Zimmerman says Trayvon circled his SUV, frightened him...

stringer bell

articles.orlandosentinel.com/2012-05-03/news/os-trayvon-martin-circles-george-zimmerman-20120503_1_special-prosecutor-angela-corey-source-police-department

Source: Zimmerman says Trayvon circled his SUV, frightened him
6:41 p.m. EST, May 3, 2012|
By Rene Stutzman and Jeff Weiner, Orlando Sentinel

George Zimmerman told investigators that while he was on the phone with a Sanford police dispatcher reporting Trayvon Martin as suspicious, the teenager was circling his vehicle on foot, a source familiar with the investigation told the Orlando Sentinel.

The source said Zimmerman's account of events hasn't changed in his several statements to police — in which he said he was so unnerved by the teen's behavior that he rolled up his window to avoid a confrontation. However, he never mentioned any of that while talking to the dispatcher.

The details revealed by the source provide new insight into what Zimmerman said happened in the earliest moments of his contact with Trayvon. And they may reveal the inconsistencies alluded to by prosecutors in the case.

One of those inconsistencies: Zimmerman told police Trayvon had his hand over Zimmerman's mouth during their fight on the night he shot Trayvon.

The Sentinel's source confirmed that Zimmerman's statements include that allegation. But authorities do not believe that happened, the source told the Sentinel, because on one 911 call, someone can be heard screaming for help. If it were Zimmerman, as he claims, his cries were not muffled, the source said.

Zimmerman also told police, the source told the Sentinel, that while the two were on the ground, Trayvon reached for Zimmerman's gun, and the two struggled over it.

Those portions of Zimmerman's account are not corroborated by other evidence, the source said.

Zimmerman's attorney, Mark O'Mara, said he hasn't yet seen his client's statements to police, and it would be inappropriate for him to address specific evidence in the case.

"It's hard for me to even comment on it," O'Mara said.

Sanford Spokesman Sgt. David Morgenstern said the police department "cannot make any comments on anything related to the George Zimmerman/Trayvon Martin case."

Reached in Birmingham, Ala., Martin family attorney Benjamin Crump said Thursday that Zimmerman's claim that he was screaming in the 911 call and that his mouth was covered by the teen don't add up.

"[Trayvon's father] Tracy Martin told me that that's what [police] told him," Crump said, of Zimmerman making those statements to police.

"It's either one or the other, it can't be both," Crump said. "We have to put together this puzzle because, unfortunately, we don't have Trayvon Martin's version" of events.

A spokeswoman for Special Prosecutor Angela Corey declined to comment.

Zimmerman is charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of Trayvon in a Sanford gated community on Feb. 26. Zimmerman told police he acted in self-defense. Critics say he is guilty of racial profiling and killing an innocent teenager.

In an audio recording of Zimmerman's call to police that night, Zimmerman says Trayvon is acting suspiciously and describes him as a black teenager when prompted by the dispatcher.

He does not say that Trayvon was circling his vehicle, but that's what he told police later that night and has consistently told authorities in subsequent interviews, according to the Sentinel's source.

Here, according to that source, is the sequence that Zimmerman provided:

Zimmerman spotted Trayvon, called a nonemergency police number and began describing the teenager. While he was doing that, Trayvon came toward his vehicle and began to circle it.

Zimmerman, though, never described that to the dispatcher.

At one point, about halfway through the four-minute call, he told the dispatcher, "Now he's just staring at me. … Now he's coming towards me. He's got his hand in his waistband. … He's coming to check me out."

Trayvon then disappeared, Zimmerman later told authorities, according to the source, and while Zimmerman was still on the phone, he parked his vehicle, got out and began trying to find Trayvon on foot.

Zimmerman can be heard huffing and puffing on the call to police.

"Are you following him?" the dispatcher asks.

"Yeah," Zimmerman said.

"We don't need you to do that," the dispatcher says.

Zimmerman later told investigators he could not find Trayvon, so he turned and was walking back toward his SUV. A short time later, Trayvon approached him from the rear, and the two exchanged words, he told authorities.

Trayvon threw the first punch, he told police. It knocked Zimmerman to the ground, and the teenager then got on top of Zimmerman and began beating his head against a sidewalk, police have said in recounting Zimmerman's version of events.

At an April 20 bond hearing in Sanford, Dale Gilbreath, an investigator for Special Prosecutor Angela Corey, testified that Zimmerman told authorities he was frightened because Trayvon circled him while he sat in his SUV.

Gilbreath described that as one of the inconsistencies in Zimmerman's story — because getting out of the vehicle and looking for the teen is not the act of someone who is afraid.

Gilbreath did not testify that Zimmerman claimed the circling happened while he was on the phone with the dispatcher.

Gilbreath also testified briefly about Zimmerman telling police that Trayvon had his hand over Zimmerman's mouth during the fight.

Several audio experts who have analyzed the 911 tapes for the Sentinel and other news outlets have said they believe it is Trayvon's voice — not Zimmerman's — crying out for help. However, Gilbreath testified that similar identification attempts by law enforcement were fruitless.

This bitch ass dude is changing his story again.. How this faggot is out on bail is mind boggling...

.IRS.

Hope he has protection cuz someone is gonna get him.

In Your Moms Room

His story changing like the weather.

pralims

so he felt scared enough to rool up his window because someone circled his truck yet got out to follow that person?

hmmmmmm

his story will stay stright because he had enough time to practice it and problaby got coached by cops who dont want to lose they jobs or be embarrased

loch121

By the time this goes to trial Zimmerman is gonna say Treyvon grabbed his gun and shot himself.This fool got more stories than Rose on Golden Girls

texas409

Damn dude should be sentenced to life for being a terrible liar

Cabana_Da_Don

A lot of white peple do get shook when they see a black person near there car.

numbaz...80's baby

I thought Zimmerman said that the kid came out of nowhere and attacked him from behind? Which story was that one?


So if you're in your vehicle and you're frightend, why would you get out of the SUV?

numbaz...80's baby

Cabana_Da_Don wrote: »

A lot of white peple do get shook when they see a black person near there car.

You're right because they lock their doors fast as fuck and drive off. I've never seen one get out of their car and start shooting though.

bgoat

loch121 wrote: »

By the time this goes to trial Zimmerman is gonna say Treyvon grabbed his gun and shot himself.This fool got more stories than Rose on Golden Girls

Trill shit

VIBE

Zimmerman could be telling the truth, who knows. We weren't there, there's a phone call to 911 that provides evidence and probable situations based on the calls, such as Trayvon circling the car. We do know this as a fact, Zimmerman lost him and somehow they both ended up meeting. I do believe Trayvon stood his ground and attacked Zimmerman and Zimmerman did kill him.

bgoat

Fuck yo Flag

heyslick

loch121 wrote: »

By the time this goes to trial Zimmerman is gonna say Treyvon grabbed his gun and shot himself.This fool got more stories than Rose on Golden Girls

Jury nullification will convict Zimmerman regardless of the facts...so everything is irrelevant.

freehuey89

So he reacted like the dude was a wild animal circling your car....why get the fuck out yo shit then

VIBE

How do we know in what manner Trayvon circled the SUV? Was it up on the SUV in the street or was it from afar, checking who it was?

BK Product

someone got their panties in bunch and flagged all the posts...SMH

desertrain10

VIBE wrote: »

Zimmerman could be telling the truth, who knows. We weren't there, there's a phone call to 911 that provides evidence and probable situations based on the calls, such as Trayvon circling the car. We do know this as a fact, Zimmerman lost him and somehow they both ended up meeting. I do believe Trayvon stood his ground and attacked Zimmerman and Zimmerman did kill him.

your right.... however if this did occur and zimmerman felt he was in scared why did he get out his truck? .. and he was on the phone w/ the operator alil after he first spotted trayvon up until he got out his car to follow him on foot and than proceeded to lose sight of him, why not mention that this menacing looking guy who you were following is now circling your vehicle to the operator? just doesn't add up...

powerman 5000

Not only was this kid suspicious but he was also terrifying. I don't follow suspicious people who scare me.

fiat_money

powerman 5000 wrote: »

Not only was this kid suspicious but he was also terrifying. I don't follow suspicious people who scare me.

You'll never become the first victim in a horror movie by thinking like that yo.

sweetheart93

He was so frightened that he got out of his car and followed him? Weird. I would've just drove away.

death187sin

Bottom line is this man had a gun on him a felt like the hulk because of it. Once he stalked this kid and the kid showed him he wasn't the hulk he thought he was he shot him. I bet you Zimmerman is one of those rogue white dudes who didn't pass the police exam but decided he watched cops enough to know how to do the job. That's why he was out there doing what he was doing. He expected some kind of G-Man badge and prolly thought that would be his golden ticket into law enforcement. How wrong he was.

Lil Loca

VIBE wrote: »

Zimmerman could be telling the truth, who knows. We weren't there, there's a phone call to 911 that provides evidence and probable situations based on the calls, such as Trayvon circling the car. We do know this as a fact, Zimmerman lost him and somehow they both ended up meeting. I do believe Trayvon stood his ground and attacked Zimmerman and Zimmerman did kill him.

Why would Trayvon attack Zimmerman first? He was only 70 feet away from his house when he was stopped. If you're a kid and you're walking home alone with a stranger following, your first instinct isn't to fight them. It's to get home to safety, especially since you are that close. This kid had no record of confrontations or violent behavior. Zimmerman did. Why would he scream help if he instigated the fight? It wouldn't make any sense. I believe that Trayvon attempted to get away, Zimmerman grabbed him, and T screamed for help. Zimmerman then probably shot him. I don't believe a word that Zimmerman says. He is someone who has a history of profiling other ethnic groups, such as Mexicans, which is stated on his Myspace page, as well as violence against women. Also, Zimmerman said that Trayvon slammed his head to the ground repeatedly. If that were true, Zimmerman would not even be conscious/sober enough to reach for his gun. Nothing he is saying is adding up: think about it.

VIBE

So all kids don't fight back? Most teens are obnoxious, cocky fuckers who cause trouble for the fuck of it. I was one of them, especially when confronted by someone older, you pop off at the mouth. The evidence shows he was shot in the chest, meaning he was facing Zimmerman. They obviously had words, my feeling is both were physical. Trayvon was defending himself and Zimmerman shot, Zimmerman may have even tried to get ahold of Travyon and hold him until police came.

Lil Loca

VIBE wrote: »

So all kids don't fight back? Most teens are obnoxious, cocky fuckers who cause trouble for the fuck of it. I was one of them, especially when confronted by someone older, you pop off at the mouth. The evidence shows he was shot in the chest, mrs it he was facing Zimmerman. They obviously had words, my feeling is both were physical. Trayvon was defending himself and Zimmerman shot, Zimmerman may have even tried to get ahold of Travyon and hold him until police came.

You are using generalizations when this doesn't apply to this kid, who, once again, doesn't have a history of violence and disrespectful behavior. Why do people keep making these statements when Zimmerman is the one with the history of violent and aggressive behavior? BTW, most teens I know are far from obnoxious and in this situation, would try to find an escape route where their physical safety isn't threatened. In this case, it wouldn't make sense to strike someone first, especially if you live that close to home and are unarmed, especially. There are were no bruises on Zimmerman's head. If you have a bloody nose and a fractured skull, there would at least be bandages or gauze to stop the bleeding. Also, there were no stains on his shirt, and this was shortly after the murder took place. Anyone who stalks someone else down first isn't afraid; they are the aggressor. There are too many holes for his story to be remotely plausible.

Lil Loca

Dirty Sanchez wrote: »

VIBE wrote: »

So all kids don't fight back? Most teens are obnoxious, cocky fuckers who cause trouble for the fuck of it. I was one of them, especially when confronted by someone older, you pop off at the mouth. The evidence shows he was shot in the chest, meaning he was facing Zimmerman. They obviously had words, my feeling is both were physical. Trayvon was defending himself and Zimmerman shot, Zimmerman may have even tried to get ahold of Travyon and hold him until police came.

They dont hear you though, it involves a black person that died.. They are biased as fuck..

I dont give a fuck though, zimmerman could get the death penalty for all i care

The reason why you are defending Zimmerman is because he's white, period point blank, and you are a racist.

There were no grass stains on his clothes. He didn't have any gauze or bandages, even though he claimed he was attacked. If he was in danger, he would have been screaming for help instead of Trayvon. He has a history of violent behavior towards other police and towards women. You won't think about it logically because you're a prejudiced prick who is quite biased himself. Never become a lawyer, BTW.

Lil Loca

Dirty Sanchez wrote: »

I'm not defending anyone, i defend arguments lol.. like i said zimmerman could get the death penalty for all i care IF he's found guilty of killing an innocent person.

You haven't made any logical arguments in this thread. You just automatically played the race card.

White boys will stick together, no matter how illogical and wrong the other is.