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Kaleva

(36,320 posts)
Wed Apr 4, 2012, 02:28 AM Apr 2012

Zimmerman was a vigilante and not a Neighborhood Watchman.

"Zimmerman also blatantly violated major principles of the Neighborhood Watch manual, ABC News has learned.

The manual, from the National Neighborhood Watch Program, states: "It should be emphasized to members that they do not possess police powers, and they shall not carry weapons or pursue vehicles. They should also be cautioned to alert police or deputies when encountering strange activity. Members should never confront suspicious persons who could be armed and dangerous..."

According to Chris Tutko, the director of the National Neighborhood Watch Program, there are about 22,000 registered watch groups nationwide, and Zimmerman was not part of a registered group -- another fact the police were not aware of at the time of the incident."

http://abcnews.go.com/US/neighborhood-watchman-killed-trayvon-martin-neighborhood-watch-guidelines/story?id=15955985#.T2f8wczBp7w

""I'm disappointed that people are trying to put blame onto the program when it's not the program's fault," said Wendy Dorival, who coordinates volunteer programs, including Neighborhood Watch, for the Sanford police. "Neighborhood Watch is not what took his life away"...."

"...Neighborhood Watch, by contrast, is less formal and is run by residents — although volunteers in both programs are told not to confront anyone. Their job is to observe and describe suspicious people or cars to law officers and help make their neighbors aware of problems.

"We tell people, 'Don't be a hero,'" Dorival said. "Don't risk it.""

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2012-03-24/news/os-trayvon-martin-neighborhood-watch-20120321_1_zimmerman-community-ties-neighborhood-watch

Zimmerman was supposedly on his way to Target and was legally allowed to carry a firearm as he had a concealed carry weapons permit. I do not know if Zimmerman normally carried a gun with him when he was on Neighborhood Watch patrol. If he did and certainly when he spotted Trayvon, he disregard key parts of his training. Don't confront and don't carry a weapon. The second he stepped out of his SUV, Zimmerman became a vigilante. Maybe his neighbor explains his actions best:

"I think any time you use a weapon, there are certain anger issues working," Taaffe said. "I think he had fed-up issues. He was mad as hell and wasn't going to take it anymore."

http://motherjones.com/politics/2012/03/what-happened-trayvon-martin-explained

On a side note, until such time as Zimmerman is formally arrested for commission of a felony, he can carry a gun.

"The department shall suspend a license if the licensee is arrested or formally charged with a felony. The suspension will last until the case is over."

http://miamiherald.typepad.com/nakedpolitics/2012/03/despite-groups-demand-adam-putnam-says-he-cant-suspend-concealed-carry-permit-of-trayvon-martins-sho.html

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Zimmerman was a vigilante and not a Neighborhood Watchman. (Original Post) Kaleva Apr 2012 OP
Yep. HooptieWagon Apr 2012 #1
thank you unionworks Apr 2012 #2
no, he was not a vigilante. Vigilantes go after criminals. provis99 Apr 2012 #3
Most murderers don't give personal info to police dispatch... Kaleva Apr 2012 #4
I don't think it was premeditated coeur_de_lion Apr 2012 #5
I started a thread where I.... Kaleva Apr 2012 #6
I just think he is an idiot with anger issues and bias issues -- and he is weak coeur_de_lion Apr 2012 #7
I heard that he was overzeoulus but that there was no complaints about him. Kaleva Apr 2012 #8
I read the same article and maybe one other coeur_de_lion Apr 2012 #9
He is a murderer who happens to also be stupid as a rock madokie Apr 2012 #10
 

unionworks

(3,574 posts)
2. thank you
Wed Apr 4, 2012, 03:36 AM
Apr 2012

I get "anger isssues" when I repeatedly keep hearing MSM referring to him as a "neighborhood watch captain". He was no such thing.

Kaleva

(36,320 posts)
4. Most murderers don't give personal info to police dispatch...
Wed Apr 4, 2012, 03:17 PM
Apr 2012

before committing a crime and most don't stand around waiting for the police to show up after the crime has been committed.

I think he could be charged with involuntary manslaughter.

"Involuntary Manslaughter"

"The death of (victim) was caused by the culpable negligence of (defendant). "

"The negligent act or omission must have been committed with an utter disregard for the safety of others. Culpable negligence is consciously doing an act or following a course of conduct that the defendant must have known, or reasonably should have known, was likely to cause death or great bodily injury."

http://www.arnoldlawfirmllc.com/CM/Custom/Manslaughter.asp

Zimmerman knew from his training not to confront suspicious people and he was told by police dispatch that there was no need to follow Trayvon but he did anyways.

coeur_de_lion

(3,680 posts)
5. I don't think it was premeditated
Wed Apr 4, 2012, 09:56 PM
Apr 2012

I think the guy watched too much "Law and Order" or something and had fantasies of rescuing his neighborhood from the "black hoodlums." Never occurred to him, because he is clearly not the sharpest tool in the shed, that this was just an innocent kid -making his way home after a walk to the 7-11. Every gesture, word, even the way Trayvon was walking, because Zim had his cop fantasy going full on, turned into threatening behavior.

I think that he was outraged when Trayvon acted innocent and asked why he was following him. I think Trayvon was understandably angry and frightened that he was being followed and harassed. They had words, somebody shoved, they got into a clinch, and then Zim got really pissed and shot him.

Trayvon was where he was supposed to be. Zimmerman was in the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong attitude and he was armed. He has serious anger issues. He took a boy's life because he's not too sharp and he lost his temper.

I want to see him take a lie detector test. I want them to ask him who shoved first. Who snuck up on who.

Then I want him charged with manslaughter at the very least. Finally, I want him to be charged with supreme stupidity. He was reckless and stupid and parents will live without their son for the rest of their lives because of it. Just blows my mind.

I really want it to be over with for Trayvon's parents.

Kaleva

(36,320 posts)
6. I started a thread where I....
Wed Apr 4, 2012, 10:04 PM
Apr 2012

said I believed Zimmerman was more of a vigilante then a neighborhood watchman. Had Zimmerman followed his training and the police dispatcher's instructions that he didn't need to follow the kid, Trayvon would be alive today.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002515036

coeur_de_lion

(3,680 posts)
7. I just think he is an idiot with anger issues and bias issues -- and he is weak
Wed Apr 4, 2012, 10:27 PM
Apr 2012

There was a blurb in some article I read about other neighbors complaining that he was overzealous in his neighborhood watch role. Even after those complaints he doesn't stop.

Even after 911 dispatch tells him not to pursue he doesn't stop. Our Zimmerman is a bit thick isn't he?

This is a man who packs a gun to go to Target. Come on. Just your every day idiot redneck.

If he was a more astute person, if he just had the good sense God gave a goose, he would have stayed in the damn car. And Trayvon would still be alive.

I'm sure right now he wishes he stayed in the car. But I bet that night he went t bed thinking he rid the world of another burglar. Another black hoodlum. Then he finds out the kid was staying in the complex and his life became a living hell.

I hope they punish the hell out of him. I hope we get the truth out of him instead of these weak-assed lies. And I really hope Trayvon's parents find some peace somehow.


Kaleva

(36,320 posts)
8. I heard that he was overzeoulus but that there was no complaints about him.
Wed Apr 4, 2012, 10:44 PM
Apr 2012

In doing a google seartch after I read what you wrote, I did find one article in HuffPost where one unidentified person wrote in an e-mail that several complaints had been made about Zimmerman's behavior but that's all I could find.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/12/george-zimmerman-trayvon-martin_n_1340358.html

coeur_de_lion

(3,680 posts)
9. I read the same article and maybe one other
Thu Apr 5, 2012, 06:13 AM
Apr 2012

that mentioned complaints by neighbors. It fits with the overall picture you get of this guy. I think he was taking criminal justice classes, and was a wannabe cop. He was crazy enough to want to carry his gun even to go shopping, and thought of that neighborhood as his territory. Just a local idiot who was given way too much power.

I really want the truth to come out about this and I am trying to have faith that the new prosecutor will get to the bottom of it.

I read that she interviewed the girl Trayvon was talking to when he was confronted by Zimmerman. That's a start. And it is more than the police did. If after learning everything about the case they still don't file charges that would really be criminal.

madokie

(51,076 posts)
10. He is a murderer who happens to also be stupid as a rock
Thu Apr 5, 2012, 06:31 AM
Apr 2012

If they're going to pass these kind of laws, concealed weapons, they should put provisions in that would screen dicks like him out of the carry permit

All I know is I wouldn't want to be him when he finally does go to lockup.

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