Sanford, Fl Police have been hesitant to reveal all the details about exactly what happened to Trayvon Martin the night he was shot and killed by neighborhood watch captain George Zimmerman on February 26th.
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Sanford police disclosed to the Orlando Sentinel that Trayvon punched Zimmerman, climbed on top of him and repeatedly slammed his head into the sidewalk several times, leaving him bloody and battered.
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That is the account Zimmerman gave police, and much of it has been corroborated by witnesses, authorities say.
Zimmerman has not spoken publicly about what happened, but his version revealed that as he had turned around walking back to his SUV, Trayvon approached him from behind, the two exchanged words then Trayvon punched him in the nose, sending him to the ground, and began beating him.
Police have been reluctant to provide details about all their evidence, but this is what they’ve disclosed to the Sentinel:
Zimmerman was on his way to the grocery store when he spotted Trayvon walking through his gated community.
Trayvon was visiting his father’s fiancée, who lived there. He had been suspended from school in Miami after being found with an empty marijuana baggie. Miami schools have a zero-tolerance policy for drug possession.
Zimmerman called police and reported a suspicious person, describing Trayvon as black, acting strangely and perhaps on drugs.
Zimmerman got out of his SUV to follow Trayvon on foot. When a dispatch employee asked Zimmerman if he was following the 17-year-old, Zimmerman said yes. The dispatcher told Zimmerman he did not need to do that.
There is about a one-minute gap during which police say they’re not sure what happened.
Zimmerman told them he lost sight of Trayvon and was walking back to his SUV when Trayvon approached him from the left rear, and they exchanged words.
Trayvon asked Zimmerman if he had a problem. Zimmerman said no and reached for his cell phone, he told police.
Trayvon then said, “Well, you do now” or something similar and punched Zimmerman in the nose.
Zimmerman fell to the ground and Trayvon got on top of him and began slamming his head into the sidewalk, he told police.
Zimmerman began yelling for help.
Several witnesses heard those cries, and there’s been a dispute about from whom they came: Zimmerman or Trayvon.
Lawyers for Trayvon’s family say it was Trayvon, but police say their evidence indicates it was Zimmerman.
One witness, who has since talked to local television news reporters, told police he saw Zimmerman on the ground with Trayvon on top, pounding him and was unequivocal that it was Zimmerman who was crying for help.
Zimmerman then shot Trayvon once in the chest from very close range, according to authorities.
When police arrived less than two minutes later, Zimmerman was bleeding from the nose, had a swollen lip and had bloody lacerations to the back of his head.
Paramedics gave him first aide but he said no to going to the hospital. He got medical care the next day.
Justice for Trayvon is growing everyday. Today, Trayvon’s parents will address a city meeting at the First United Methodist Church on South Park Avenue, and end at the Sanford Civic Center. Then a town hall meeting will be held at the Sanford Civic Center at 401 E. Seminole Blvd.
Trayvon’s parents are expected to attend, as are civil rights activists Rev. Jesse Jackson and Rev. Al Sharpton.
City leaders have said speakers will be set up outside so those who cannot get inside the building can hear the proceedings. #HoodiesUp
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