Don't Chase People With A Gun

[chris_gerrib]

I feel like I've spent a lot of time on this blog talking about things one shouldn't do with a gun. Thus, I wasn't sure I wanted to do that again, but, well, I've decided that this is my forum to talk about whatever I want to.

So, this site has a timeline and a map of the Martin - Zimmerman shooting. The site points out that there are two and a half "missing minutes" in which we have no clear idea what happened between Zimmerman and Martin. It then goes on to posit two confrontations between the pair - one at Zimmerman's truck and the fatal one in the grass. The bottom line to me, though, is clear - Zimmerman did not go directly back to his truck (or if he did, he got out of it) and Martin did not go directly home.

If the shooter in a gun fight is telling one lie, then it's reasonable to question what else is a lie. It's also worth noting that, based on Zimmerman's apology, he assumed Martin was armed. If you have a gun, and you're chasing after somebody you think has a gun, where is your gun hand?

Don't get me wrong - Martin could still have attacked Zimmerman. More likely is that Martin pushed Zimmerman back, which could explain (the as-yet unproven) cut to Zimmerman's head. But a push is not cause for lethal force, and there are a lot of ways for things to go wrong. Most of those ways end up with Zimmerman guilty of manslaughter.

Don't go chasing after people with a gun.

Comments

[daveon.livejournal.com]

Well, I think the other issue here is that as I understand Florida's Law, had the 'fight' if there had been one, gone the other way, then Martin would be fully covered by the Stand Your Ground law, probably more so than Zimmerman.

He was unarmed and in a location where he had every right to be and was confronted by an armed man acting highly suspiciously.

[chris-gerrib.livejournal.com]

Wait, Martin had rights!?!? You sure about that?

/end sarcasm/

[daveon.livejournal.com]

Radical eh? I also think that human beings, even ones that steal are, generally, more important than property.

Interestingly, I don't seem to be alone in that conviction as we don't seem to hang pickpockets any more.

Do we?

Did I miss something and it's 1725 again?

[(Anonymous)]

Don't go chasing after people period. Call the police, then get the hell out of there. What's wrong with people?

Jerry Critter
Critterscrap.blogspot.com

[bdunbar.livejournal.com]

But a push is not cause for lethal force.

Context matters.

A push is not an isolated deal - what came before, what came
after, matter in terms of applying / not applying lethal force.

[chris-gerrib.livejournal.com]

True. Although my take on this whole mess puts the most likely context as Martin saying "stop following me!"

[(Anonymous)]

You are right. What happens before is important. If he wasn't chasing him in the first place, there would have been no push, and afterwards, everyone would still be alive.

Jerry Critter

Re: Don't go chasing people...

[fred roberts (from livejournal.com)]

Whatever the problem is ,never assume that the one chasing you has a gun or something like a torque wrench (http://www.protorquetools.com/Cat-17-1-92/Torque-Wrenches.htm) to hammer your head. In dire situations like this never go chasing after someone you know would end up into something like a dead end for your life.