A 17 year-old African American young man was shot and killed last month in his gated community in Florida by a white neighborhood watch captain who’d found him to be “suspicious.” Trayvon Martin had taken a break from watching the NBA All Star Game to walk to a convenience store and pick up some snacks for himself and his 13 year-old brother, Chad.
Neighborhood Watch captain George Zimmerman saw Martin on his way home and called 911 to report a suspicious person. But rather than await the arrival of the police, Zimmerman decided to take action himself. The resulting confrontation ended in an innocent, African American young man dead from a gunshot wound to the chest. Trayvon Martin’s family is calling for Zimmerman’s arrest.
“‘What do the police find in his pocket? Skittles,’ Crump said. ‘A can of Arizona ice tea in his jacket pocket and Skittles in his front pocket for his brother Chad.’ Zimmerman could not be reached for comment on Wednesday evening at a phone number listed for him on the community’s newsletter. Crump said the family was concerned that police might decide to consider the shooting as self defense, and that police have ignored the family’s request for a copy of the original 911 call, which they think will shed light on the incidents.”
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