SANFORD, Florida (Isabelle Zehnder reporting) -- The 911 call George Zimmerman made moments before he shot and killed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Florida, has spurred heated conversation.
Some people believe George Zimmerman pursued Trayvon while others believe Trayvon attacked Zimmerman.
Some believe Zimmerman made racial slurs, while others say they don’t hear it. Some believe Zimmerman profiled Trayvon because he immediately said the teen looked suspicious and acknowledged he was black.
Below is a summary of Zimmerman’s call followed by heated conversation about his 911 call to police.
Some of the first words Zimmerman said to the 911 dispatcher were: “… there’s a real suspicious guy … the guy looks like he’s up to no good or he’s on drugs or something … it’s raining and he’s just walking around looking about … he looks black …”
Asked what he was wearing Zimmerman said, “A dark hoodie,” then said “Now he’s staring at me … now he’s coming toward me … he’s got his hands in his waist band … and he’s a black male … something’s wrong with him … he’s coming to check me out … I don’t know what his deal is …”
The 911 dispatcher says, “We’ve got him on the wire … let me know if the guy does anything else.”
Zimmerman said, “These assholes, they always get away … he’s running.”
Seconds later he speaks something under his breath – HLN’s Nancy Grace played the recording Monday evening and said she could clearly hear the words “F-ing coons.”
CNN’s Anderson Cooper played an edited version of the tape, removing background noise. He said he, too, thought he could hear the racial slur.
Some argue it’s impossible to know what Zimmerman said. [Listen here at 1:17 for CNN's edited frame]. At the end of the day, it's going to be up to investigators to determine if Zimmerman made a racial slur.
Immediately after the comment in question, the 911 dispatcher asks Zimmerman, “Are you following him?” To which Zimmerman replies, “Yeah.”
Neighborhood watch volunteers are trained to be the eyes and ears for police. According to the leader of the national Neighborhood Watch organization, volunteers are not to be armed and they are not to pursue anyone. They are asked to call police if they see or hear something suspicious.
The dispatcher tells Zimmerman, “We don’t need you to do that.” Zimmerman acknowledges hearing him, saying, “OK.”
Their conversation lasts nearly two more minutes before hanging up.
The nation has followed the Trayvon Martin case closely. Some believe wholeheartedly that Zimmerman pursued and profiled Trayvon, is a racist, is guilty of murder, and should be brought to justice. Others believe new reports coming out this week, now saying Trayvon was the aggressor. Some are straddling the fence somewhere in-between.
According to police reports leaked by Sanford Police this week, Zimmerman said on the night he shot the 140 to 145-pound teen, Trayvon allegedly knocked him down with a single punch and slammed his head into the sidewalk several times.
One of several witnesses who called 911 the night of the shooting said there is a sidewalk and grass behind her house and that she could see Trayvon's body laying in the grass.
The Daily Beast reports Zimmerman weighs more than 200 pounds, and that the Sanford Police report says he was walking back to his SUV when Trayvon approached him from behind. The two exchanged words, and the teen allegdly beat him up.
According to the report, Zimmerman, 28, allegedly suffered a broken nose, a gash to his head, and other injuries. Zimmerman reportedly traveled to the police station that night to give his account of events and then went home. Sanford police confirmed he did not warrant immediate medical attention at the scene and did not seek medical attention until the following day.
Posted on March 27, 2012 - 07:20 PM
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), but if you read the police report, it actually says Zimmerman was BLEEDING from the nose and the back of his head. It's presumptuous to assume the nose was broken. 
