Miami Accident Lawyer Blog
The Sanford Police department is under intense scrutiny, after an investigation that is being referred to as one of the most media driven murder cases of this year floods the news. Trayvon Martin, an African American 17 year old boy was shot and killed by a Hispanic man, George Zimmerman, a volunteer neighborhood watchman patrolling his garden apartment complex on February 26, 2012. Trayvon had just finished purchasing a package of skittles candy and an Arizona ice tea at the local 7-11, when he was shot by Zimmerman.
Despite Zimmerman’s claims that, he was attacked by Trayvon and that he was acting in self defense, the community at large and now, the nation at large, believes that shooting this black man with a “keltek 9mm semi automatic handgun” was completely unnecessary. Trayvon did not have a weapon aside from an unopened pocket knife and was heard by witnesses crying and screaming. Sanford Police Chief Brian Lee, has “temporarily stepped down” from his position due to the has been criticism to put it mildly for poor investigation and police efforts to lead to an arrest of the shooter. Important pieces of evidence have been discovered which were not considered during the investigation including Trayvon’s phone records indicating he called his girlfriend right before he was shot, and that Zimmerman’s clothes were bloodied.
The most disturbing aspect of this story, is that the Sanford Police neglected to arrest Zimmerman in connection with the death of Martin, claiming there was no supporting evidence. Since then however, public opinion has been exactly the opposite. Presently, the Sanford Police are being blamed by everyone from Congress to the Al Sharpton for an unacceptable job in this investigation.
The crime victim is dead and justice has not been served on his behalf . So, was it racial profiling that protected the shooter from an arrest? Why was this investigation “ botched” to begin with? Why was a volunteer, neighborhood watch guard , with an arrest record for felony charges, in possession of a deadly weapon? How is it that this crime was committed yet, no one has been blamed.
Crime victims need representation especially if there are racial issues involved. Anyone who kills another human being should be brought to justice, said Attorney Nicholas Gerson of Gerson & Schwartz, PA.
If there are two sides to every story, why wasn’t Trayvon’s side told until the national media stepped in ? What happened in Sanford should not happen anywhere. The emotional damage done to his family can never be fully computed, but attorneys handling these types of civil cases can attempt to recover damages to compensate victims and prove that justice has been served. The Miami Crime victim lawyers of Gerson & Schwartz, PA have been assisting victims and their families for over 40 years. For more information about the firm visit www.injuryattorneyfla.com