@Hentor_the_Barbarian

I
As to the conflict between the report of bleeding from the nose and back of the head versus my own lying eyes, well, I’ll just say that one of them appears to be wrong, but I have not yet resolved which one that is.

The conflict could be merely the amount of time between the shooting and the video. About a year ago, I got hit hard on my eyebrow. My friend took me to the ER and took “before and after” fotos. The before is very gory. The after – not much is noticeable, and this was less than 3 hours after. Note that despite multiple stitches required, no dressing was applied.

For those asking why Zimmerman was not taken to the ER, note that Paramedics were called, and did treat him. This was at the scene.