Trayvon Martin’s death was ‘ultimately avoidable’: Florida police report

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Trayvon Martin was slain in the town of Sanford, Fla., on Feb. 26 in a shooting that has set off a nationwide furor over race and justice.

AP

George Zimmerman, 28, is free on a $150,000 bail. His next court appearance is schedule for Aug. 8.

Trayvon Martin's death was “avoidable.”
That’s the conclusion of a new police report on the unarmed teen’s killing at the hands of George Zimmerman in Sanford, Fla.
"The encounter between George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin was ultimately avoidable by Zimmerman, if Zimmerman had remained in his vehicle and awaited the arrival of law enforcement, or conversely, if he had identified himself to Martin as a concerned citizen and initiated dialog in an effort to dispel each party's concern," the document by Sanford, Fla. Police said.
"There is no indication that Trayvon Martin was involved in any criminal activity at the time of the encounter."
EVIDENCE MIXED FOR SELF-DEFENSE CLAIM: EXPERT
The report was written on March 13, weeks before Zimmerman was charged with second degree murder.
Trayvon, 17, was returning home from a convenience store Feb. 26 in Sanford, Fla. when Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer started following the teen, telling police dispatchers that he looked suspicious.
Zimmerman, 28, claimed he fired in self-defense after Martin jumped him and has pled not guilty.
Among the slew of new information revealed in the latest document dump:
-Trayvon had THC-the active ingredient in marijuana-- in his system the night he was gunned down.
-A photo of Zimmerman with a bloody nose and a paramedic report saying Zimmerman had a one-inch laceration on his head.
-Trayvon was killed by a single bullet to the chest, fired at intermediate range, within 36 inches, according to the autopsy.
-Travyon had a small abrasion on his left ring finger, which could support Zimmerman's claim that he was punched.
Zimmerman remains free on a $150,000 bond and his next court hearing is scheduled for Aug. 8

Bill Cosby Comments On George Zimmerman’s Killing Of Unarmed Trayvon Martin

Bill Cosby’s comments on George Zimmerman in regards to the Trayvon Martin case via CNN Transcript:

Candy Crowley: So you saw more a gun issue than a race issue?

Cosby: How are you going to solve a race issue when it becomes he said, she said or he said, he said? And the other question is, what is solved by saying he’s a racist that’s why he shot the boy? What solves that? This. [Makes gun symbol with hand] And what is he doing with it? And who taught him and told him how to behave with this? It doesn’t make any difference if he’s a racist or not racist. If he’s scared to death and not a racist, it’s still a confrontational provoking of something.

I don’t know what happened, but I know that this — I used to have a gun. The policeman who okayed it said to me, “Mr. Cosby, when you pull this trigger, you can’t call it back.” And so I had the gun in my pocket. And the reason why I had it was to protect my family. But I also knew that anything that went on outside–and it appeared to be something that wasn’t on the OK, I went out with my gun. And the thought was if this person is not right or if that doesn’t move when I say move, I’m going to show that I have a gun.

Cosby goes onto say:

“Cause people on drugs really don’t care, they don’t – they don’t think well, and they will kick in your door. So you gotta protect yourself in your own home. But I also believe that when you tell me that you’re going to protect the neighborhood that I live in, I don’t want you to have a gun. I want you to be able to see something, report it, and get out of the way because you happen to be a part of the neighborhood – I don’t want you to get hurt and I don’t want you to hurt anyone.”