innocent Canadian question

[mrflagg]

So what's the deal with Trayvon and his shooting?

It sounds like its gearing up to be this summers Rodney King.

Comments

[wherearethebees]

The deal is that you don't pursue a teenager after the cops tell you to stay put, and you sure as fuck don't shoot him. It doesn't matter if he was suspended from school, it doesn't matter if you think your neighborhood watch shift extends you extra authority, it doesn't matter what either of you were wearing, it doesn't matter if everyone has a different story. You don't use lethal force on a teenager until you've exhausted all other options and feel your life is in serious jeopardy. End of story.

[ponderful]

This.

[kimie_catclaw]

Yup. Especially if you're not actually a neighborhood watch guy.

[bellumed]

I keep reading that he is a neighborhood watch captain. Is that not true?

[hellooosoldier]

There isn't an official, registered neighborhood watch program in affect in that neighborhood. Zimmerman wasn't listed in any sort of official capacity with the non-existent (or at least not officially recognized) neighborhood watch program. Even if there had been any sort of program, he was violating their rules by carrying a weapon.

I'm trying to find a news article about it (I know the Orlando Sentinel ran one) but I haven't found it yet.

[hellooosoldier]

Here's a link to an okay article: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/national/south/view/20120324george_zimmerman_was_not_following_neighborhood_watch_rules/srvc=home&position=recent

It basically says that he formed his own neighborhood watch but didn't register it with the National Sheriff's Association. It also goes into more detail about the rules that he completely disregarded.

[leskay]

Did you hear the reason he was suspended from school? He apparently was caught with an empty bag that smelled like it had previously contained weed, lol. That's the OMG HORRIBLE thing he did.

[goblue]

I could not agree more.

[outlining]

You don't use lethal force on a teenager until you've exhausted all other options and feel your life is in serious jeopardy.

I think the shooter's argument is that he did feel like his life was in danger, because apparently Trayvon was on top of him beating him up.

[khemlab]

Even if Trayvon hit him (which, kudos to the kid for any blows he got in), the fact is Zimmerman chased him down. There is no justification here.

[outlining]

I agree, and I'm not trying to justify what Zimmerman did at all. I'm just saying that he will argue that his life WAS in danger and that shooting him WAS a last resort.

[khemlab]

Ah, I hear you. So that reads more as "the shooter's concocted excuse for murdering a teenager that he has chased down and attacked might be...."

[outlining]

Yup!

[hashishinahooka]

This needs to put on plaques and posted everywhere.

[saturnfall]

I'm all for using guns in self defense, and I couldn't agree more with you.