State prosecutors released late Thursday documents, pictures, videos and witness statements collected in the case against George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watch volunteer charged with second degree murder in the fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin.
Zimmerman, 28, shot and killed Martin, 17, in a gated community in Sanford, as the teen returned from a neighborhood store on February 26. Zimmerman has claimed he shot Martin in self-defense.
Among the documents released is an initial report by an EMT paramedic which states Zimmerman had “abrasions to his forehead and bleeding/tenderness to his nose and a small laceration to the back of his head.” All injuries have minor bleeding, the reports states.
As Zimmerman was being transported to the Sanford Police Department following the shooting, he was given the opportunity to be taken to hospital for examination by a doctor. But, according a police report, Zimmerman declined such an offer on more than one occasion. The report recounts Zimmerman did complain that his head hurt and he felt a “little light headed.”
At the Police Department, asked once again whether he wanted to go to a hospital, Zimmerman declined again stating that, “I think I’ll be ok.”
Initially identified as John Doe, the EMT paramedic noted, Martin had a single gunshot wound to the center of his chest just above the Xiphoid process with very minor bleeding and an unknown exit wound.
The Medical Examiner’s report states Martin had a penetrating gunshot wound of the chest; entrance left chest, intermediate range, which went directly from front to back.
One police report notes the events of February 26, the night Martin was killed, could have been avoided.
“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 converserly if the had identified himself to Martin as a concerned citizen and initiated dialogue in an effort to dispel each party’s concern,” the police report states.
There is no indication that Trayvon Martin was involved in any criminal activity at the time of the encounter, the report states. It also states that “based upon the facts and circumstances, there exists probable cause to charge George Zimmerman with manslaughter.”
Among the witnesses interviewed on the night of the shooting, one told investigators that he heard a commotion coming from the walkway behind his residence. Upon investigating the witness said he saw a black male wearing a dark hoodie on top of a white or Hispanic male, who was yelling for help. The witness also said the black male was throwing punches MMA (mixed martial arts) style.
According to the police report, the witness said he yelled out to the two individuals that he was going to call the police, then he heard a “pop.” He said after the pop, he observed the person who was on top of the other person – the black male wearing the hoodie, laid out on the grass.
However, the same witness told investigators he did not see how the confrontation started between the two individiuals, nor could he identify either of them due to the lighting conditions.
Investigator Christopher Serino met with Martin’s father, Tracy Martin on February 28, 2012, to provide an update as to why Zimmerman had not been arrested and charged.
Martin listened to six 911 calls that were received by the Seminole County communications Center the night his son was fatally shot. On one of the 911 calls a voice is heard calling for help multiple times.
Asked if the voice was his son’s, “Mr. Martin, clearly emotionally impacted by the recording quietly responded “no.”
Martin, who listened to a cleaned up verson of the 911 call subsequently said, the voice was his son’s. And Sybrina Fulton, the teen’s mother, has insisted the voice on the tape is her son’s. However, the FBI indicated, there is not sufficient voice quality to make a meaningful voice comparison.
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