The Zimmerman Trial: The Scream

[JDPriestly]

104. Whether the jury agrees with you or not, you have explained

very well why courts in many states came to the conclusion that, except in dire circumstances, the rule of defending oneself by retreat is preferable to the rule of using a gun for self-defense.

If you are attacked by an intruder in your home, you may not be able to retreat. The same is true in other, rare situations.

But in most situations such as Zimmerman's situation in which he could have stayed in his truck and waited for the police, if you can retreat or otherwise avoid confrontation, that is the best strategy.

Why in the world would a person follow some "punk" he thought might be dangerous?

Because he knew he had a gun and wanted to "win" at all cost. A terrible psychological profile for anyone in law enforcement or anyone who wants to be in law enforcement. Law enforcement takes a lot of patience and a very level head. It's a tough job making those on-the-spot decisions. If you are wrong, you may be dead wrong.

Zimmerman was wrong. The issue is whether he was just carelessly wrong or whether he was intentionally wrong. At what point did Zimmerman realize that Trayvon Martin was unarmed and that retreating would be better than killing? Or did Zimmerman at some point, even just for a second, decide to shoot to kill?

Someone made a good point -- asking why the scream? Usually if people have been hit in the face really hard, they scream from pain, not from fear. There is a moment of shock following a a really hard blow to the body in which you very quickly and without thinking express pain. Usually you express fear before you are hit.

Just think about when you stub your toe.

I had a bad fall some years ago. I screamed for help because no one was around, but my scream was very, very different from a fearful scream.

I haven't heard the scream in this case, and my opinion wouldn't matter because at this point it is up to the jury.