The prosecution apparently continues to
make the case for the defense today by playing and audio recording of Zimmerman being interviewed at the police station immediately after the shooting. His story is exactly the same as the one in the above reenactment video (consistency) and if it helps the state make their case I don't see it.
Tape of Zimmerman’s retelling of the confrontation between himself and Martin could bolster the defense’s key contention: that Zimmerman reacted in self-defense.
Zimmerman began his interview with investigator Doris Singleton by saying that there had been a lot of crime in the area and that he had started a neighborhood watch program. He said he spotted Martin, who he thought looked suspicious, and began to follow him.
At some point, Martin circled the night watchman’s car as he followed him through the neighborhood, Zimmerman said, then the teenager disappeared into the "darkness."
"The dispatcher told me 'Where are you?' and I said 'I am trying to find out where he went,' and he said, 'We don't need you to do that,' and I said 'OK," Zimmerman told the investigator.
Zimmerman then started to head back to his car, he says, but never got there.
"He [Martin] jumped out from the bushes, and he said 'What the [expletive] is your problem, homie?' and I got my cell phone out to call 911 this time, and I said, 'I don't have a problem.' And he goes, 'Now you have a problem,' and he punched me in the nose," said Zimmerman.
Zimmerman said the blow knocked him to the ground and Martin got on top of him.
"He puts his hand on my nose and my mouth, and he says 'You are going to die tonight," said Zimmerman. "As he banged my head again, I just pulled out my firearm and shot him."
"He is mounted on top of me, and I just shot him, and he falls off. And he's, like ,"Alright you got it, you got it."
This whole case comes down to Zimmerman's story and any evidence that might contradict it. The problem is that there isn't any. I suppose it is possible that Zimmerman has been lying the whole time, that he racially profiled Martin and decided for reasons unknown to murder him and that he somehow tricked Martin into beating his head against the concrete so that he could follow through with his diabolical plan. It's possible but it's extremely unlikely. In fact, it's ridiculous on its face but that seems to be the state's strategy or something. Maybe they think that they can trick Zimmerman into taking the stand and that they will intimidate him under cross examination (Perry Mason style) into confessing his evil deed. But I'm guessing not. Actually, I think that if they were able to get Zimmerman onto the stand he would mop the floor with the prosecuting attorney.
And I'm not thinking that there are going to be race riots over this, either. This is not Rodney King. King was progressively beaten more and more by several police officers after he would not comply with their commands. And it was all caught on video and played incessantly for months. The police officers actions were less than wise and they should have been disciplined in some significant way given the hype surrounding the case. But they weren't. And then they were all acquitted of any wrongdoing whatsoever while the media stoked the fire. And then there were riots.
I don't see anyone rioting over Martin. He is being revealed to be the aggressor rather than the victim. There is no video of him being shot in the back by Zimmerman while Zimmerman laughs maniacally. There is no police coverup. In fact, it's been quite the opposite. The media has been giving Zimmerman the full Richard Jewel treatment for a year now and it turns out that they have been lying about almost ever bit of it. Who is going to get worked up enough to riot over a cross between Duke Lacrosse and Richard Jewel? I don't think anyone is.
I also think that the nation's appetite for racial injustice is just about full up.
