Everything about the needless killing of Trayvon Martin is tragic and heartbreaking. Starting with the vigilante styling’s of Neighborhood Watch Captain George Zimmerman, who ignored specific instructions from the 911 operator not to follow Trayvon, went on to confront and then kill the young man in possession of a bag of Skittles and a can of iced tea.
A picture of a wanna be cop is emerging for George Zimmerman. Since of 2004, Zimmerman had called 911 no less than 46 times. Mostly he called about suspicious persons, translation, black, in his neighborhood. He also called about people driving too slowly and neighbors who left their garage doors open. Zimmerman admits to shooting Trayvon, citing self defense.
Then there’s the Sanford, Florida, Police Department, who refused to charge Zimmerman with anything, believing his claims of self defense. Zimmerman had been following him in a car, got out, confronted Trayvon by asking, “What are you doing here?” as Trayvon was walking in a predominantly white, gated community, on his way to his father’s girlfriends home to watch the NBA All Star game. Sanford PD it seems never once questioned the claims of self defense against a teen who weighed less than half of Zimmerman’s 250 pounds, was unarmed, save for a bag of Skittles and now lay dead on a sidewalk, a bullet in his chest.
The Sanford Police Department has a history of looking the other way and believing what’s it wants when it‘s convenient. In 2010, Justin Collison, was caught on camera punching a homeless black man, Sherman Ware, in downtown Sanford on December 4.
Collison is heard yelling on the video, “What? What? Peace the Fuck out! Peace the Fuck out!” He then walked down the street and began hitting another man he didn’t know, without provocation.
Despite the punch and many eyewitnesses, Collison was never arrested (that evening) by the Sanford Police Department, where his father is a Lieutenant. Officers on the scene never handcuffed him or even patted him down. The officers claimed accounts of the fight were conflicting.
Collison wasn’t charged with anything until there was a public outcry over the video. In the end, Collison agreed to pay Ware’s medical bills and for pain and suffering in an undisclosed settlement amount.
Apparently, if you’re white in Sanford and feel you have a good enough reason to attack or kill a black man; you may do so without fear of prosecution.
To watch the Sanford Cop’s son punching a homeless man and then a complete stranger: http://youtu.be/6Gs4-SIqVP0