The political icon George Zimmerman and the political icon Treyvon Martin are different than the actual people. Much of this is because the narrative was established before many facts were known. Here are some facts:
1. Treyvon Martin was in Florida because he was expelled from school. He was expelled because he had jewelry that was burglarized from houses nearby, as well as burglary tools in his school locker.
2. Since Treyvon moved in, there had been several burglaries in the neighborhood.
3. The neighbors were upset about these burglaries and generally liked Zimmerman's proactive attitude. The neighbors generally felt that the police were not effective.
4. Zimmerman saw Martin in the yard of a house peering in the window. His impression was that he might be looking for houses to burglarize. Given what we know of Martin's past, Zimmerman was probably correct in his impression.
5. Martin probably knew that if the police got involved, the police might find out about his prior record, and certainly his father would assume that he was burglarizing homes again, and this would at least cause him trouble at home.
6. From the physical evidence, conflicting witness reports, and the recording of the 911 call, we know with high probability that while Zimmerman was following Martin and waiting for police to arrive, Martin attacked Zimmerman, got him on the ground, and smashed his head against the concrete.
7. At this point, it's fair to say that Zimmerman's life was in significant danger. In that moment, he pulled out his gun and shot the man who was smashing his head into the concrete.
1. Treyvon Martin was in Florida because he was expelled from school. He was expelled because he had jewelry that was burglarized from houses nearby, as well as burglary tools in his school locker.
2. Since Treyvon moved in, there had been several burglaries in the neighborhood.
3. The neighbors were upset about these burglaries and generally liked Zimmerman's proactive attitude. The neighbors generally felt that the police were not effective.
4. Zimmerman saw Martin in the yard of a house peering in the window. His impression was that he might be looking for houses to burglarize. Given what we know of Martin's past, Zimmerman was probably correct in his impression.
5. Martin probably knew that if the police got involved, the police might find out about his prior record, and certainly his father would assume that he was burglarizing homes again, and this would at least cause him trouble at home.
6. From the physical evidence, conflicting witness reports, and the recording of the 911 call, we know with high probability that while Zimmerman was following Martin and waiting for police to arrive, Martin attacked Zimmerman, got him on the ground, and smashed his head against the concrete.
7. At this point, it's fair to say that Zimmerman's life was in significant danger. In that moment, he pulled out his gun and shot the man who was smashing his head into the concrete.