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Subscribe to RSSFellow neighborhood watch volunteer Frank Taaffe comes to the defense of George Zimmerman, who shot and killed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin while patrolling his gated Florida community. WTVJ-TV's Jeff Burnside reports.
SANFORD, Fla. - A neighbor of George Zimmerman and fellow neighborhood watch captain in their Florida gated community came to his defense Tuesday, saying Zimmerman shot Miami teenager Trayvon Martin after numerous burglaries at The Retreat at Twin Lakes.
Frank Taaffe pointed out the circumstances that he believes led his 28-year-old neighbor to react the way he did on the night of Feb. 26: Eight burglaries within 15 months, most done by young black males, he said.
"The stage was already set. It was a perfect storm,” Taaffe said.
NBCMiami.com could not immediately confirm the burglary statistic Taaffe cited in a phone call to Sanford Police Tuesday night.
Martin, 17, picked up Skittles and iced tea from a 7-Eleven that Sunday, then headed back toward his father’s girlfriend's home on a rainy, drizzly night. Martin put on his hoodie and ran to take cover. Zimmerman spotted him, got out of his car and followed him.
In Trayvon Martin's final phone call with his own girlfriend, according to Martin family attorney Benjamin Crump, he could be heard saying ,“Why are you following me?” with Zimmerman replying, “What are you doing around here?”
Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin, the parents of Trayvon Martin, the unarmed Florida teen shot dead by a neighborhood watch volunteer, tell TODAY's Matt Lauer they want justice for their son and want the shooter, George Zimmerman, arrested.
Their confrontation ended with Martin getting shot in the chest.
“This guy looks like he’s up to no good,” Zimmerman said in a 911 call. Asked by a dispatcher if he was white, Hispanic or black, he replied, "He looks black." Zimmerman's father has said that his son is Hispanic, grew up in a multiracial family, and is not racist.
Twin Lakes’ population is ethnically mixed. A few residents said there is tension within the gated community, but Taaffe insisted Tuesday that Zimmerman was acting out of concern for the safety of the area.
More from NBCMiami.com: A neighbor comes to Zimmerman's defense
"George is a congenial, amiable, admirable person,” he said. "He had a passion and a care for this neighborhood to ensure the safety of everybody here. And, furthermore, George is no Rambo."
Taaffe said that Zimmerman was appointed as a watch captain, despite reports that he appointed himself to the post.
theGrio: Protesters demand repeal of Zimmerman's gun permit
He said he believes his neighbor acted in self-defense, which is what Zimmerman told police. He conceded, however, that the boiling tensions may have been affecting Zimmerman.
At a NAACP forum Wednesday residents of Sanford, Fla., listed their grievances about police treatment of young black men. Neighbors of George Zimmerman, the man who shot unarmed black teen Trayvon Martin, have asked him to move out of his townhouse. NBC's Ron Allen reports.
“I think any time you use a weapon, there are certain anger issues working,” Taaffe said. “I think he had fed-up issues. He was mad as hell and wasn't going to take it anymore.”
Zimmerman has not been charged, despite growing calls for his arrest.
Lawyer: Trayvon Martin fearful in final call
"It’s really sad that he's already been convicted in the public media and has already been sentenced to the gas chamber,” Taaffe said. “Let's let justice do its job."
Robert Zimmerman, George's father, told The Orlando Sentinel last week in an emotional interview that his family has received death threats. On claims that his son stalked and killed an innocent black teenager, Robert Zimmerman told The Sentinel, "They're lies."
State Rep. Dennis Baxley, a co-sponsor of the "Stand Your Ground" bill, explains why the law would not have authorized George Zimmerman to "pursue and confront" Trayvon Martin.
"George is going to suffer for years and years," he said.
Taaffe told NBCMiami.com that nothing changes the fact that Martin’s death is “devastating.”
”It's a tragic event – we can’t bring that boy back,” he said. “I wish we could.”
Editor’s note: A clarification was made to this story on March 28, 2012. An earlier version of the story truncated George Zimmerman’s quotes to a 911 operator in a way that may have changed the meaning. See correction here.
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There's a lot of latino crime in Florida...may I suggest some black watch captains declare open season on those latino criminals and drive them out of your neighborhoods...hey it's the underlying issue with Zimmerman...he didn't like black kids in his neighborhood...
IH8PUBS,
This black male did NOT bring anything on himself! He played football, got straight A's and B's in school...and was never found to be in trouble! I teach my children not to idolize gangbangers and drug dealers....problem is people like you and George Zimmerman have already judged people like me and Trayvon Martin! That is not our problem that is your problem!
why was the "child" suspended from school and staying with his fathers girlfriend? also who the hell cares that you teach your children to behave themselves? isnt that was a normal parent should do anyway? do you feel you need some special recognition for that?
He was suspended for being tardy for a certain amount of days. Is that going to be the new justification for murder? He was suspended for being tardy, so therefore, he was a hooligan. Brilliant!
A black kids life means nothing because people like the poster you responded to believe all black people are inherently immoral and prone to criminality.
This was a terrible tragedy. There are so many levels to why this occurred and I’ve been trying to sort it all out for myself. This needs to approached in several ways.
1) Apparently, or according to this watch guy, young black males have been robbing this neighborhood blind or prowling around, etc. Let’s assume this is true.
What are these people doing beyond profiling young black men? I assume everyone has locks, alarm systems, everyone knows his/her neighbor and there is a neighborhood watch. Great. Now then, why the profiling? There’s only one reason: a black person can be picked out of a crowd. Even if young black men are robbing the neighborhood there is a presumption of innocence. Even if you don’t know the person, its not your place to demand in a hostile way why a person is walking on a public sidewalk. If they’re on your doorstep, snooping around your windows, etc. That is the time to call the police or confront.
Let’s switch the races. Young white men have been known to be robbing or prowling a neighborhood. Treyvon is white. Would this have happened? Would Zimmerman have gone door to door warning the neighbors to beware of young white males? I think not. More than likely even if Zimmerman knew everyone in the neighborhood by sight, a strange young white boy would have been presumed to be connected to the neighborhood in some fashion. He would be presumed to belong there even though of late young white men had been caught prowling or casing homes in that area. When whites steal it is thought to be unusual. When blacks steal, that’s who they are. Every black male is suspect. Most of them are in prison, right? Most are poor, right? Most don’t live in fancy neighborhoods, right?
This reminds me of white kids I know who were beat up in schools by black kids. Now they distrust all blacks because of what a particular black person or persons did to them. But white kids who were bullied by their own don’t distrust all whites. Why is that? Blacks are different. They can be picked out of a crowd of whites. See, whites just think of themselves as human beings, as normal, not “different.” They are generic people in their minds. They will never be raped, robbed or abused by their own kind and distrust everyone of their own kind. They would if the abuse was at the hands of a minority. They can be identified by the color of their skin.
Zimmerman, reports keep saying was not white, supposedly Hispanic. That doesn’t preclude him from being white, nor does not being white preclude him from being a racist. One thing I do know, he is a sick man and he should be in jail. He killed a boy in cold blood for doing nothing but walking as a stranger who happened to be young and black in Zimmerman’s neighborhood. Being a black person is not a crime. Even if we’re in places that typically do not welcome us or where we are not represented in large numbers, we should not be subject to suspicion for that unless we are doing something that is actually suspicious.
This boy was walking down the street talking on the phone to his girlfriend holding skittles and an ice tea. How that equated to him acting weird or being on drugs or about to rob somebody is beyond me. Only in the racist, addled mind of a trigger happy nut bag, I guess.
This is so scary to me. Who is next? Will black people be required to carry papers again just to go into “white areas.” This is beyond an issue of young black males. It’s all of us, when you think about it. I too have been asked why I am in certain places, not in so many words but definitely in a confrontational style when I have been the only black person in a situation where whites felt I did not belong. Simply because I was black. We do not get the benefit of a doubt. We are presumed to be guilty just because our skin is black.
Some whites say we should then “stop committing crimes,” I say, everyone commits crimes. Our crimes are not why we are treated the way we often are. It has been shown that as a black person you can do everything right but at the end of the day you’re still a n*gg*r to many. Remember Dr. Henry Louis Gates? He was questioned for being IN HIS OWN HOME. He’s lucky a Zimmerman didn’t answer the police call.
For everyone yelling about white folks...read the story, the person who shot him was hispanic!!! For once leave them out of a racially charged story....but by claiming he was white sure shows where your heads are...Also neighborhood watch groups and HOA are want a be law officers
AJS, that "white guy" stuff goes back to the Sanford Police, who identified Zimmerman as white.
FYI: Hispanics can be white, black, Indian or a mixture. They can also be racist.
fact of the matter is that even if he was a burgler (which he wasnt) he still doesnt have the right to shoot somebody. and its idiotic to think that because zimmern might not have been white? that it was racially motivated. and even if it werent it still just wrong. imagine walking to the store for something and coming home and getting shot and the shooter said..."i thought you were dangerous". the next question would be "why did you think i was dangerous?" further more ive heard tapes numerous times where he said trayvon "was black" and "he wasnt goint to let this a**hole get away". this should fry or at least spend his life in jail because he obviously is a threat to society and cannot be reasonably expected not to do it again.
If his fellow neighborhood "WATCHER" has a gun it would be best to relieve him of his weapon since he sides with a murderer. Plain and simple.
The reason why we wait for police to arrive is because they have the training and the weight of authority to properly handle these situations. As it turns out, Zimmerman was wrong about the youth, disregarded the instructions from a public authority, pursued, confronted and ultimately killed an innocent youth who, because he was being chased by someone who was not a police officer, did what any sensible person would do, and attempted with any means necessary to avoid abduction. Maybe Zimmerman is just deeply stupid, I can be that charitable... but stupidity doesn't equate to innocence.
One more reason that the BUSH family are low life SCUMBAGS!!!!!!!!!Passing a law that gives a person the right to MURDER someone during an argument and claim self defence!! The bushes have ice water in their bodies and a stone for a heart!!
First of all Jeb Bush didn't make this law, the Florida legislature did, so calm down. Second, this law does not allow a person to murder another person during an argument and claim self defense. The law says that if there is an IMMEDIATE THREAT to your well being then you can use deadly force, this is the same as any self defense law anywhere in the country. The law was made because two many victims were being put through the ringer by overzealous DA's for defending themselves, it was put there to provide legal protection for people who had to use deadly force to save themselves from an aggressor, not so people could just murder people and get away with it.
The problem is... What if that "immediate threat to your well-being" was a direct result of your own actions. If I stalk and attempt to detain some person, and they react as any normal person might, by trying to beat me off, I am then legally allowed to shoot them? What distinction is made when the events leading up to an 'immediate threat to your well-being' is entirely your doing?
Then you are not acting in self defense and the laws that allow self defense do not apply. Is that really so hard to understand? The stand your ground law does not permit you to follow someone, confront them, and shoot them, and then claim it was in self defense. There is a reason it is called self DEFENSE, once you go on OFFENSE then you are the aggressor. For example, if Mr.Zimmerman was following this kid( and if the "kid" was old enough to own and carry a gun) and Mr. Zimmerman ordered him to stop, and pulled a gun on him, then the kid would have been within his legal rights to end the IMMEDIATE THREAT that Mr.Zimmerman presented, as Mr. Zimmerman was clearly the aggressor here.
By this reasoning alone the guy should be put in jail. There's no way he had a gun and feared for his life against a skinny, 17-year-old boy.
I forgot, it's allright to murder people for being suspicious (which is an opinion).
Using that logic, this neighbor is inviting you to show up at his door and blast him for having an IQ under 12, which I find extremely suspicious.
Sad truth that all young blacks are perceived as criminals, because a disproportional number of blacks are criminals. That does not excuse the crime, however.
the neighbor himself said he had issues. he was fed up and wasnt going to take it anymore. take what? having black people walk around "his" neighborhood?
No, according to the article he was fed up with having black people breaking into houses in his neighborhood. This is an unfortunate situation, but I think that the members of the black community who commit the majority of crime, and want to look and act like gangbangers need to understand that not only do they put themselves in danger, not only do they put their families in danger (like the little girl who got shot in Chicago), but they put the entire black community in danger. Mr. Zimmerman is not excused for shooting this kid, but that won't bring the kid back either.
wow ur just as screwed up as zimmerman and the neighbor
Numerous Break in's and burglaries by young black males in the not to distant past are as much to blame as the shooter himself and must be taken into account. Sorry if "White"people fear young black males in hooded sweatshirts but many have good reason.
you sound just as bad as zimmerman. this america. we have rights. i might not look like you and you might not look like me but that doesnt give you the reason to treat anybody with hostility. if you think there is an crime call the cops. there is no explaining this "fear" away with burglaries. you basically just said that he put himself in danger by dressing the way he did like zimmerman has a right to shoot him or anybody that dresses that way? dont go there. you said that doesnt excuse the shooting so really its moot. you cant have it both ways.
further more i have not heard of any violence occurring during these break ins/burglaries. so why is lethal force force considered to stop them? what evidence did he have to think that he should use a firearm? there was none. seriously
Unfortunately Terry, while it does not give anybody an excuse to treat you with hostility, it does give them a reason, there is a difference. I am not saying that because you are black that people should be able to assume that you are a criminal, that does not mean that it won't happen, as it did in Trayvon's case.
I did not say that Zimmerman had a right to shoot him because he was black, I did not say that Zimmerman had a right to shoot him because he was dressed a certain way. What I said is that the people who DID break into those houses and commit crimes in that neighborhood need to look at this situation and understand that by committing those crimes they got a young black kid killed, and maybe that will register with them. Zimmerman should be arrested and brought up on murder charges, as he was not in danger and murdered this kid. I think though, if you are honest with yourself, you can see that had those houses not been broken into, this guy probably would not have taken this situation where it went.
Hey look I'm just telling you as it is !! Don't compare me to this guy and I won't compare you to the bloods if you see where I'm coming from.
People who live in fenced in neighborhoods live there because their in fear from the get go. So what would you expect!!
Well then Moose by your very own reasoning since ALL serial killers are white males then whenever I see a white male that in my opinion might look suspicious I should jump out of my car with my 9MM and chase after him and shoot him. After all, it's all you white males that should think about what situation you are creating. Yep, that's the ticket! Assume all white males between the ages of 18-35 are serial killers. Shoot first ask later! great advise moose. you might want to watch over your shoulder from now on. Never know when you might look suspicious to someone.
That's not my feeling at all Shellie. My problem is with skunks and other critters getting in the garbage.
I grew up in the inner city and I can tell you stories of racism as a first hand victim.
We should ALL be afraid, because any one of us, at any time, could be perceived by someone as "being up to no good". I'm sick and tired of living in this gun-toting society with its cowboy mentality. I was not aware of this law that exists in Florida, but now that I am, I'll think twice before heading to the Sunshine State.
So move to Chicago, totally illegal to carry a gun there, and as such it is totally the safest city to live in in the USA!
Better think twice about visiting just about anywhere in the south since they all have this same law. See a pattern?
It's dangerous for black people to wear black clothes and hoodies at night on the street because it makes them hard to see and could be cause them to hit by a car.
From Zimmerman's camp it sounds like the kid was guilty until proven innocent yet Zimmerman is innocent until proven guilty. Just the fact that Zimmerman did not obey the police to stand down and went so far as to stalk the kid negates the idea that his life was in danger.
Mr. Taeffe, you've exposed yourself as a complete fool. And Mr. Zimmerman, you're right, George is going to suffer for many many years in a federal prison. If someone doesn't get him first.
EVEN IF zimmerman THOUGHT this kid was up to no good AND COULD HAVE BEEN part of the recents burglarys, It doesn't mean he could shoot him. !!!
He should have not been following the kid period. The police ask you not to do that because 1) you are not trained 2) and chasing a criminal could get you killed because you don't know if that person is armed or not.
Even if this unfolded as Zimmerman claimed, he caused it. Anyone would fight against a stranger following you in a truck. People are abducted that way all the time. Anyone would fight back with all they were worth.
Zimmerman should have stayed in his truck/car, whatever. He was not justified in his actions AT ALL. Even if the recent burglaries were by young black men, then kid was not on anyone's doorstep, or casing a house. He was walking down the street.
You know, I see people of all races and ethnicities acting suspiciously every day and if anyone bothers to confront them they are almost always belligerent about it. So it does not surprise me that this has happened, because if you see it enough times and it comes close to home you will naturally feel threatened, even though in this tragic case it turned out that the kid was not up to anything. I'm extremely sorry that this happened, but from what I have been able to gather after sifting through everyone's screaming and playing the race card, this is a tragic case of misunderstanding and no amount of recorded phone calls can really reveal the circumstances like an eyewitness (which we don't have) could.
Confront me in public snob because you think I look "suspicious" and see how well that works out for you. Your best bet is to mind your own business. You see something that looks suspicious, call the police. or risk getting shot.
Unfortunately, this is a racial issue. It highlights how blacks are presumed to be guilty just because of the color of their skin. I wouldn't call some kid walking down the street talking to his girlfriend "suspicious." This is the kind of thing that black people are confronted with on a fairly regular basis and it doesn't seem to matter what you're wearing or how you’re acting, either. I have been confronted many times for being in an environment thought to be the exclusive province of whites, carrying a credit card to an expensive clothier, circulating at a function that is mostly white with friends. We are not given the benefit of the doubt. That is what is salient about this case to me. There is a huge disconnect with how whites understand race and how blacks experience it. This is a great time to listen to people's experiences and gain some understanding. Trying to sweep race under the table is not the way to proceed.
Thank you Shellie, that is just the kind of belligerence I was talking about. Cheers =-)
I don't understand why Zimmerman isn't behind bars right now. It's one thing to be suspicious of someone, and another thing completely to chase someone down and then shoot them. What right did he have to shoot Trayvon. Even though Trayvon was completely innocent in all of this, let's say it was different, let's say Trayvon had been the burglar, Zimmerman still would not have had the right to push the trigger. I would still be calling for his immediate arrest. I seriously doubt that those who wrote the Stand Your Ground Law had intended for it's purpose to defend criminals like Mr. Zimmerman. Mr. Zimmerman's life wasn't being threatened in any way so how FL can justify this murder by calling it self defense beats me. I'm not sure I could live in a State like FL that interprets the laws so precariously like it does.
Well it is clear that something is amiss here, as the stand your ground law does not apply once he started chasing this kid down the street. The law says that if someone puts your life or someone else's life in immediate danger then you can stand your ground and use deadly force. The law does not say that if you think somebody is up to no good you can pursue them for several blocks, confront them, and use deadly force if they don't comply with your demands.
My opinion on the matter, this law was put in place to protect people from overzealous DA's who would push for manslaughter convictions for people who used deadly force in self defense situations. As here in VA you must first make every effort to remove yourself from the threat before using deadly force, and many people have been convicted for shooting a robber, because they could have just given their wallet and the robber would have left. I believe that the this case is intentionally being mishandled in order to incite public outrage over a law that does not even apply, so that the law can be repealed. This is the only explanation that makes sense to me, if the prosecutors were so overzealous on pursuing self defense gun uses that the legislature had to put a clause into the self defense laws to protect the citizens, why now are they so hesitant to bring charges to a man that clearly killed somebody, and not in self defense?
I think I agree with you Moose. I have heard Stand Your Ground Laws appropriately applied to situations where it has been warranted. I hope in this case, the Feds clean house.
Are you kidding? You believe this case is being mishandled in an effort to repeal a stupid law? Do you have black SUVS that park in front of your house and follow you on a regular basis too?
It's a mere suggestion and a valid one. I don't know of many people who would use a law like Stand Your Ground to justify what Zimmerman did other than a DA with an agenda.
Oh I see...it's a "gated" community....oh well then it's ok to randomly shoot anyone that doesn't fit the "neighborhood" list of who's accepted in their area...this includes the clown trying to defend Zimmerman...what kind of people are you...? The purpose of the gates is to keep you in "your place"...stay there...don't come out...and for God's sake...stay away from anything you can use to harm someone...we don't want you out here with the rest of us...you chose to lock yourselves in...stay there...what a bunch of freaks.
There is no excuse for what this racist, trigger happy thug did to that boy. And the article headline is correct, this guy is no Rambo, he is/was a coward who is now hiding behind a wall of legaleez rather than manning up and telling us what happened.
He leaves his house drives a car following a teen, then gets out and confronts the teen with a gun.
The kid died but since when is it not illegal to point your gun at someone. Since when is self defense allowed to follow and kill another and claim defense.
The cops buddy needs jail time. as a murder he will only spend 3-8 years in prison if he was a crack head or dealing pot he would spend 10-Life.
Our justice system is out of kilter its time to take our nation back to we the people go to change.org and sign the petition to have this guy arrested prosecuted and processed according to societies laws.
Good luck to this family.
Mr. Daffey, oops I mean Taaffe, are you kidding. No one cares what kind of a guy Zimmerman is, save for his family and you. He hunted and shot another person and his words which were recorded prove it. He had no authority or legal right to do so, even under the terms of that wacky law in effect in most of the redneck states in this country. And if Zimmerman is such a great guy, why hasn't he done the right thing and voluntarily turned over his weapon to the police? Next time I'm in Florida, which won't be very soon, since I have no interest in spending my hard earned cash in a rat hole like that State, I'll be sure to stay clear of this sink hole of a city. God forbid anyone gets pulled over by a cop in that town, they probably have a 50/50 chance of getting shot. But considering how little the cops did to check this mess out, or even call the kids parents for crying out loud, just stay clear of the doughnut shops in Samford and you'll be free and clear.
Now I understand it better Florida law allows executions by neighborhood watch people because houses were burgalized by predeominantly black kids? So under that premise it should be open season on blacks
guy is a bigot and idiot the rock he crawled out from under must be in Mississippi
No they don't there is not a single Florida law that covers what this man did as self defense.
Read the law Moose. there were no witnesses.
Zimmerman is a self important wanna-be renta cop who had NO business carrying a gun. he initiated the situation, when he could have just kept an eye on Treyvon, but even after being told by the 911 operator NOT to follow Treyvon, he did, confronted him, then killed him. There is no way there could be any chance this can be interpreted as "self-defense". He went further when Zimmerman LIED to Police about what happened. He was looking to make a name for himself by catching one of the thieves that had targetted his neighborhood, he was so intent on doing that, he completely lost sight of what his responsibilities actually were.
My biggest question is, and will continue to be; WHY was he carrying a gun?!?
This whole issue is inexcusable. The man KILLED an unarmed kid for apparently no reason. He should have been charged by now and should ultimately be held responsible for murder. Case closed.
Doesn't anybody actually read the millions of articles on this incident? Zimmerman is hispanic. I'm tired of seeing all the "if it was the other way around and a white guy was shot by a black guy..." comments. If it was the other way around, it would be a black guy shooting a hispanic guy. Stop trying to paint it as a black vs. white thing and accept that all races can be racist.
And it's clear from the 911 calls and Zimmerman's background/history leading up to this that he IS a rambo wannabe policing the streets that unneccessarily approached someone who wasn't doing anything wrong. Zimmerman caused an unneccessary confrontation and shot someone as a result. All signs point to it being based solely on the color of the victim's skin and Zimmerman's prejudices.
The "stand your ground law" shouldn't even come into play because provoking something yourself is totally different than self-defense.
Joey, take your black-white complaints to the Sanford Police department - they are the ones who identified the scum bag Zimmerman as white.
But we know now that he is not white but you race hunters keep saying it. Just cant help yourself...
Rick, the eleventy billion articles written on the incident describe Zimmerman as hispanic. The comments about black vs. white are on these same articles. Whether the police department used "white" or not is irrelevant because the articles the comments are posted in response to are not describing him as white. If the PD screwed up and the articles kept running the error, no problem. But every single article that clearly states Zimmerman is Hispanic and without fail has a "if he wasn't white, blah, blah, blah" comment which shows that people aren't even reading the articles and are just reacting emotionally.
Ok, to be 100% correct, Zimmerman IS a member of the white race, whether he is brown, tan or albino. He is also Hispanic. The two labels have nothing to do with each other. The fact also remains that if he looked like a brown Mexican or a black anything, he'd have likely been arrested on the spot.