Trayvon Martin and the police in small town America

[NCcoast]

I’ve been hesitant to add my voice to the Trayvon Martin situation but I feel like I have some sense of what went down in Florida and I’m willing to bet this turns out to be the case in the end.

In every small town there are people the police know not to mess with. George Zimmerman was such a person in Sanford Florida. The son of a judge and a law and order zealot, he was however, unfit to serve as a policeman. He’d had several brushes with the law and I believe 50 or so 911 calls in the previous year. I’m sure most of the cops in the area would have known who George Zimmerman was. Likewise I’m sure most of the police knew, if you arrested George, the heat would come down on you as it would have been known that George’s dad could put the heat on your commanders. So when you encountered George Zimmerman in trouble, the smart play was to make the trouble go away.

I’m sure that when police arrived that the scene of Trayvon’s murder some of them knew who George was and they set about covering up what happened. Clearly they did not follow the normal procedures of a crime scene investigation. I’m sure police on the scene decided this was going to be a ‘stand your ground’ defense and set about coaching witnesses to make the statements of the witnesses fit that defense.

And it worked. Under normal circumstances it would have all gone away in a matter of time. A month passed without the arrest of Zimmerman. What they did not count on was the effect of social networking and the effort on the part of the Martin family to get the 911 tapes released.

The events of that night were never going to hold up under any kind of close examination because no one among the police ever thought those events would be examined by anyone.

[robinlynne]

1. makes perfect sense.

[Louisiana1976]

2. Well said.

[Cali_Democrat]

3. You make an excellent point

The cops stated that one of the reasons they did not arrest him was because they feared a lawsuit. I think the chief of police had said this. I can't find the article, but I know I read it a few days ago.

[hexola]

4. What is George's brothers occupation?

Curious? Was it mentioned...?

[Sarah Ibarruri]

9. I don't know. I'm curious too. However, his parents' occupations are causing people to wonder...

"The occupations of Zimmerman’s parents are causing many to wonder whether he received preferential treatment in 2005 when he was arrested for resisting an officer with violence and battery on a law enforcement officer.

The charge was later reduced to resisting an officer without violence and dismissed when he entered an alcohol education program.

Zimmerman was also accused of domestic violence by his ex-fiancee in 2005, who filed a restraining order against him."

http://rollingout.com/culture/robert-zimmerman-defends-his-son-george-in-open-letter/

[annabanana]

5. Occam's razor. . .

Pluralitas non est ponenda sine neccesitate

[sorrybushisfromtexas]

6. same in Texas but was the jury not the police

I live in a small city in North Texas (100,000) A while ago, a white man shot and killed a middle school black coach who was parking on a country road making out with a white lady teacher who was not his wife. The killer was found not guilty. His excuse was he killed the wrong black man. He was trying to kill his daughter's boyfriend who supposedly threw a brick through his window.

He was not found guilty of anything. I shot the wrong black person worked for the citizens of North Texas. What a country we live in!

[Hoyt]

7. Not guilty because he "shot the wrong black person." Have we gone mad, or what?

But, it's just as bad in the red state where I live too.

[seattleblah]

10. It's not madness! It's Republicanism!

.

[Hoyt]

12. I think it is that simple. Couldn't even get him for attempted murder on "right" guy.

Texas must have a "you can shoot the wrong guy" law or something. Incredible.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

8. "I’m sure that when police arrived that the scene... some of them set about covering up..."

Excellent point. I think the Sanford Police Dept and the State Attorney's Office were in on it to cover up the shooting of this boy.

[nadinbrzezinski]

11. Yup

And not jst small towns.

Medium cities too, and even large cities, where it's harder but doable.

Good job.

[COLGATE4]

13. Honest to God. Have we lost our minds here?

"Likewise I’m sure most of the police knew, if you arrested George, the heat would come down on you as it would have been known that George’s dad could put the heat on your commanders. So when you encountered George Zimmerman in trouble, the smart play was to make the trouble go away."

So your thesis is that because Z's Dad was a Justice of the Peace in Virginia he was able to 'put the heat on the [Sanford] commanders?? You must know a hell of a lot more important JP's than I do? Every JP I've ever known was in charge of handling traffic tickets and the most minor of civil actions. Hardly a post of any importance, even in the same state. But a Virginia JP being able to 'bring the heat' down on some Florida officials???