Child killed by Neighborhood Watch captain while walking home

[Anonymous]

I worry about my younger brother walking.

It's sickening that I have to worry just about him walking and existing because of the color of his skin and what it means in the society in which we live.

[Anonymous]

Absolutely disgusting. This just breaks my heart.

[Anonymous]

So sad...

[Anonymous]

This is nuts and absolutely heartbreaking. I have a biracial son too and this just saddens beyond words.

[Anonymous]

Scary. I can see this happening with those volunteer border posse patrols.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How is this murderer able to claim self-defense? Wouldn't the dead teen be the one using self-defense? If you initiate a confrontation, how are you ever able to claim self-defense. Can any lawyers help me figure this out?

Also, if the scumbag was in his car, he could have easily left his gun there. This guy was looking for a reason to play cop.

He can CLAIM and mount any defense. He can claim insanity. He can claim self-defense. He can claim he wasn't there. He can claim double jeopardy. He can claim he's Santa Claus if he wants to. (If the defense is totally frivolous it will be struck, probably, before it gets to the jury). It's proving the defense that's an issue and whether a judge/jury will believe it. I can mount multiple, even conflicting defenses to a crime if I want to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is an attitude like this in Spring Valley/AU Park/Tenleytown where I live. I have three bi-racial teen sons--one of them is more "black' appearing than the other two. This scenario is my worst nightmare. On the neighborhood listerv, there is this person, let's call him Jelson Nacobsen, who posts ranting messages about "black youths from Wilson" roaming the neighborhood, breaking into cars. He gets all the old codger racists around here (there are quite a few) all worked up. I am so fearful my boys will be set upon while walking home from school by one of these people. Especially now that guns are legal in DC.

I really feel for you. I hope someone in your neighborhood can stand up to him and others like him. It's really disgusting.

+1. I hate that PP even has to worry about this for her kids.

To the person who asked about claiming self defense. I'm an attorney but never worked in criminal law. But my memory from law school is that it's only self defense if you have a reasonable apprehension of harm, and that the way you defend yourself has to be proportional to the threat. In other words, you can't use deadly force against someone who is just threatening to slap you. So by that standard, just thinking that someone is threatening by how they are walking would not justify killing them. So messed up.

[Anonymous]

How is it possible that this guy hasn't been arrested! He murdered a child in cold blood!

[Anonymous]

This is so tragic and to think this coward is now fleeing is unbelievable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How is this murderer able to claim self-defense? Wouldn't the dead teen be the one using self-defense? If you initiate a confrontation, how are you ever able to claim self-defense. Can any lawyers help me figure this out?

Also, if the scumbag was in his car, he could have easily left his gun there. This guy was looking for a reason to play cop.

He can CLAIM and mount any defense. He can claim insanity. He can claim self-defense. He can claim he wasn't there. He can claim double jeopardy. He can claim he's Santa Claus if he wants to. (If the defense is totally frivolous it will be struck, probably, before it gets to the jury). It's proving the defense that's an issue and whether a judge/jury will believe it. I can mount multiple, even conflicting defenses to a crime if I want to.

Well so far this asshole hasn't even been arrested so ..........................................................

If the DA doesn't bring charges, they should be arrested themselves.

[Anonymous]

This took place in FL, which as some of the most lax gun laws in the country. When we lived there, the state has passed a law that using a gun in self-defense included before seeing any weapon. So, if you even thought that you were going to be harmed, without visual evidence like seeing an actual gun, you could legally fire your gun without repercussion.

So glad we left.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How is this murderer able to claim self-defense? Wouldn't the dead teen be the one using self-defense? If you initiate a confrontation, how are you ever able to claim self-defense. Can any lawyers help me figure this out?

Also, if the scumbag was in his car, he could have easily left his gun there. This guy was looking for a reason to play cop.

He can CLAIM and mount any defense. He can claim insanity. He can claim self-defense. He can claim he wasn't there. He can claim double jeopardy. He can claim he's Santa Claus if he wants to. (If the defense is totally frivolous it will be struck, probably, before it gets to the jury). It's proving the defense that's an issue and whether a judge/jury will believe it. I can mount multiple, even conflicting defenses to a crime if I want to.

Well so far this asshole hasn't even been arrested so ..........................................................

If the DA doesn't bring charges, they should be arrested themselves.

Why? In so much a way you accuse the shooter of vigilante'ism and acting out, you're demanding guilt without knowledge of facts, other than info from rants on DCUM.

[Anonymous]

This is beyond awful. I bet Zimmerman is already on the run since police haven't arrested him. He could be in Mexico by now.

When people try to claim that we live in a post-racial world, incidents like this show that we clearly don't.

This is disgusting. Even if the child threatened Zimmerman, that scumbag CHOSE to get out of his car and engage with him and shoot him. I hope some vigilante finds him and guns him down. I am against the death penalty, but as an AA, I can append my beliefs for a bigoted murderer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How is this murderer able to claim self-defense? Wouldn't the dead teen be the one using self-defense? If you initiate a confrontation, how are you ever able to claim self-defense. Can any lawyers help me figure this out?

Also, if the scumbag was in his car, he could have easily left his gun there. This guy was looking for a reason to play cop.

He can CLAIM and mount any defense. He can claim insanity. He can claim self-defense. He can claim he wasn't there. He can claim double jeopardy. He can claim he's Santa Claus if he wants to. (If the defense is totally frivolous it will be struck, probably, before it gets to the jury). It's proving the defense that's an issue and whether a judge/jury will believe it. I can mount multiple, even conflicting defenses to a crime if I want to.

Yeah, but since there don't appear to be any other (living) witnesses, he can say whatever he wants. No way self defense gets kicked before it hits a jury. Then, you've got a central Florida jury listening to a white man talk about how this suspicious black teenager can up and threatened him . . . the prosecution could easily go sodeways. What a travesty.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How is it possible that this guy hasn't been arrested! He murdered a child in cold blood!

Because that child is BLACK.