Trayvon's girlfriend told the police thatTrayvon didn't run away from Zimmerman

[EFerrari]

that last time because he was out of breath from trying to get away from Zimmerman. This morning Amy played the tape of her interview by the police.

"I Know He Was Scared": Trayvon Martin’s Girlfriend Recounts Phone Call Right Before Fatal Shooting

Florida prosecutors have released a trove of documents, photographs and audio recordings revealing new details about the night George Zimmerman shot dead the unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Florida. We broadcast excerpts of the chilling recording of the police interview with Trayvon’s girlfriend. She and Trayvon were talking on the phone in the moments leading up to his death. "I know he was scared," the girl recounts. "I told him, 'Keep running!' ... He told me the guy was getting real close to him. And the next I hear is [Trayvon saying], 'Why are you following me for?' … I heard this man... say, 'What are you doing around here?' ... And I call Trayvon, 'Trayon, what's going on? What’s going on?’ ... Then, I am calling him and he didn’t answer...You could hear someone had bumped Trayvon...I was still screaming, I was saying, 'Trayvon! Trayvon!'...And then the next thing the phone just shut off." [Transcript to come. Check back soon.]

http://www.democracynow.org/2012/5/18/i_know_he_was_scared_trayvon

[Solomon]

1. Chilling to say the least.

[CatWoman]

2. but................but..............but

MARTIN THREW THE FIRST PUNCH!!!

HE HAD ZIMMERMAN ON THE GROUND!!!

WE KNOW THIS BECAUSE TRAYVON HAD GOLD TEETH!!!!!

[Hell Hath No Fury]

4. "WE KNOW THIS BECAUSE TRAYVON HAD GOLD TEETH!!!!!"

I saw that on the other thread -- revolting.

This case has been attracted the worst kind of creeps here. And outed a few of our fellow DUers.

[Hoyt]

9. Yep. And "revolting" it is.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

5. If the subject matter wasn't so sad.....

...your comment about "we known this because Trayvon had gold teeth" would have made me laugh.

Sadly, that line was actually used by someone. On this website, of all places. In all seriousness.

[EFerrari]

8. It's a bunch of cr@P, isn't it?

This girl had known Trayvon since kindergarten. Hers was the last friendly voice he heard.

[frylock]

21. and he burned tree!!1

[Hell Hath No Fury]

3. In Trayvon's mind --

he was being followed and then confronted by a strange man. If it had been me, I would have fought like the dickens against someone who had made themselves such a threat to me.

[deutsey]

11. It's a night, too

I would be prepared to defend myself in a similar situation.

[frylock]

22. me too..

and the GDIs insisting it's not against the law to follow someone should take a stroll in martin's neighborhood in miami gardens and then get back. these dumbshits must live in maybury RFD. i would have fought like hell too.

[Lars39]

6. Did he have a flip phone?

If not, who turned it off?

[ScreamingMeemie]

7. She was dating a thug so why should we believe her?

Kind of unbelievable that I feel like I have to add this:


I cannot imagine what was going through his head when Zimmerman began stalking him.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

10. But Trayvon had gold teeth,so...so what?

Didn't you hear? Trayvon having gold teeth is the smoking gun evidence that turns the case.

[magical thyme]

12. one eye witness saw one man chasing another one

and then confronting and getting into a fistfight.

Sounds to me like Zimmerman not only was following him, but was chasing him, i.e. running after him, not just walking.

To the defenders who claim Zimmerman had a right to follow....did he have a right to chase? At what point does Zimmerman obviously become an aggressor? At what point did Trayvon's rights begin?

[crunch60]

33. Zimmerman was the aggressor from the beginning, the police dispatcher told him not to follow

Trayvon, and he did anyway, Zimmerman perused him and that makes him the aggressor.

[LynneSin]

13. So out of breath after being stalked by some random stranger - doesn't Trayvon have the right...

to defend himself?

Whoopsies, forgot he's black and wearing a hoodie so he's suppose to stand there and be target practice for the gun nuts

( )

[EFerrari]

14. Yeah. We know he was fair game -- he was wearing a hoodie in the friggin' rain. n/t

[LynneSin]

15. I've heard in some countries they consider skittles as a weapon

and Trayvon could have caused serious damage had he tossed that can of Arizona Ice Tea.

[The-Roof-Is-On-Fire]

16. Why was he on the phone with his girlfriend?

From the very beginning, this has bugged me. If he was really that scared, why wasn't he on the phone with 911, rather than his girlfriend?

Obvious possible answers...young and dumb, or making the situation seem more sinister to impress his girlfriend. Perhaps he had a distrust of the police.

I'm not sure if her testimony will be helpful or harmful to the case.

[creeksneakers2]

17. I don't understand how he would talk on the cell phone

while running away from a threat. Perhaps he was just hurrying.

[2pooped2pop]

18. I was on the phone talking to someone who was getting pepper sprayed and arrested

when they broke up the Zuccotti park encampment. Not all clear, shouting, out of breath, yet I was able to make out what he was saying pretty well.

[NOLALady]

20. Seriously?

"making the situation seem more sinister to impress his girlfriend."

[savalez]

25. It must be troll season.

Because only a troll would say something so stupid.

[The-Roof-Is-On-Fire]

35. Perspective.

You do not have it.

Should TM have called the cops?

If so, why didn't he?

Once, I was a young man in pursuit of the hearts of young women. I am ALL too aware of some of the idiotic things young men will do in such a situation.

However, the point of my post was more to look at the girlfriend's testimony, because the actions taken by Martin don't mesh with that of a scared or threatened young man. First response is typically flight...he didn't. He remained in the area, despite being only a couple of buildings away from his dad's place. Some people lock up when they're afraid, but the girlfriend's account doesn't suggest that, and it isn't one of the instinctive responses, fight or flight.

So some guy was following him, he's playing it up for his girlfriend (after the....

Hrm...walk through the 2 accounts...no meaningful drug levels, Z's account spells out some suspicious/spacey behaviour, and "she heard what sounded like an earpiece to Trayvon’s cellphone falling away." How many times have you seen somebody behaving oddly before you realized they were talking using an earpiece?

Furthermore, how often do you go someplace private to talk to your sweetheart? If someone is staring at you, you move away, right?

Hoodie covers the earpiece. TM is talking on the phone, not paying attention, looks like he is walking aimlessly because he is, not looking at houses, looking through them. Z is staring, TM moves off, but not far, just to get some privacy for his phone call. Z mistakes this for flight, assumes TM has fled towards other gate. Z goes a short distance to get his bearings so he can relay his position to the cop, from whom he is expecting a call, interupts TM's phone call again. The situation escalates, and we have what we have.

It meshes with all accounts that I've thought were reliable.`

[savalez]

39. Perspective.

You do not have it.

"Should TM have called the cops?"

There are varying levels of fear. Everyone has a different threshold for going that far and I'd wager that an older person would be more inclined to do so than a 17 year old boy. Also, calling the police is not the only option especially when you are not actually sure if what you are feeling is real. When in a tense situation I can especially imagine a kid calling a friend or family member first for verification.

As for the rest of the stuff you wrote? None of it justifies his murder.

[Vanje]

40. The-Roof-Is-On-Fire

Burn MotherFucker, Burn

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=profile&uid=284721

[frylock]

23. oh good. another fucking paid troll here to add their two cents.

5 fucking posts. get lost.

[madashelltoo]

26. What young MAN calls the cops because he's being followed by one man?

Stop playing. What would the police have said if he had called them to tell them he was being followed a man? He most likely had never experienced that kind of fear in his life and left the handbook to common responses in his other hoodie pocket. Stop trying to look for loop holes for Zimmerman. He was wrong on all fronts. This is a case of Zimmerman's ego getting the best of him, then Trayvon getting the best of him and Zimmerman shooting the child out of frustration.

[Sedona]

29. What could be more sinister than being murdered in cold blood?

.

[Blue_Roses]

32. If I was in that situation, I sure wouldn't hang up

from the person I trusted the most, especially when I was as close to being home. Seriously, who thinks that rational when they are scared?

[Blue_Roses]

34. From the sound of the Sanford PD, it would't have mattered

Nt

[Fumesucker]

36. Welcome to DU!

I hope you enjoy your stay!



I for one cannot imagine why a black teen in a small Southern town would distrust the police.

[Daalalou]

41. There have been a few instances...

...when I'm walking somewhere late at night and I spot a person behind me who might be following me. My first instinct is to call my husband and talk to him, explain the situation. The reason I don't call 911 is because if it's an iffy thing (iow, the person hasn't actually done anything to me yet), then I don't think the police will respond. But in the meantime, I want someone who cares about me to be aware of the situation in case something happens.

[catbyte]

19. One thing I just don't get--why the support for Zimmerman?!?

IS it because he was the one with the gun? Because he was several shade lighter? What?

Nobody has really answered that to my satisfaction. Looking at the evidence, SYG should apply to Trayvon Martin, not Zimmerman.


Diane
Anishinaabe in MI & mom to Leo, Sophie, Taz & Nigel, members of Dogs Against Romney, Cat Division
"We ride inside--HISS!”

[frylock]

24. it's the gun nuts, scared to fucking death the govt is going to take their penis away..

and before you gun nuts get all bent, i own several tac'd out firearms. i just don't feel the need to tote them so they stay in the locker until i go to the range.

[Solomon]

27. It's much deeper than gun nuts, believe me. Lot of racists would be pretty comfortable

with the idea that black skin is an automatic justification for fear of bodily harm so as to allow shooting blacks on the slightest provocation.

[frylock]

30. indeed

[Blue_Roses]

31. Very true

You would think at this time that this would all be history. Never have I seen such blatent racism. It's very sad.

[randome]

28. Some just like taking the opposite point of view to see where it leads.

Or to look 'daring' and 'intellectual'.

I wouldn't worry about it, just keep putting facts out there in response.

[ZombieHorde]

37. Damn. That statement sounds really scary. nt