The series ‘Rest in Power’ purports to be a documentary about the life and death of Trayvon Martin (herein Trayvon), an exploration of George Zimmerman (herein George), and the rise of Black Lives Matter movement. On the 10th Anniversary of Trayvon’s death, I will explore the half-truths and outright lies presented in it.
Here is what is undisputed. On the night of February 26, 2012, in Sanford, Florida, George, who was on the way to Target, called the police non-emergency number to report a suspicious person. Within a half hour he fatally shot that person, Trayvon, a 17-year-old African American high school student. George, a 28-year-old man of mixed race, was the neighborhood watch coordinator for his gated community where Trayvon was visiting his father, Tracy Martin (herein Tracy) at the time of the shooting. George shot Trayvon, who was unarmed, during a physical altercation between the two. George, injured during the encounter, claimed self-defense in the confrontation. After being interviewed at the police station, he was released that night.
Unknown to the casual news observer, some key points were established. There was a close eyewitness to the confrontation, John Good. He stated that a Hispanic or White man with a red top was on the bottom and that a Black man with a grey top was on top of him. He also stated that the person on the bottom was getting hit MMA style and was yelling for help. George was wearing a red top and the deceased was wearing a grey top. This statement matched George’s claim of being mounted and assaulted and that he was screaming for help. Unbeknown to him, this was also corroborated by the 911 calls where his screams could be heard.
Corroborating evidence would play a crucial role in this case as there were some challenges in the testimonial evidence. Contrary to popular belief, memory is not a recording and can be affected by exterior influences. Imperfect recall is a challenge with all witnesses, but even more so for people who go through traumatic events, receive head impacts, have ADHD and/or who suffer from PTSD. All which George had and/or experienced. Many timeline inconsistencies in George’s statements of events were used by media speculators to claim he was lying, with little understanding as to how his memory recall could be affected by his ADHD, the trauma of getting attacked, the trauma of killing someone, the head injuries he received, and the PTSD he would experience from the event. For this reason, consistency in statements and corroborating evidence allowed for validation of claims, even with minor inconsistencies.
When the EMT did a quick check on George and, while she only found minor bleeding in the back of the head, she also found paresthesia in his limbs, which is one of the possible symptoms of concussion. The very first police interview of George was carried out that night by Investigator Singleton, where he told her did not know if he had to go to the hospital but that the police had said he did not and that they would take him after the police station at his own expense. George wasn’t sure what to do. Singleton, who was looking at George directly, and not through a photograph, months later, noted that George had a bump on is head that was abnormal, swollen, a contusion of some sort. This fact is important, as many commentators over the years have claimed that George only received minor injuries based on photographs that are two dimensional. The photographs could only indicate that impact had occurred, not the level of damage. This is important because a concussion does not always occur with visible injuries, symptoms may take days to show, and damage may exist even if there are no visible marks or symptoms. In George’s case, we, actually, have corroborating evidence of that impact to the head.
Let’s look at what the officers on the scene reported. Officer Tim Smith said that George was wet and had grass on the back of his jacket and pants, sounded confused, had blood in his face and the back of his head. He stated that he had a headache and that he felt lightheaded. More symptoms of possible concussion. When asked if he had a weapon, George lifted his arms and his jacket lifted enough to show his holster on his right side. He also blurted out twice, in his confused state, that he was yelling, and no one came out to help him. Officer Jonathan Mead reported that when he arrived on the scene, he noticed a broken and bloody face and swelling to the face. More evidence of impact to the head.
A major claim pushed by the ‘Rest in Power’ series is that George received preferential treatment. Much is made from the fact that George left that night, and that he was not charged with a crime. To make an arrest you need probable cause that a crime has been committed. Once the arrest is made, the right to a speedy trial is invoked such that prosecutors have a limited time to collect all evidence. For this reason, prosecutors will not make an arrest until they feel that, more likely than not, the evidence will be there to support the charges. In George’s case, John Good had corroborated George’s account of being the one defending himself making it impossible to arrest without further evidence. The next day, a voice stress test for truth verification was conducted while George was questioned. Under voice stress analysis, George stated that he did not confront Trayvon and that he was in fear for his life when he shot him. George also stated that he did not request medical attention because the officers stated that he would have to pay for it, and he was afraid his insurance would not cover it. He would have had to pay a $5000 dollar copay and then only 50% of what was left would be covered. This explains why he chose not to go to the hospital.
‘Rest in Power’ then ponders why no race question was included in the voice stress questions, but, at the time no probable cause existed for racism to be asked about. Race would only come into question the next day when George’s estranged cousin, Christina Meza (herein Christina with an ‘h’) would make an anonymous call claiming that George was racist. This is important because she was ultimately interviewed days later and could not give any instances or evidence of George’s racism. Interestingly, her only accusation of racism was towards Gladys, George’s mom, claiming she only liked Black people that acted White. Let us go back in time and explore the legitimacy of this claim.
Our story starts in 1951 when Gladys is born, in Callao, Peru, in an impoverished barrio neighborhood that would make the slums of the US look like wealthy neighborhoods. She is born to Jorge Meza and Cristina Tamayo (herein Cristina, without an ‘h’), both Mestizos of Native and African descent (Black). Afro-Peruvians. Two years later, her brother Jorge Jr. (herein Jorge) is born. They were both taught a very strong work ethic. They both faced racism and classism in Peru. And much like many African Americans, who were looked down upon by Whites during Jim Crow, they aimed to prove they were as good as them, by being better, more proper, more educated than them. In the US, many African Americans have strived hard to improve themselves, and yet, many of their peers try to belittle them, by claiming they are acting White. Interestingly, you see a similar phenomenon in poor Whites, where belittling those who try to get an education, act proper, and improve themselves is common (Read John McWhorter’s review of Hillbilly Elegy). Jorge comes to the US at some point in time and joins the US Army, Airborne. There, he befriends his brother at arms, Robert Zimmerman (herein Robert), George’s father. Robert joined the US Army, was assigned to an Airborne division in 1971, and would have a tour of duty in Vietnam and two tours of duty in Korea. By 1974, Robert is assigned to Fort Myer with Jorge. The next year, Jorge introduces Robert to his sister, Gladys, who is visiting, and they fall in love and get married. She, who came from a poor Afro-Peruvian family, would start working in the Catholic Community Outreach programs with the poor in Virginia, predominantly African American. Three years later, Cristina, Gladys’, and Jorge’s mother, retires as a nurse from Peru, and moves to live with Robert and Gladys. She would then work as a caretaker for two African American girls who would spend a lot of their day and eat their lunches at the Zimmerman house. George is raised by both these strong and dedicated Afro Peruvian women. These are the sources of his identity. Afro-Peruvian. Growing, up one of his best friends was Michael Lansdowne. Michael is African American and stated that George was in his house all the time and was considered family. Later interviews would reveal that all his friends growing up were either African American or Hispanic, even the African American girl he took to the prom. Needless to say, George was not raised White nor around a ton of White folk. His mom was as Black as Barack Obama, and George was as White as Obama. George’s mother was strict proper, a strict disciplinarian and did not approve of uncouth behavior as later interviews would reveal that George received many beating as a child, from her. Discipline common in Latin America, and in many heavily Christian African American homes. To say that Gladys was racist, with an accusation lobbed at many Afrodescent people and other minorities who value education is foolish. If you may recall, Michelle Obama was accused of acting White as well. Among many educated Afrodiasporic populations, education and proper behavior is valued and crass behavior is not (Read Our Kind of People).
When the claim of racism wasn’t sticking, George’s cousin alleged child molestation by George. The problem with this claim is that, by her own account, she was 6 and he was 7, and this all happened in the living room, in the presence of all their parents. So, a prepubescent kid, in 3rd grade, supposedly molested another prepubescent kid, all in front of adults and none of them noticed. Coincidentally, this all was happening as he was becoming an altar boy in his church, under the watch of his strict Catholic disciplinarian mother. Considering her earlier lie of racism, these claims should have been held with a grain, heck, a sack full of salt. No one has ever corroborated any of her claims. Her known clashes with George, who used to work for, and was favored by Miguel Meza, her father and George’s uncle, and her multiple attempts to call multiple news outlets to try to sell her story before talking to the police also cast doubt on her credibility. The search for 15 minutes of fame principle.
Either way, George was extensively re-interviewed by Detective Serino, who had just been painted a cherubic image of Trayvon, by his parents, and had no known criminal priors. That extensive interview elucidated nothing that indicated racism, nor precluded the self-defense claim. Serino even deceived George and claimed that a recording of the fight occurred on Trayvon’s phone to see his reaction and George showed relief because he knew the recording would support his claim. Not the reaction of a someone with something to hide.
‘Rest in Power’ next makes the claim that George was not arrested because his father was a retired judge and allegedly had influence on the police. But was he, and did he have that kind of influence? In 1978, Gladys was able to secure a job as a court clerk in Virginia, but it took till 1998 for Robert to secure a job as a magistrate in Virginia, and both would work in the Virginia judicial system till 2006 when they would retire and move to Florida because of Abuela Cristina’s worsening arthritis. Robert never worked in Florida. He was never a judge, but a magistrate who only could see civil cases and misdemeanors, and he only worked the job for eight years. And yet 10 years after retiring from Virginia, he supposedly had some clout with a police force in Florida. There is absolutely no evidence that he knew anyone in the Sanford judicial or police systems. The idea that he had some type of influence is completely unlikely.
‘Rest in Power’ then shows a clip of George in the police department with an unknown female police officer that, out of context seems to undue familiarity with her, to the point he has given a recommendation for her to the chief of police, Bill Lee. What the series doesn’t mention is that the female officer is Officer Dorival, the Neighborhood Watch Coordinator, which explained completely his familiarity with her and that the recommendation he gave, was given via email to Chief Lee was for her work setting up the Neighborhood Watch.
Let’s explore the racist neighborhood watch claim. ‘Rest in Power’ claims that with the market crash of 2007 and foreclosures leading to section 8 tenants, owners thought the neighborhood was going down, so they started the Neighborhood Watch and that the Neighborhood Watch was really the watch of the African American people in the neighborhood. This is speculatory fantasy. The Financial Crisis that led to Foreclosures in Florida is known as the Great Recession and went from December 2007 to June 2009 and foreclosures where already a major aspect of the Retreat when George moved into the Retreat in July of 2009, by renting a townhouse that was being foreclosed on. By the time George moved in, the retreat was roughly 50% White, 30% African American and 20% Hispanic. Like Sanford itself. Nor was the Neighborhood Watch created to address African American people. It would not be until September of 2011, 3 years after Section 8 placed any people in The Retreat, that the Neighborhood Watch would even be considered after a rash of burglaries that had affected many of the neighbors, including the 30% that were African Americans. In June of 2011 a rash of robberies hit the Retreat, Over the year over 400 calls to the police would be made about suspicious people. Only 3 of those suspicious calls would be made by George.
Let us look at George’s calls for 2011. In March, he would call about a loose pit bull. In fact, the year before, George had made over 5 prior calls about loose pit bulls, faring for his family’s and pet’s safety, and, on advice of Mark Osterman, a police officer, the reason he got a gun. In July, George has his first experience with the burglaries at the Retreat when his wife, Shellie’s bicycle was stolen from his front porch. In May, he called about a motion alarm in his house. Then, on August 3rd, 2011, a home invasion occurred at the Retreat where a mother, Olivia Bertalan, and her child had to hide in their closet, as two African American males broke into their house. When they were fleeing, they ran past Shellie Zimmerman, George’s wife. Later that night Shelly would recognize one of them again and tell George. This is George’s first ever call about an African American male related to any possible crime. It is not a suspicious person call as an actual recognition of a perpetrator had been made by Shellie. The police do not arrive in time. Three days later Shellie, again recognizes both perpetrators, and tells George, who calls the police. Again, this was not a suspicious behavior call but an identification of a perpetrator. They would escape again. Three more burglaries are on the record, and George emails Officer Dorival on September 18th, about a presentation she did about a possible Neighborhood Watch. In it, he tells Chief Lee that he did not trust the police, because of the beating of Sherman Ware, a homeless African American man, but that Officer Dorival had given him confidence in the police again. A few days later the Neighborhood Watch was set up with George as it’s police liaison. Neighborhood Watch signs were placed around the neighborhood that specifically stated that loitering was not allowed and would be reported to the police. Instructions were also given to report anything even slightly out of place, and that it was better to report a suspicion and be wrong than not to report. At the end of September, George called about an open garage, and in October called about two African American males loitering outside the Retreat entrance, right under the sign that said that loitering would be reported. That call was not based on suspicion, but on the ‘no loitering sign’ enforcement. Later that month George would call about a pit bull again. In December two more burglaries occurred and one African American male, Jabari Shelley is apprehended, but his fingerprints do not match that of the other known burglaries with African Americans identified as suspects. In December, George calls about a dispute with a White male. That is the extent of George’s calls in 2011. Not one for suspicious African American male behavior. Two calls were because his wife identifying actual perpetrators, and one was because a no loitering rule was being violated, according to Neighborhood Watch rules.
In January 2012, George called about kids playing in the street at risk of getting run over by cars. When asked if they were Black, White, or Hispanic, he answers that they are of various ages and races. But that is cleverly edited out in the ‘Rest in Power’ rendition. Much like the editing of his 2010 call about a 9-year-old African American kid who was walking next to a busy street, not innthe Retreat, alone and at risk of getting run over. I guess being a good Samaritan was a bad thing. ‘Rest in Power’ would make the false claim that since 2011, and the formation of the Neighborhood Watch, George had made 50 calls about suspicious African American people. This was a blatant falsehood. George had a long history of calling the police to report many things, from potholes, to speeding, to open garage doors that did amount to 50 calls going all the way back to 2004. But not one call was about a suspicious African American person from 2004 to 2011. In fact, other than the calls already mentioned, when race was mentioned, five calls where about White males doing suspicious activities, 2 about Hispanic males, and only one, in 2009, was about an African American male trespassing on his property and hurling insults at him, right after he had called the police, yet again about a loose pit bull that was terrorizing his wife and her dogs. Again, not a suspicious person call. On February 2nd, 2012, George would call about an African American male, his first suspicious Black male call, looking into the window of another Neighborhood Watch captain, Frank Taaffe’s house. The suspect would escape before the police could arrive. The next week another burglary occurred, but this time some construction workers nearby saw the perpetrator flee, enter one of the other houses, and directed the cops to that house. The perpetrator, Emmanuelle Burges would be arrested, and his fingerprints would be confirmed in the home invasion of the Bertalan home that Shellie witnessed, as well as the attempted burglary at Frank Taaffe’s House, that George had seen him case. In other words, three of George five prior calls about Black people, were related to Emmanuelle Burgess’ criminal activities and that of another unknown African American male accomplice that was still at large. These valid calls, along with the rest of the 50 calls not related to any descriptions of Black people, over a 7-year period, were used to falsely demonize George as a racist.
Another wild claim that ‘Rest in Power’ tries to push is that George was a wannabe White person. Mark Caputo goes on a wild limb and claims that part of White Christian Male culture is guns so that a gun made him a little bit Whiter. His claim holds little water. When looking at legal gun ownership, about 36% of White Americans have guns, but so do 24% of African Americans and 15% of Hispanics. While White Christian Evangelicals do hold the highest percentage of ownership at 40%, that would also mean 60% of White Evangelicals must not consider themselves White as they do not own guns. And that is only legal gun ownership, as illegal gun ownership has a vastly different demographic. While there is no survey for illegal guns, illegal gun uses, and confiscations show much higher rates of use in African American and Latino communities than White. Therefore, to claim that owning a gun is somehow Christian or White is fallacious.
Next, we have Wes Robinson, of Mixed African American heritage, a former friend of George’s, who was recruited and paid by the producers of ‘Rest in Power’ to make these gems of claims. Wes Robinson claimed George went from having Minority friends to being with Shellie all the time and that is when they went their separate ways. Wes even looks at the camara and states, “You live in this Utopia of White Privilege, and as soon as it gets extended to another culture. Is it really White Privilege anymore? White Family, White Perception, White Privilege. The people he chose to have in his life, I would be ignorant to say he did not change. I do not know what happened, but he should have remembered who the hell he was.” While this prepared speech was entertaining, there were major inconsistencies to his claims. Wes also stated that George had met Mark Osterman, the DHS police officer and he called him his token White friend. Osterman has also confirmed this. A token is an exception, not the rule. Other witnesses repeatedly pointed out that most of George’s friends were Black and Latino. Black Lives Matter supporters always point out that having a token Black friend doesn’t prove you are invested not a racist, and neither does a token White friend, prove you are one.
In fact, most of George’s friends in Florida, as in Virginia, were not White. This was not only confirmed by Wes, in his police interview on May 31, 2012, but also by George’s ex-fiancé, Veronica Zuazo who said George had a ton of Black friends. Not a token friend, not few, but most. He even opened an insurance business with an African American friend. When that failed, he worked cleaning cars with other African American friends. African American friends came to his house constantly. Again, not a token African American friend. Most of his friends. He also mentored two African American kids whose father was serving life in prison, doing ‘His Brother’s Keeper’ even before Obama suggested it years later. The claim that The Retreat was a White Utopia fails in view of the demographics that were similar to Sanford, in general, when George moved in and neither George nor his wife Shellie only had White friends. Ironically, it was Wes, in 2005, who was introducing George to White women, beginning with his high school friend, Samantha Schiebe. The claim by Wes that George was White because he married a White woman, falls flat considering whom Wes himself was introducing from his own life. The ‘Rest in Power’ producers then pay George’s ex mother-in-law to use pictures of George’s family gatherings with Shellie’s family to claim that George hung out predominantly with White people. It is ironic that Wes would claim that he left George because of his White girlfriend, Shellie as Wes was, again, seen with George in September of 2013, when George had an incident with his soon to be ex-wife, along with his very White looking friend, Samantha Schiebe. In fact, it may have been George later dating her, and exposing her attempts at 15 minutes of fame, that may have soured their relationship. If George was becoming White because of a White wife then Wes Robinson was White as well. And by that logic, Kamala Harris and many other African Americans with White spouses are White as well.
Let’s be clear, evidentially, the claim that George identified as White, or that he was racist, at the time of the encounter with Trayvon holds no water. The FBI interviewed scores of people before the trial and found no evidence of racial bias. The Justice Department later conducted a three-year investigation on George and closed their case when they found no evidence of racial bias. But they did find that George was part Afro-Peruvian (Black Peruvian), was raised in a predominantly African American and Latino community, that plenty of his friends were African American (not token friends, but many, that he mentored two African American kids and that he lambasted the Stanford Police Department for their lack of accountability in the beating of a homeless African American man, Sherman Ware.
‘Rest in Power’ next tries to claim that George had violent anger issues. For that, they bring in George’s alleged friend, Hussam ‘Sam’ Alghaze, a Syrian Muslim, which kind of defies the claim that George and Shellie George surrounded themselves with White people. He claims correctly that George and his wife were having heated arguments. But they never mentioned that in all the arguments that Shellie had with her husband, the most George would do is raise his voice and that he would never get physical, as stated by Shellie, herself. Furthermore, investigators found that ththe biggest issues stressing the marriage were debt and credit and had nothing to do with the NW. As pointed earlier, It was Shellie who had George make the first two calls used by ‘Rest in Power’ and George inly made three other calls for the NW, all proven valid. Sam’s statements are also ironic because one of the accusations leveled against George was that he had a racist incident against an Arab at work. The allegation never passed muster when investigated by the employer, and now here we find out that he had a Muslim friend during that time. George’s frustrations that week, that Sam speaks about, are understandable. Not only were there burglaries going on, but his grades were also falling, their finances were in trouble and both his father and grandmother were admitted into the hospital the second week of February. Any person would be highly stressed out.
The next claim that he was violent is based on a 2005 arrest for assault on a police officer does not hold water either. We have Wes Robinson’s own testimony about the case, as well as that of the police officer who states that the first contact occurred when George pushed away the officer’s hands that were on him. In other words, the undercover officer, who failed to identify himself was the initial aggressor. And pushing hands away was the extent of his resistance. In fact, Wes stated that the officer never identified himself when he slammed one of their friends against the wall. Now we know police can abuse their power at times, and even racially profile, at times, but it is entertaining how such a case is ignored when it comes to George. Because no evidence existed for violence, George charges were dropped down to resisting arrest without violence, and eventually dropped all together. Everyone talks about how African Americans are profiled but Wes pointed out that George was also constantly profiled and harassed for being ‘Mexican.’ So, George was only reacting to the officer’s use of force, but because it was George, ‘Rest in Power’ tries to use this police encounter as some type of proof of violent character. Even more damning, when Wes was interviewed during the Trayvon Martin shooting investigation, he stated that he had never seen George engage in any fight, or ever be violent, at all.
Another claim leveled at George was that, in 2005, months after the police incident, he hit his ex-fiancé, Veronica Zuazo. There are few problems with this claim. One, Veronica herself states in her request for a restraining order, that George pushes her out of the way when he is trying to leave her home, with her phone. She never claims that he hit her. She also alleges that her small dog bit him in the face when they were arguing. George counter filing claims that he is trying to leave with his own phone that he loaned her, and she blocked his way and raked his face with her fingernails and only then her moved her aside and left. George had photographic proof of four parallel rake marks on his face that were clearly made by fingernails, and no way possible they were done by any dog bite. No criminal charges were ever filed and both restraining orders were granted.
To add more proof to the pudding, Veronica gave testimony in 2013 that George wasn’t violent, that a lot of his friends were African American, and even was seeing George after his acquittal, which may have led to his divorce with Shellie. Not a good indication that she saw George as violent.
The next claim brought up by ‘Rest in Power’ was that George was a wannabe cop. For this, ‘Rest in Power’,’ brings in ousted Chief Brian Tooley, infamous for covering up the Sherman Ware beating, who claims George was denied an application to be a Stanford police officer because he had a prior for resisting arrest. Of interest is that there is no record of George ever applying to be a Stanford police officer. And, as we know, the resisting arrest charge was dropped. We also know that George did apply and was approved in December of 2008 to attend the Sanford Citizens Law Enforcement Academy which he would attend in January of 2009. George would eventually apply to be a police officer in Virginia in July of 2009 but would be turned down because of his bad credit from his failed insurance company, not for any criminal history. In 2010, George was even approved to do ride alongs with the Stanford Police, with Chief Tooley’s own signature of approval on it, but his experience with the police officers left him disillusioned with policing and he would change his interest to becoming an attorney. This is confirmed by Professor Scott Pleasants under oath where he testifies that in June of 2011, George was pursuing a career as an attorney. His Neighborhood Watch volunteering had nothing to do with him wanting to be a police officer. Officer Dorival even said she tried to recruit George to do a citizen’s patrol program which would even include a patrol car, but that George was not interested in participating. Clearly, he no longer had any desire to be a policeman.
But why would Chief Tooley make such a claim? Well, for that we must visit the year before. See, the year before, in early December, Sherman Ware, a homeless African American man was beaten up by the son of a Sanford police officer, and that man had not been arrested the entire month of December. In January, George wrote a letter protesting police behavior, and specifically Chief Tooley, and would attend a town hall where he clearly stated that Chief Tooley was responsible. When the assailant was finally arrested, Chief Tooley was ousted as well. To say bad blood already existed between Tooley and George, is an understatement. Furthermore, in a subsequent email to Chief Lee, George clearly stated that the treatment of Sherman Ware was one of the principal reasons for his distrust of the Sanford Police Department.
‘Rest in Power’ goes out of its way to try to claim that Trayvon was profiled for his race or his hoodie, but the consistent fact is that since the night of the event George has stated that he grew suspicious of Trayvon because of his proximity to the entrance of a house that had been previously cased, by Emmanuelle Burgess. The house owned by Frank Taaffe. Whether Trayvon was committing anything wrong is irrelevant, as the suspicion was valid because he was out of place, and the Neighborhood Watch instructions specifically stated that anything even slightly out of place should be reported.
The claim has been made that Trayvon was just walking home from the 7-Eleven, that he went to buy Skittles during half time of a basketball game, and that Trayvon was just trying to get home. But Trayvon departed the 7 Eleven at 6:24 PM, way before the basketball game begun, and the walk home should have been just a an 18-to-20-minute walk, and only 12 minutes to cover the half mile to where George encountered him at Frank Taaffe’s house. George spotted Trayvon and called the non-emergency number at 7:09 PM, 45 minutes after Trayvon had departed the 7 Eleven. No one has established what Trayvon was doing for over 30 minutes, nor has anyone established that George’s claim of seeing Trayvon near Frank Taaffe’s house was false. Absolutely no one has shown that Trayvon’s skin color, nor his hoodie, had anything to do with George’s suspicions. At no point in time did George volunteer race or clothing except when asked. In fact, in all his prior calls that related to African American people, he identified them as being Black. In Trayvon’s case, when asked which race, he states that he ‘looks Black,’ and only when Trayvon approached his car, did he confirm that he was Black. So, skin color had nothing to do with the call, and neither did the hoodie, no more than the Leather Bomber Jacket Emmanuelle Burges was wearing when he attempted to burglarize the house.
‘Rest in Power’ tries to allude that George chased down Trayvon and shot him. The facts do not add to that claim. We know where George parked and where the physical encounter first occurred. They are 128 feet apart. An average jogger would have have covered that distance in in less than 20 seconds. From the moment George says that Trayvon is running and exits his car, to the moment he stops, no more wind noise is heard, and he says that ‘he ran,’ 32 seconds have passed. In other words, he has easily reached the crosswalk intersection, the point of encounter proven by where Zimmerman dropped his keys in the altercation, and Trayvon is no longer there, nor visible from there. This moment is confirmed by Rachel Jeantel’s testimony where she says Trayvon ran and lost George.
The physical encounter would occur 3 and a half minutes later at the same place George was standing and that Trayvon had run by and was no longer visible from. And if we go by Jane Surdyka’s testimony of seeing Trayvon’s body from her window, visibility was at least to 90 feet, and there were no bushes to hide.
There is no way the encounter occurred at the intersection unless Trayvon, who had left, returned. We know he did because Rachel Jeantel first said Trayvon made it to the back of his house 370 feet away from the spot of the initial physical encounter, and then that he saw Zimmerman and spoke to him, before punching him, in a place where George twice stated that Trayvon was no longer in sight. Fuethermore, in Jeantel’s first telling, George’s reaction to Martin challenging him with ‘why are you following me?’ Is to respond ‘what are you talking about?’ A person in active pursuit would not respond that way. But someone who waa not pursuing at the moment of confrontation would.
The fact that Jeantel would think Trayvon would throw the first punch, as was stated by her in a later interview, would speak to her perception of Trayvon’s inclination to fight. A perception that would be supported by multiple texts between the number alleged to be hers and that of Trayvon that referenced Trayvon’s multiple fights and the troubles he incurred because of them.
Which leads us to Trayvon’s Character. Jerilyn Merritt claims the State was afraid that if they introduced personality and good achievements, they would counter it with tweets, and texts that would show that Trayvon was not the perfect person. But they smudge the truth in telling what those imperfections were. ‘Rest in Power’ tries to elucidate this character by showing remembering the life and good acts of Trayvon. But they fail to tell the full story. Jahvaris Fulton claims that his stepfather, Tracy Martin coached Trayvon and that when his parents got divorced nothing changed. That is a provably false claim.
Tracy left Sybrina Fulton in 1997 when Jahvaris was 6 years old, and Trayvon was 2 to live with a new woman Alicia Stanley. No mention of her in ‘Rest in Power’. This is the same year Tracy had a daughter, Tanika with Larisa Rosier. No mention of her in ‘Rest in Power’ either. In 1998, Trayvon would move in with Alicia and Tracy and her 14- and 9-year-old daughters, Valencia and Kanisha. No mention of them in ‘Rest in Power’ either. The next year, Tracy Trayvon, while divorcing Sybrina, and living with Alicia, would have a son, Demetrius with Cindy Lopez. No mention of him in ‘Rest in Power’ either. It is the next year, 2000, when Trayvon is living with Alicia that Trayvon starts playing football at Forzano Park, right around the corner from her house. Sybrina and Tracy’s divorce predated Trayvon ever playing football. Nothing could have changed as he never coached Trayvon before their divorce.
Maybe they were talking about Alicia and Tracy’s divorce? But that can’t be it either. Trayvon would live with Alicia for over 15 years. Alicia and Tracy would eventually marry in 2005. In 2006, Tracy and Alicia move to a new house. Trayvon stopped playing football in 2007. In 2009 Tracy, a trucker who traveled a lot for work, starts dating Brandy Green, the same year Trayvon attends the summer program, Experience Aviation, and then starts attending Miami Carol City Senior High School right around the corner from Alicia’s new house. In, 2010 Trayvon volunteers at the summer program, Experience Aviation, and attends Baker Aviation School after class. During this time, Trayvon clearly wants to be involved in the Aviation industry and is an exemplary kid. Then Alicia Trayvon finds out about Brandy Green.
In 2011, Tracy Trayvon moves out of Alicia’s house and Trayvon moves to Sybrina Fulton’s house and transfers to Kropp High school, near Sybrina’s house and drops out of Baker Aviation School. It is 2011 that is relevant for Character in a 2012 event.
Sybrina and Tracy failed to mention the change in home, school, and parental environment that Trayvon experienced. They also neglected to include the entire scope of Trayvon’s subsequent troubles in school; especially the activities pertinent to the night Trayvon encountered George. It wasn’t just about marijuana, or lean or truancy. And it wasn’t just two suspensions. These facts are not important to try to smear Trayvon, but to understand the circumstances and mind set of Trayvon before he encountered George.
So let us explore Trayvon in 2011, after he left the protective care and guidance of Alicia Stanley, the most significant mother figure he had growing up.
First let us look at drug use as ‘Rest in Power’ brings it up. In ‘Rest in Power’ Mychal brings up a video that claims Trayvon was doing Lean and that the Skittles and Watermelon drinks were bought for that purpose. He says this is an attempt at smearing Trayvon as these are not the ingredients of Lean, but enough evidence exists as far as back as 2003 where various African American online forums specifically refer to using skittles and various fruit juices along with OTC drugs to make Lean. So, the claim that it is not possible that he was making lean on February 26th is invalid.
We also know that in June, Trayvon has conversation on Facebook on getting more codeine and doing Lean instead of burning (smoking marijuana), so the claim that Trayvon did not do lean is also inaccurate. He would also text about selling and using drugs in July, September, November, and December of 2011 and lastly, in February of 2012. In fact, ‘Rest in Power’ mentions only one suspension, days before Trayvon died, for drug residue and a smoking pipe.
But let us take Chad Green’s court claims at face value. He said that he asked Trayvon to get him Skittles, so it is possible Trayvon was just getting Skittles and a Watermelon drink for his soon to be stepbrother. Even though Trayvon did do Lean and Marijuana, even sold it, there is no hard proof he did either drug that night.
Next, let’s explore any evidence of violence on the part of Trayvon in 2011. In September, Trayvon is texted by his brother Demetrius asking when he will teach him how to fight. In October, he texts about avid watching of MMA. On November 7th he texts that he has been suspended for fighting. On November 11th he texts about another fight, with rounds, where he made the other person bleed. He also texts that he got mounted on the first round and was not able to do anything. Much like he would later mount George. In December, he texts that he got kicked out of Sybrina’s house for hitting a teacher. More than likely, he was suspended again. On February 12, 2012, he talks about fighting again, and the next day he texts that he got suspended for fighting, again. On February 18, he states again that he is in trouble with his mother for fighting. And two days later his cousin messages him saying he didn’t tell him that he swung on the bus driver. It is possible that this was why he reported getting suspended on February 13th.
Finally, while not fighting, Trayvon was also interested in possible violence of another kind. In January of 2012, he texted a picture holding a firearm, and on three other days in February, he talked about buying a gun. As he was a minor, these would be illegal activities. The reality doesn’t match the claim that Trayvon was just a peaceful kid at the time of his encounter with George. Not withstanding the fact that he seems to have been an exemplary kid in his earlier years before he moved out of Alicia Stanley’s home.
Now let’s look at the ‘Rest in Power’ claim that there is absolutely no evidence that Trayvon would have possibly been involved in a crime of opportunity such as casing or burglarizing a house. The fact is, on October 20, 2011, Trayvon was found with stolen property and a commercial screwdriver, described as a burglary tool, and he was suspended as well. The only reason he did not have a criminal record was because the Miami-Dade Public School System’s, School Superintendent Alberto Carvalho gave his hire, Police Chief Hurley, instructions to reduce the criminal behavior of young black males. The chosen strategy between them, to ensure optical success, was to avoid criminal adjudication in favor of school discipline to punish black student criminal behavior. And the reason this burglary, and Trayvon’s involvement flew under the radar of Detective Serino. And all this happened before getting suspended again on February 23 for drug residue and pipe in bag.
Along with Trayvon’s unaccounted time, Trayvon’s reported familiarity with the neighborhood (neighborhood kids had stated that he had been there on prior occasions and had played football with them on various occasions), and the fact that an improvised slim Jim (burglary tool) would be found near the scene of the shooting a few days later, it would not be completely out of the question to suspect that, indeed Trayvon might have been looking for a crime of opportunity. Again, plausibility, not proof. Furthermore, Jeantel stated that Maetin cut through the adjacent neighborhood to het to the Retreat. That cut through goes directly by Frank Taaffe’s house and window, where George claims to have first seen Trayvon, further corroborating his claims and enough to allow for George’s claim to be reasonably credible that he saw someone near the house of a previously cased house and called the police because of that suspicion.
And further adds veracity to his other claims that he exited his car trying to keep a line of sight, reacting to the dispatch’s inquiry on Trayvon’s direction when running, and that once he lost sight of Trayvon and he was walking back to his car, Trayvon came back and confronted and assaulted him, forcing him to defend himself with lethal force. And for that reason, no arrest was made.
Whatever issues Trayvon developed from the divorce of his father to Alicia Stanley, moving to a new school, etc. Trayvon was no longer the innocent kid that lived with Alicia Trayvon. Barrington Irving and Barrack Obama both said that Trayvon could have been them, but neither of them ever had a record of fighting, striking adults, handling stolen property, etc. All providing evidence that Trayvon was at least capable of being involved in burglaries and was capable of striking George. And this is the evidence that the Prosecution wanted to exclude by avoiding the issue of Character.
So, we know that George did not chase down Trayvon, nor is there any evidence that he was profiling African American males. We also know that George gave a plausible reason for his suspicion. We also know that if Trayvon returned and initiated the confrontation and was on top of George. But ‘Rest in Power’ argues that even George was being assaulted, if it weren’t for Stand Your Ground, George would have been persecuted for shooting an unarmed minor.
First let’s examine traditional self-defense. In all 50 states, a person has the right to defend themselves from reasonable fear of grave bodily injury. Many states require an attempt to retreat before lethal self-defense can be used. Stand Your Ground states do not. In situations where retreat is impossible the point is moot, and all 50 states have similar standards. We have an eyewitness account stating that George was mounted as well as expert testimony that points to the fact that Trayvon was shot while on top of George based on the burn marks and gun residue on the clothing. Therefore, the duty to retreat is moot. As is Stand Your Ground.
Now, let’s be clear, for you to apply lethal force a reasonable belief in an imminent grave harm, not actual grave harm occurring must exist. In other words, George did not have to sustain grave injury to defend himself. A reasonable person who is mounted and has their head slammed into the cement, even if it only produces a small laceration can reasonably believe that more of those could produce grave injury. Any study of concussions can prove that. The laceration would be enough to show that impact occurred. So would a bump in the head.
Many would argue that Trayvon’s age and the fact that he was unarmed would be enough to prove there was no risk of grave injury. In fact, from 2007-2012 there was at least 8 adults who were killed by minors with their bare hands. So, it was reasonable to believe an unarmed minor could kill him. Of course, with the Cherubic pictures of Trayvon at a younger age, many were unaware of Trayvon’s size. But we have both Trayvon’s family stating that their son was 6 feet three in early interviews and vector analysis of the 7-11 video calculated him at 6-foot 2 close enough to confirm those early claims. George is around 5 foot 7. We have images of both George and Trayvon on that night and can place both images next to each other adjusting for height. In fact, the Defense did just that and brought two silhouettes into court.
Again, all that is needed is for reasonable belief that Trayvon be capable and have a credible intent to do imminent grave harm. His capability was proven by his own communications, and his intent was proven by the multiple impacts to George’s head. The claim that George was heavier or that he also knew MMA are both flawed as well. MMA has rounds and a referee that can stop a fight to avoid grave injury. In any given day, one MMA fighter can defeat another, even if the other is usually better, but a referee is there to stop the fight.
When Trayvon mounted George and was pummeling him without incurring any reciprocal damage, he clearly could overcome George and severely injuring him as there was no referee to stop Trayvon from inflicting such grave injury. Furthermore, the eyewitness, gave Trayvon the opportunity to stop the fight, when he said he was calling 911 and to stop. Trayvon chose not to, even when given the opportunity to disengage and retreat. At that time, he chose not to, he could no longer claim he was in fear. He had established dominance. George’s alleged weight and alleged experience became irrelevant. Not that ‘Rest in Power’ did not try desperately to make them relevant.
Even if George had been the initial aggressor, which the evidence clearly shows he was not, when Trayvon did not allow George to retreat, he allowed for another clause in Florida’s self defense law to apply. An initial aggressor cannot claim self defende unless he has exhausted all possible ways to escape without using deadly force. George struggled for over 4 minutes to get out from under Martin as he was being pummeled, and that allowed him to shoot in self defense, regardless if he had been the initial aggressor or not.
‘Rest in Power’ tried to argue through both sides of the mouth that Trayvon wasn’t a threat. First, they argued that George was drastically heavier that Trayvon, he wasn’t. George was roughly 15 pounds heavier than Trayvon, at the time of the shooting. During his arrest, George weighed in, fully clothed, at 194 pounds. Trayvon fully naked and with massive amounts of blood loss, weighed 160 pounds, according to the police report. The subsequent coroner’s report would report a further loss of 2 pounds. Add 2.5 pounds for clothing, 2.5 for shoes, and about 5 to 10 pounds which would be the average blood loss, and Trayvon was a fit 170 to 175 pounds. 6-foot 3 young man before the shooting. And again, the weight difference was irrelevant to actual ability, and ability was established by Trayvon’s capacity to establish a dominant position.
Later, ‘Rest in Power’ tried to argue the opposite, that George got fatter to show that he was a less capable fighter. Wait what? I thought his weight was what should have given him the advantage. You can’t have it both ways. But let me know when DJ Khaled can beat up the likes of Neil Magny or shoot, Jay Z, and then your betting odds (irrelevant to a court case) might be more accurate.
What about ‘Rest in Power’s supposed proof of George’s fighting ability? Also, irrelevant, as Trayvon’s superior ability was already established by his ability to mount and injure George without sustaining any damage. But ‘Rest in Power’ brought it up, so let’s analyze those claims as well. George joined Kokopelli’s in October of 2010 at a whopping 255 pounds. He had no fighting experience at all. He stated that he wanted to lose weight, learn self-defense for a law enforcement career. The owner of Kokopelli’s has stated, and his website also states, that he offers cardio boxing for those who have no fighting experience and where no actual fighting occurs. Both George and the owner have stated that he did both the above referenced cardio boxing, and some basic jiu jitsu around his college schedule.
By December of 2010, George had done a police ride along with the Sanford police and the attack on Sherman Ware had occurred. George protested at the time against this attack and criticized both the Stanford police for his experiences in the ride along and the attack on Ware, an African American homeless man. He clearly stated that he no longer wanted a career as a police officer, and instead, wanted to be an attorney. This was also confirmed by George’s Prof. Pleasants.
While George continued to train to lose weight, the desire for any type of law enforcement training no longer was there. As the owner of Kokopelli’s stated, George never learned to properly throw a punch beyond a punching bag, more importantly, he never learned to take a punch, and the closest thing to a fight he learned about was basic jiu jitsu, which does not allow punches and is done on a mat. But, as George stated, it might have saved his life. Because, while Trayvon was also very aware of MMA techniques and top control, George was able to shimmy enough to get off the cement sidewalk where his head was being slammed. That didn’t change the fact that he was still being pummeled which would be enough for a reasonable belief of possible imminent grave injury. Confirmed both by the eyewitness and George’s repeated screams. That shimmying also exposed his gun in his holster which Trayvon felt and made it a struggle for a gun, that made it a life and death situation.
‘Rest in Power’ makes much ado that Tracy Trayvon and Sybrina Fulton claim that it was Trayvon was the one screaming, but the evidence is against them. On February 26th, John Good, the eyewitness, stated that it was George, the Hispanic with a red top that was screaming. On February 28th, Officer Serino said that Tracy Trayvon stated that the screams were not his son’s. This was confirmed by his fellow officer also in the room. On March 3rd’, a second eyewitness, a 13-year-old African American kid testifies that he saw a man with a red top laying on the ground screaming. That would be George again. On March 15, the tapes are released and Sybrina Fulton who has been forewarned by Tracy, hears the screams, and claims it is her son. Now Tracy is claiming it is their son as well. On March 26th, Austin Brown, the now identified 13-year-old restates that he saw the man with the red top on the bottom screaming and moaning. That would be George again. On March 31st, Jahvaris Fulton would state that he wasn’t sure who was screaming.
‘Rest in Power’ points out that on the same day Jahvaris couldn’t recognize the voice of the screamer, The Tampa Sentinel using George’s voice from the reenactment, and the recorded screams, contact an alleged audio expert Owen who claimed George was not screaming based on his software that he was trying to market. Primeau, another alleged expert claims the voice must be of a young boy. So even though both Trayvon’s father and his brother did not recognize the voice, these two alleged experts became the news.
On May 12, 2012, another alleged expert, Reich again claims the voice is that of a younger man and not George’s. None of these so-called experts had ever heard George scream in fear, nor heard any sample of Trayvon’s voice. At the same time, an FBI audio expert, Ryan stated that the claims of these supposed experts were flawed as the voice and pitch of a person in an excited stage can change drastically. Especially in cases of extreme fear. But they still made the news.
By May 23rd, 2013, we finally started seeing what was in Trayvon’s phone. And it turns out, not only was Trayvon’s phone password protected but it was double encrypted by an app to further hide communications. Once the phone was finally cracked, we got to see Trayvon’s texts describing his criminal drug activities, but more importantly illegal fighting, images of him with an illegal gun, and even video of him refereeing a fight and another where he is recording a fight and we can clearly hear his voice in an excited state.
On June 7th, 2013, these same so-called experts provided by the Sentinel and Washington Post, Reich, and Owen, reiterate their claims in court. But people forget that the very same day, ABC, had a forensic expert test the screams, not only against George’s reenactment screams but to Trayvon’s excited utterances as well. The forensic expert’s conclusion was that the screams were more like George’s voice than Trayvon’s and that more than likely it was George screaming. A conclusion that was completely predictable as eyewitnesses had already said that it was George screaming and these tests were unnecessary. On June 22, the FBI’s foremost expert on Audio identification, Dr. Horosaka Nakasone, shoots down the claims of the Sentinel and Washington Post experts and their testimonies are found not to qualify as expert testimony.
So, we have George, on the night of the shooting, in a state of confusion, blurting that he was screaming, before any evidence of recorded screams came out, we have two eyewitnesses who testify on that night that it was George screaming, two people who knew Trayvon intimately, Tracy and Jahvaris, stating that they could not recognize the voice to be Trayvon’s, and the only voice analysis that ever actually compared all three voices determining that George’s voice resembled the recorded screams more than that of the voice of Trayvon. By all evidentiary analysis, it was George screaming. Any other claim is wishful thinking.
The only reason George was eventually arrested was because of subterfuge on the part of Benjamin Crump. Let’s go back in time. Benjamin Crump and Daryl Parks first wet their feet in the profitability of the race victim game with the case of Martin Lee Anderson, in 2006. All officers and the nurse were acquitted, and it was determined that Anderson died of a sickle cell crisis. One of the reasons, the British Military doesn’t allow people with Sickle Cell Anemia to participate in the military, is the risk of this type of death during heavy exertion.
I am not in favor of boot camps for troubled kids, but it was clearly an accident. The claim that he died from a beating was not proven. And to avoid expensive civil lawsuit litigation the city settled for seven million dollars.
Benjamín Crump had figured out his gold ticket. If he could get charges pressed, he could mount protests and he could get families to sue and settle. He even got then Senator Barrack Obama to participate in the 2005 protests. In 2008, when George was voting for future president Obama, Crump was a financial contributor to his campaign.
Back to the Trayvon/George case. Two days after the shooting, after Tracy Trayvon testified that the screams were not his son’s, he calls attorney Patricia Jones, who connected him with Benjamin Crump. Meanwhile, two African American officers, one who was friendly with Tracy Martin and third one married to an African American, start pressuring Serino to change his mind and to find a way to file charges against George. One of them leaks information to Crump and, on March 7, he would, with the help of Julisson Communications, sell a story to the media of a small cherubic 17-year-old, using pictures when he was 14 from 2008, who wanted to be a pilot and was racially profiled by a white neighborhood watchman. This is the news that Barbara Liston of Reuters explodes over the media and starts the outrage campaign.
The next day the Move On campaign started (I regrettably signed that foolishness and fell for the hoax, hook line and sinker). The following day, Benjamin Crump’s friend, President Obama makes his famous, “If I had a son” declaration on the same day a letter by the NAACP is written to Attorney General Eric Holder to get involved in the case. Two days later the New African American Panthers issue their Dead or Alive posters.
It is not until March 12th that Reuters reveals George’s own African American roots, but the damage is done. The pressure is on by the African American Police officers on Serino, and he caves and writes a Capias for George’s arrest claiming he failed to identify himself. Never mind that there was no reason to identify himself as there was no evidence George confronted Trayvon. Then Crump starts his filing of a civil lawsuit against the Retreat’s Homeowner’s Association, the golden ticket strategy was in full effect.
On June 26th, Detective Serino tired of the pressure to make a false arrest quit his Detective job and went back to being patrolman, it would take till July 12th of 2012 for Serino to admit that the only reason why he wrote the Capias was because he was pressured by the three police officers to do it. In ‘Rest in Power’, they tried to make it sound like Serino gave up on life because he failed to convict George. It was the exact opposite. Serino was despondent because he knew he helped charge an innocent man and permanently vilify him in the court of public opinion. By May 5th of 2013, The HOA settles and pays over 2 million to Trayvon’s family. They folded early, as it is on May 23rd that all the evidence of Trayvon’s fighting and involvement with a burglary would finally come out. Benjamin Crump, who has never actually won any of these big-name cases in court. He still got paid big because of the settlements.
Crump and Company further cement this racial victimism ideology claim by claiming that if the racial roles were reversed and George had been Black and Martin White, he would be convicted. This was patently false and could be proven with two cases, the acquittal of African American Roderick Scott for killing White 17-year-old Christopher Cervini from 20 feet away, claiming the smaller Cervini put him in fear. That was in NY a self-defense state. We can also use the case of African American Adeirean Carey who shot 17-year-old Hispanic Marco Santiago, right in Florida. In both cases the shooter was acquitted even though they shot from a distance, not even with any actual assault or any contact whatsoever occurring before the shooting.
‘Rest in Power’s next claim that the jury was all White also doesn’t hold water nor does it matter as neither Trayvon nor George were White, and furthermore one of the jury members was an African American Puerto Rican.
‘Rest in Power’ then tries to make the claim that the Prosecutors didn’t want to talk about race. It is not that they didn’t want to talk about it. It is that they couldn’t, as no evidence of racism was found. All they could make was a trumped-up claim for profiling based on animosity because of prior robberies, and that didn’t hold water in court as they had no evidence of that either.
Crump even made the claim that they somehow blocked him from testifying as they did not want him on the stand. This is a bogus claim as Crump specifically filed a motion in court to protect himself from testifying as there were several questions on his handling of the evidence of ‘Eugene Diamond’ later claimed to be Rachel Jeantel. A witness who didn’t even surface until 22 days after the shooting, already coached by Trump. A later investigation by Joel Gilbert would point out that Trayvon, actually, had a girlfriend Brittany Eugene Diamond, who was not Rachel Jeantel.
‘Rest in Power’s next tactic is to try to demonize George for things that happened after the fact. Let’s analyze those claims.
Since March 16, 2012, George, and his family started to get death threats. Not only to kill George, but to cut his sister’s throat, kill her mother and grandmother and even his 5-year-old nephew. But their civil rights didn’t matter. On March 30, 2012, Roseann Barr tweeted George’s parent’s address. In December Spike Lee retweets, a wrong address. George went hiding to a trailer in the woods. Then he was arrested and would not be released until acquittal. Even though, four days after he was acquitted, George stopped to save a family in a burning car on July 17th, 2013, he was fully aware there was a price on his head. As he rushed to save the family, another person, an African American, rushed to the rescue as well. When he realized it was George helping him, he said he knew who George was, and told him to leave before a crowd arrived as his life would be in danger.
African American friends, like Mike Lansdowne, Elloise Dilligard, Joe Oliver, and others stood up for George only to be threatened and decided to go into hiding. The mob didn’t want to hear the truth. George still visited his African American mentees even up to December of 2013. But as the rage mob kept on trying to find him, vilifying him on the news constantly, George had to remain in hiding, jobless, in debt, without a doctor, because he couldn’t risk giving his address out on any public record.
Both Shellie Zimmerman, Samantha Scheibe and Zimmerman himself have talked about how this inordinate amount if pressure led to, as Shellie put it, George snapping, and becoming another person. Or as George has states himself, to become the monster he was portrayed as. It took him years to find himself again. Let’s continue.
In February of 2014, he was chased by a mob who recognized him, then, in September of 2014, Apperson recognizes him and threatens him. ‘Rest in Power’ would allege that this was a road rage incident and George was the aggressor, yet there was no reason for George to know Apperson. But Apperson, who, it was shown in court later, was obsessed with George, and could easily recognize him.
On February 15, 2015, the Department of Justice, under AG Holder finally acquits him of any racist hate crimes, yet the rage mob was still looking. Later in May 2015, Apperson attempts to assassinate him. Apperson was proven guilty in court, as George had his window rolled up and his windows were tinted. The bullet hole proved George had his window up and could not have been threatening Apperson, as he claimed.
After four long years of constant hiding, being demonized, not being able to have any semblance of a normal life and forced to seek safe grounds among gun enthusiasts, George either starts believing the cool aid they are selling, or just embraces being the villain. If they are going to hate him anyway, he will give them cause. After all the hate, and an assassination attempt, George is fed up with the vast majority of African Americans and Liberals in general. He starts sounding like many of the racists he was accused of being, and who he was forced to hide behind. But only after four long years of hell. If you think this is proof of George being a racist in 2012, I have a bridge to sell you.
What about the alleged violence that ‘Rest in Power’ presents after acquittal?
Let’s go over it. But first remember that George is dealing with PTSD and his family already had said he had developed a hairline trigger for angry outbursts after the whole ordeal. Add that to untreated ADHD, OCD and you have someone having a hard time coping. But his anger was directed at tantrums and throwing things, never, actually, at hitting anyone. Again, there is not one iota of evidence of Zimmerman being physically violent with someone.
George is accused of pointing a gun at his wife in September of 2013, punching his father-in-law, and destroying her iPad. But those claims do not hold up to scrutiny. ‘Rest in Power’s very own Wes Robinson would testify that no gun was present, and this was corroborated by 5 other witnesses. Even Shellie admitted she never actually saw a gun. Meanwhile, Wes admitted it was he who hit Shellie’s father in the nose with his forearm after he charged at George and Wes tried separating them, So no violence from George there. As for the iPad, we did say George’s PTSD had him destroying objects. Her hitting him with it might not have helped.
What about Samantha Schiebe? On October 28, 2013, around a month before George allegedly threatened her with a shotgun, Schiebe and her mother started shopping around major networks to sell them a news story. They claimed George was suicidal, self-medicating and had put gun in his mouth. Then when George decided to leave her, she claimed to be pregnant. Finally, when he is about to leave, an argument happens and George doesn’t hit her, but locks her out of the house. Someone, possibly George, smashed the glass of a table. Then Schiebe claims George allegedly pointed a gun at her. A claim she later retracted. But her credibility is already suspect. Again, the 15 minutes of fame seeking principle.
Finally, you have Brittany Brunel who says he got angry and threw a bottle of wine at her, but again, no charges pressed, and the bottle was actually thrown against the garage door. Again, a physical reaction consistent with his PTSD, but no evidence or claim that he ever actually hit anyone.
Then came the joke of books ‘Rest in Power’ and Suspicion Nation. And Harvey Weinstein was going to do a series with Jay-Z on the books before he fell from favor. So, in August of 2017, Jay Z took the reins and Jay-Z’s production company hires an investigator to try to dig dirt on George for his upcoming series ‘Rest in Power’ with Paramount pictures. For the next few months George’s’ family would be harassed in efforts to get dirt on George. In December of 2017, George is contacted to give his thoughts on the case but is advised not to because it would be a hatchet job, as it indeed turned out to be. After repeated harassment by the investigator, George decides to fight back and starts to telephonically harass the investigator by calling him over 50 times. No evidence that ,George does anything other than voice mail and text harrasment. George pleads no contest to misdemeanor phone stalking.
And that sums up the false narrative levied against George.
The last part of ‘Rest in Power’ addresses the claim that George somehow was related to White Supremacy and Trump, even though Trump condemned George on multiple occasions and was as wrong about George as Obama was. George was a card-carrying democrat who voted for Obama and fought for minority causes. There was no White Supremacy involved, nor was Trump any succor for George. Then it goes on to claim systemic racism against African Americans is occuring which is false as well. I address most Black Lives Matter and systemic racism claims in my article Black Lives Matter is Problematic.
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