The Feed: Why did Trayvon Martin's killer walk free?

How did George Zimmerman get away with killing teenager Trayvon Martin, who was carrying nothing but an iced tea and a bag of Skittles? The Feed's Andy Park takes a look.

trayvon_protests_130715_getty_1436027199
Why is the US public protesting but largely accepting of George Zimmerman's aquital so far?

And how come George Zimmerman will be soon be allowed to get back the gun he used to kill Trayvon?

These are some of the questions Americans are still considering in the wake of the Sanford County jury's unanimous decision over the weekend.

The decision may not be the last in a landmark case that has turbo-charged race relations in the US.

HOW DID IT HAPPEN?

In 2012, armed with a handgun, George Zimmerman, a mixed hispanic and white neigbourhood watch volunteer, pursued black teen Trayvon Martin as he walked through Zimmerman's gated Florida community.

That happened despite the 911 operator specifically telling him not to.

The fight that followed ended with Zimmerman battered and Martin shot dead at point blank range.

Neighbours heard Martin's cries, but the killer and the victim were the only two witnesses.

At first, the police were reluctant to charge Zimmerman due to Florida's Stand Your Ground law.

It's a law that's now been replicated in states across the US.

The law says that a person has no duty to retreat and has the right to stand his or her ground and meet force with deadly force to prevent death or great bodily harm.

It wasn't until six weeks later, after widespread and high-profile protests that the police were forced to arrest Zimmerman.

It's that pressure, together with some inaccurate reporting in the media that fanned racial flames. This detail is key to understanding what happend next.

THE COURT VERDICT

The case against Zimmerman was always going to be a weak one, largely due to Floridian law.

A six woman jury took two days to find Zimmerman not guilty. In the case, the judge forbade the mention of racial profilling.

They said there wasn't enough evidence to procecute.

There have been largely peaceful protests in LA and New York following the verdict. This is mainly due to the pleas from community leaders and Trayvon's family.

Obama, who has stayed silent ever since he said Trayvon could have been his son, has also called for calm.

"I now ask every American to respect the call for calm reflection from two parents who lost their young son," said Obama.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

But Zimmerman, who wears a bulletproof vest and remains in hiding, is far from in the clear.

A court could still find Zimmerman financially accountable in a civil case or even federally liable for breaching Trayvon's civil rights.

Whether he was racially profiled or profiled as a criminal, what's the difference when black Americans are over represented in the US criminal justice system.

It's still a system, it seems, that's made it okay for a man to shoot and kill an unarmed teenager calling it self-defence.


Share

3 min read

Published

Updated

By Andy Park

Source: The Feed



Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world