AP journalist criticized for claiming George Zimmerman disobeyed 9-11 dispatcher's orders

[adric mutelovic]

In an AP article appearing in the Washington Post, AP's Mike Schneider (@MikeSchneiderAP) reported today that

"Zimmerman called 911, got out of his vehicle and followed Martin behind the townhomes despite being told not to by a police dispatcher. “These a------s, they always get away,” Zimmerman said on the call. Zimmerman, who had a concealed weapons permit, was armed."

As media critic Bob Somerby points out,

"Oof. Plainly, Schneider conveys the impression that Zimmerman disobeyed that police dispatcher at some point and in some manner. It sounds like the dispatcher told Zimmerman not to get out of his vehicle.

Plainly, that last claim isn’t true. Zimmerman was already out of his truck and following Trayvon Martin when the dispatcher made the statement in question."

Link


He (Somerby) further pointed out that unlike Schneider, a Sunday NY Times piece by Lizette Alvarez did get it right, by saying the prosecution "will argue" that Zimmerman disobeyed 9-11 dispatcher, while the defense "will argue" that he did not, instead of flatly stating that the prosecution's version is the correct one. NY Times, 6-9-2013: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/09/us/with-zimmerman-trial-to-open-emotions-still-raw.html?ref=todayspaper

[Eleanors38]

1. Don't know how this case will turn out; the trial is on-going...

One should keep in mind, when weighing the credibility of reports, that the South Florida Associated Press has a track record of aggressive gun-control advocacy.

[hlthe2b]

2. What bullshit. Zimmerman clearly did disregard the 9-11 dispatcher's admonishment.

[KurtNYC]

3. Doesn't the dispatcher say something like "we don't need you to do that" ?

(it has been a while since I reviewed this stuff). If so, that isn't a clear order, more of a comment/suggestion.

[Just Saying]

4. Yes that's what was said.

So now we're going to debate the difference between and order and a suggestion. Also whether a dispatcher has any authority to give either.

It all feels like distraction from the fact that Zimmerman is an example of the danger of legal guns in the wrong hands. And if he's found innocent, then FL law is WRONG!

[Tommy_Carcetti]

5. Call it an "order" or a "suggestion". It doesn't matter in the long run.

The fact that Zimmerman was told by dispatch "We don't need you to do that" as it relates to following Trayvon, when he did actually follow Trayvon, shows recklessness on Zimmerman's part. And if the prosecution can show that Zimmerman's own recklessness lead to Trayvon's death, at a minimum they can get a manslaughter conviction.

Unless you want to believe Zimmerman's story that he immediately stopped following Trayvon after dispatch "suggested" he stop, and that he was heading back to his car when he was "ambushed" by Trayvon. Which a) makes no logical sense whatsoever (why would someone being chased but escaped his pursuer decide to randomly double back and attack the person he just escaped) and b) is contradicted by Zimmerman telling dispatch to have police call him instead of meeting him at his car.

[adric mutelovic]

8. It has been reported that people get angry sometimes

Perhaps Trayvon thought... You know what, I'm not gonna let this guy get away with chasing me. Let me go after him.

The moment in which anger hit Trayvon cannot be specified by anyone, if it did.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

9. Funny thing about this case and angry people.

We actually have audiotape of Zimmerman saying, "These assholes, they always get away" and "Fucking punks" right before he apparently exited his vehicle. With a deadly weapon on his hip.

I would venture to say that Zimmerman was angry right before the shooting, wouldn't you agree?

[Bandit]

6. If only he had stayed in his truck, none of this would be happening now...

By getting out of his truck he instigated the entire affair...

[grok]

7. zimmerman might not have disregarded

It took 15 seconds from the point zimmerman exited his car and the dispatcher advised him to stop following and zimmerman said "OK". at least according to this transcript.

http://www.talkleft.com/zimm/alternatetranscript.pdf

it only takes 15-20 seconds to fast walk or trot to the area of the confrontation. just around the corner of a house. i could make it and i have a bad knee.

zimmerman kept on talking for a minute and a half after that. Not exactly sure what zimmerman was doing during that time or the couple minutes before the fight..

All know is that trayvon could have made it home easily by then unless he had a worse knee than I. Not that he was legally obliged to.

[slor]

10. That is the one thing that should...

seal his fate. If he had just stayed in the car, as instructed, it would have never happened. He wanted that confrontation.

[grok]

11. he was already out of his car for 15 seconds.

before he was asked to stop following. that was long enough for him to get where the fight actually happened several minutes later.

that suggests he actually obeyed.

http://www.talkleft.com/zimm/alternatetranscript.pdf

[Zoeisright]

12. Oh fucking bullshit.

That asshole murdered an unarmed kid. Zimmerman had no fucking business tailing anyone in that neighborhood. He's a murderer. Period.

[grok]

13. thank you for your purely logical response

I can tell you are a person who's view of evidence will never be colored by their emotion.