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Subscribe to RSSMartin Bashir leads a discussion with The Grio.com's Joy-ann Reid and Georgetown University's Michael Eric Dyson about how race – and some in the media – are playing a role in shaping Americans perception of the Trayvon Martin case and George Zimmerman's defense.
SANFORD, Fla. -- FBI agents on Monday were questioning potential witnesses in the Trayvon Martin shooting, confirming to NBC News that the agency had begun a "parallel investigation" that focuses on whether the teen's civil rights were violated.
Agents are seeking information on George Zimmerman's background and whether he was racially motivated when he pursued Martin after calling a 911 police dispatcher about his presence in the community, an FBI official told NBC.
The agents were at the Retreat at Twin Lakes, where Martin was shot dead by Zimmerman, the gated community's neighborhood watch captain.
The state of Florida is conducting its own investigation in the shooting and that one is being overseen by a special prosecutor.
Although the Justice Department two weeks ago publicly announced it would examine potential civil rights violations, the arrival of bureau agents represents a new phase in inquiries into the case.
A senior law enforcement official confirmed that one potential piece of evidence is records of Zimmerman's prior 911 calls to police dispatchers.
The call sheets show that five of seven phone calls Zimmerman had made since last August involved what he viewed as suspicious activity by young men identified as "black males." But the call sheets do not indicate whether Zimmerman was asked about the race of the suspects or volunteered that information.
Zimmerman, who has not come forward to talk about the shooting, acknowledged to police that he shot Martin but insists it was self-defense.
The incident has sparked outrage in many quarters because Martin, who was black, was unarmed.
Craig Sonner, Zimmerman's lawyer, has insisted that his client, who has a white father and Hispanic mother, is not racist. "This was not a case of racial profiling," he told NBC News on Sunday. "George Zimmerman is not a racist."
Sonner told Reuters on Monday that Zimmerman would turn himself in to police should he be charged.
Lawyers for the family of slain Florida teen Trayvon Martin say they will ask the Department of Justice to investigate the handling of the investigation into the 17-year-old's death. NBC's Kerry Sanders reports.
Also Monday, lawyer's for Martin's parents said they would ask the Justice Department to investigate the local prosecutor's interactions with police handling the probe into their son's death.
The Justice Department initiated a query on March 19, but the family wants them to look into possible interference by State Attorney Norm Wolfinger's office with the Sanford police investigation of Martin’s Feb. 26 death, NBCMiami.com reported.
The Sanford Police Department requested an arrest warrant from Wolfinger’s office in the shooting, but the state attorney's office held off until the case could be reviewed further, according to NBCMiami.com.
Experts: Screams on 911 call not Zimmerman
Video shows Zimmerman after shooting
Two audio experts who have analyzed the 911 tapes from the fatal evening have determined that Zimmerman was not the person heard crying for help.
"The tests concluded that it's not the voice of Mr. Zimmerman," said Tom Owen, of Owen Forensic Services LLC and chair emeritus for the American Board of Recorded Evidence.
Asked if he thought such tests would be admissible in court, Owen said "yes" and noted he had recently used similar testing in testimony at a Connecticut murder case that involved a 911 call.
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Who cares what Trayvonn wore, what he looked like, or if Zimmerman has a booboo! Bottom line, a 17 year old unarmed kid was pursued, shot, and killed. Arrest Zimmerman and let a jury decide.
They can't make an arrest unless the facts point towards guilty, the Sanford police issued a manslaughter warrent and the DA turned it down becuase there was not enough evidence to convict him.
Cannot do it. Not now with what NBC has done. No way this man gets a impartial trial. If any local,state or federal tries it? The USA would be on par with NAZI "show" trials. The Obama administration and Eric Holder has blown it.
So true Iowa, between the media, politicians, and the black community, this will be a mis-trial if he does get arrested. He will get off scott free.
Better yet, how about we just move on and chalk it up to another "NIGGA" dead. After all if you really care you could spend every day mourning a dead black kid in Chicago. There are literally hundreds snuffed out every year. Not sure if all of them consider themselves "NO LIMIT NIGGA" however.
Did Young Martin get a fair trial when he was brutalized and murdered by a raging racist ego maniac? Or are racist white people the only people that deserve a "Fair Trial" after they murder innocent black boys in your opinion?
Oh my how on earth did Casey Anthony (and she got off), OJ (also got off) or any of the other high profile cases ever get tried with all the media. Are you people really that dense?
I am 100 percent against racial profiling of any type but before you hang anyone make sure you are correct. By the way, are sharpton and jackson going to go after every murder scene out there including black against white? Or is that not racial since no blacks are prejudice?
So because Zimmerman and his supporters are racists, you want to claim that Sharpton and Jackson are too because they want to bring the racists murders to justice? Maybe you need to check where your heart is? It seems it's a little too far to the right. Where racism lives and breeds.
Where are Sharpton and Jackson when its a Negro killing Negro? They are hiding and waiting for a situation like this so they can get back into the media spot light. If Sharpton and Jackson truly cared about there Negro race, they would be on the streets of Chicago and Los Angeles etc and they would be helping there race instead of holding them back. Sharpton and Jackson are as racist as they come.
Maybe you should take that white hood off your face so you can see clearly? No? Too cowardly to show your racist face? Profiling a couple young black men to kill and all the sudden the NAACP shows up and shines a light on your face and tells you that you can't do that. Upset that black people are standing up for themselves and bringing attention to all the racist white men out there that are murdering innocent black boys? Upset you can't continue your racist hate killings any longer?
Anyone white butt out. Only Hispanics and Blacks should comment. LOL
It seems like everything is falling apart for Zimmerman. We can hear in the 911 tapes that he's a predator following a young innocent black boy, profiling him, and trying to set up his alibi. Yet he messes up when he uses a racial slur before attacking him. We have video proof that there is no blood on his clothing. No bruising or swelling of his nose, no gauze pads on his head to cover the supposed wound that "should have several stitches" that his lawyer claimed. We now know that witnesses saw him on top of Young Martin, shooting him in the back, and leaving Young Martin face down in the grass.
We also see a police cover up, and a D.A. cover up.
It's a shame that white people are allowed to murder innocent black people in Florida, and then make up a lie to cover it up. What's even more sad is that there are White people all around the Country who are themselves so racist that they are trying to cover for Zimmerman as well. The racism in Zimmerman's propagandist's is sad : (
What is a shame is that black people who are so quick to demand a lynching when they would, if the roles were reversed, be demanding the justice system do everything in its power to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt the person's guilt. THAT is racism, plain and simple.
Its so shame that white people are willing to commit a racist lynching by tracking down young innocent helpless black boy walking home at night. Pull out their gums and shoot him in the back, and then leave him face down in the grass. I bet you and all the other KKK members were at home drinking your Bud Lights high fiving each other when you heard the 911 tapes ... you kept replaying Zimmerman say "F'ing Coons" and High Fived each other more while crushing those Bud Light cans into your heads and showing off your swastika tats to each other huh?
First question, Why did Zimmerman get out of his car. second, why call police if you were going to handle it yourself. Third, will everything be fair knowing his father is a judge.
1) Martin was cutting through yards and you can't drive your car through yards. (At least that was in the initial reporting...try to find that now though.)
2) He called police because he wanted them to come and make sure this person he did not know was legitimately in the neighborhood which had suffered numerous recent burglaries.
3) Will it be a fair trial anywhere after the media has already condemned him time and again?
i'm guessing you are about 37 years old. a white married woman with two kids,sitting behind your computer trying to be politically correct so you can sleep at night.get out of your 250,000 a house neighborhood and take a look around....
JJ Muray is a KKK recruiter in Florida. He's on here to recruit other racists to join. This media attention is really hurting membership as people are leaving racism behind to become good moral citizens. That really pisses JJ off since he believes every white person should own saves still.
CUtting through a neighborhood IS NOT AGAINST THE LAW or suspicious on a RAINY Night!! My kids did it all the time.
EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD Is hit by burglaries, in fact the last time Our neighborhood was burglarized it was two white boys, and our own son and his friends stole a neighbors motorcycle and got caught, but we don't go around shooting white boys do we!!!
A fair trial because his DAD is a Judge!! HA HA, there wasn't going to be a trial because his Dad is a Judge! This man had been Violent with a Woman, had pushed a Officer of the Law and never got charged, He believed it would just "blow over" BECAUSE his Dad is a judge and you think that is FAIR to Trayvon.
He wasn't "Cutting Through" the neighborhood. He lived there.
Could the national Neighborhood Watch organization sue Zimmerman for carrying a gun on his Neighborhood Watch patrol since it is against their policy? Zimmerman certainly has hurt the reputation of Neighborhood Watch.
Their neighborhood watch was not part of the national organization.
therefore their "watch program"was nothing more than a group of self appointed wannabe's.
I can't wait for this worthless story to fade into the pointless media hype graveyard that it belongs in.
Hispanic follows black kid, a confrontation occurs, black beats up hispanic, hispanic shoots black kid. THE END! This stupid @!$%# happens all day long, every day, all across the world. Minorities killing minorities. Sunrise, Sunset.
You're a racist that hates America, and wants to go back to slavery. We get that, but America isn't going back to that time, no matter how many racists, like you, your wife, your mother, father, and grandparents there are.
The End!
Andy - Funny, but you didn't even comment on the point he made that minority on minority crime happens every single day in this country and yet we don't have national media attention on those killings. Why is it that we get this feeding frenzy as soon as they though the shooter was white? Isn't THAT being racist?
You know what happens more everyday than ANY other violent crime? White man comes home and starts beating his scared innocent wife. Starts beating her face, and head into the wall. Abusing & torturning her. Yes, white men are as violent, as anyone in this Country.
Do you know WHY there is National Media Attention for this? Because Black people are sick and tired of not being able to walk home without being profiled and murdered. Because more than 150 years after slavery was "officially" abolished, Black People are murdered everyday by citizens, and police because of the color of their skin.
So if you're tired of seeing the news story of an innocent black boy being tracker down and brutally murdered by a racist white murderer, because you feel "That's there place in life", I'm sorry, but you will see more of this coverage from now on. The racism that lives in your heart will no longer be allowed on American soil. We know you hate America, you hate the idea of blacks being equal to whites. It drives you crazy to think you can't abuse blacks because of their skin color any longer. That when you shoot an innocent black boy, the media will be there with the camera light in your face. You can't hide the shadows of racial hate any longer. Your time is finished.
@andy...lol where are your statistics ???i highly doubt them.once again you only speculate and ignore cold hard facts and statistics.
@Spiceman: Of course you "Doubt" them. Take the white hood of your racist head and look. Oh wait, you can't do that. The glare from the media's lights are too bright. You can't commit racist murders anymore in the shadows can you? We get it, you're a KKK recruiter and this media attention is harming your recruiting efforts. You're not able to promise autonomy anymore for your other racist friends. You recruited them by saying "Hey, we can kill innocent young black boys and no one will care." but now people DO care, and that upsets you. You can't carry on your hate crimes any longer and you're furious. We understand Spiceman, your days of KKK recruiting are over!
more speculation and NO statistics !! EH,i'm not surprised !
I know you're not surprised. Because you hate America. You hate Black People. We're not surpised about you either. So you can go back to your KKK compound and tell all your other racist white supremists that ... and let me be very clear about this ...
You tell them "White People aren't buying our racist propaganda anymore. They know that our KKK brother killed Young Martin by shooting him in the back as he was running away, and they aren't letting me recruit them for the KKK. I'm afraid the Media attention of Young Martin being Murdered by our best KKK friend and mentor Zimmerman is HURTING our recruiting efforts".
Rung along back to the KKK compound now Spiceman, you're not welcome here any longer.
4 posts in and not ONE single statistic ???sounds like you are the racist here .
I don't hate black people Andy, but I do hate you. Go kill yourself.
johncrapper
I foresee Sally or Taylor paying your comment a visit.
Why did Zimmerman think Martin looked suspicious? Past history of people committing crimes in the neighborhood were that they were black and wandering around looking for stuff to steal. You don't think that a white in a black neighborhood walking up and down the street where these has been a history of white crime is not going to draw attention?
Well one thing is for sure. If it was a white boy laying dead in a black neighborhood, and the killer was black. There would have already been an arrest, and execution.
IS there really anyone in the USA that actually believes that the US DEPT OF JUSTICE is nothing more then a Criminal Cover up agency serving the whims and caprices of Obama. ITS a JOKE, a CRIME and acts like it. When can we have the trial on Solondra? Or the Green energy Grants, One dollar bribes paid to Obama turn into a return rate of 24,850 Dollars on every dollar bribed. Not bad not bad at all. Until you realize We are paying the Payout. And not even getting the bribe cash.
Greg .... We know you're a KKK recruiter for the GOP. Yes, Bush ran America into the ground financially. Yes, the GOP is the home of the KKK. We understand all of that.
Neo Nazis are a bunch of child molesting meth heads.
They'll get him for felony jaywalking or spitting on the sidewalk. Maybe for self mutilation in causing the injuries to his head. I see the death penalty in his future.
Zimmerman's story has been vindicated. Enhanced video shows injuries...Zimmerman is as good as golden.
Too bad losers, your thug got squashed like a bug.Nothing more to see.
We already know there is NO blood on his shirt. No swollen nose. NO gauze on his head from a cut requiring stitches. Your fake video is laughable. You can't recruit new KKK members here. Your time is over Mr. KKK recruiter.
More MSNBC BS #.T3n7DqtSSnk
You guys should be fired
Why do Martin's parents keep call him a little boy and showing pictures of him when he was 14? He is now 17+ years old and 6+ feet tall I don't call that little. If this had be a black man killing a "little boy" it wouldn't have hardly made the news. But they have to play the race card when they have nothing else. I have gotten tired of it. The "little boy" wasn't a angel by any means.
Oh you're angry that Young Martin was a little boy and they are showing pictures of him? I'm sorry that the truth upsets you Mr. KKK recruiter.
First off.....Zimm isn't white...he is hispanic ! Second ....The media seems to ignore the fact that Zimm had a briken nose and abrasions on his hed and neck ! Third.....let's not overlook the fact that he also had grass stains on the back of his shirt from being knocked down.
We are being further misled by the media in that they are showing pictures of the Martin kid when he was 12 years old.....when he was really a 170 pound six foot kid. He was taller than Zimm and as large as an adult. Big enough to knock down Zimm and break his nose.....
I don't know about you , but if I was knocked down , and was being beaten, I would have shot as well......
Martin was not a victim !
Martin attacked, The Hispanic shot back?
Actually, Zimmerman DOESN'T have a broken nose. No cuts, No blood, NOTHING. I know you're a racist KKK recruiter and all this media coverage of your KKK brother Zimmerman is messing up your recruiter efforts in Florida, and Nationally.
Yes, we all know if you came across a little black boy you'd attack him, murder him, and then lie and say the little black boy did it. But then again, when the little black boy is laying face down in the grass with a gun shot to his back because he was running away scared for his life, it's hard to claim that.
Does it upset you that your KKK recruiting efforts are way down now that the media is bringing your racist ways to light?
#.T3n7DqtSSnk
#.T3n7DqtSSnk
Tragic incident. However, it appears that because of public outcry fuled by media bias that gives no weight to zimmerman injuries or eyewitness testimony, the FBI will now get involved with their catch all violationof civil rights investigation. Somehow in order to appease all the people shouting in the streets the gov't is going to somehow manufacture some type of charge. Any7time there is not enough evidence the gov't digs into its civil rights violation bag of tricks--appalling.
Apparently not everyone is guaranteed equal protection under the constitution. If your a black thug and get shot trying to break the skull of a non black, the media, justice department, local, state law enforcement and the FBI investigate to ensure the black thugs civil rights were not violated.
...............if your white and slaughtered by blacks,,,,its' just a ordinary crime your local Barney Fife and Sheriff Andy Taylor can manage. I have had enough. OBAMA is a race pimp no better than Sharpton or Jesse Jackson. Now he has the FBI investigating. Jenna Six, Professor Gates, and now this........there is no way I am voting for this AHOLE again. I can't believe OBAMA is taking sides on race issues...so much for our great first black president. Race pimping whore.
Mr. KKK Recuriter Mongo. I just felt the need to tell you that you and your racist White Thugs can no longer track down innocent black boys, shoot them in the back as they are running away, and just leave them face down in the grass while yelling "He was a black thug". Sorry about your days of killing black boys in the name of the KKK is done. This incident is that start of the end for you. We know you're a KKK recruiter, and you hate America. But the rest of us love America. And Zimmerman (and all your other KKK murderer friends) will be charged, convicted, and sent away where they can never harm another innocent little bacl boy again.
LOL trying to break the skull? Dramatic much or are you just a sissy like Zimmerman? All this drama about head being bashed on the sidewalk and the best that can be produced is a couple scratches and some EMT'S that say he had no serious injuries and cancelled the ambulance? All you sissy guys need to stay home where it's safe you'll cry near death if you stub your pinky toes.
they will keep finding agencies to "investigate" the incident until they get the results they are looking for....and by "they" i mean the media !!
What part of the cover-up are you expecting to benefit from? If you do not think this issue is way beyond the media attention, why do you continue to log onto this website? Do you use sandpaper after your morning T-publican donation?
cover-up ???are you joking ??the words i would use are "witch hunt ".
You're right! Zimmerman was on a racist witch hunt that night. That is the perfect way to describe it! The racism and hate in his heart and he was going to make an innocent black boy pay for walking through his neighborhood. He was on a racist witch hunt for any black boy he could find.
or maybe he was protecting his neighbors from more burgularies (like the ones in this gated community). but you go ahead and speculate,and don't let facts get in your way.
Well since there was no burglary in progress. Only a little black boy walking home. And since he called that little black boy a "F'ing Coon", and afterward that little black boy was found laying face down in the grass, a gun shot to the back and he was running from a raging racist Zimmerman ... I'd say your KKK recruiting lies aren't working here SpicemanKKK. You can take your racist lies back to the KKK compound, because the White People here aren't buying them. K? Bye Bye Mr. Racist KKK recruiter.
This is another proof of the bias in news reporting regarding this case. If they are trying to prove that Zimmerman was motivated by racial prejudice, simply because he used the term "black male" when describing 5 of 7 suspects he reported they would have to indict every police officer in this country. Every description of a suspect or subject begins with the subjec't race and sex. There is no inference and none can be drawn by someone reporting a white / black male or white / black female since that is the way that is supposed to be done. They are looking for any way to charge this guy with something and arrest him simply because political pressure coming from Washington and to apeace the hordes.
The interesting thing about when racist murderers and racist supporters. They always have selective hearing.
'F'ing Coon' is the racial slur you need to listen to. Although, you already know that, you just hate that another racist murderer is under attack now huh?
How can a young adult male, black, be or look threatening with an iced tea in one hand and a box of Skittles in the other?
No one has talked about this: What if Martin attacked? Wouldn't he be standing his own ground against an armed aggressor? What about his rights?
If someone threatened me with a gun and all I was doing was walking home with an iced tea and Skittles it would be in my right to stand my ground against the aggressor.
It was Zimmerman who was the aggressor here.
FIrst of all, Its was dark, it was raining, It was a gated community? With a neighborhood watch set up. Why, HIGH CRIME AREA, Was Martin trespassing? Did he belong in the gated community? A lot of questoins to look at.
Because no black boy should be walking in the neighborhood he lives in when it's dark right Mr. Racist heart?
Enough with the dramatics Greg. It was 7PM, still light outside, yes it was raining and so what if it was a gated community? They had no official "Neighborhood watch" only self appointed wannabes and it's not a HIGH CRIME aread. And yes, he belonged in the "gated community". please do try and keep up.
Martin attacked, The White Hispanic shot back.
Who says, his dad? LOL
Actually his father is Jewish.. so he's Jewish Hispanic.
Wouldn't it be Hispanic Jew? Who cares? The perp is hiding behind his dad's big azz. I bet the FBI will find him anyway because they know alot about anuses.
Zimmerman attacked and brutalized a young black boy, and then left him face down in the grass, dead. While you and the rest of your KKK chapter celebrated huh Mr. Texas hang 'em?
Andy, actually, I am afraid you are doing more successful recruiting of KKK wannabes than anyone else here, calm down!
Andy, please go get some anger management as you are seeing the KKK in every post that you don't agree with. If you don't your hatred will lead you towards murder of a white person just out of anger. You are seething with it and please get help so it can be directed more effectively in the cause you seem to have in your heart. Hatred breeds hatred look at what happened with Cain and Abel... one of them didn't listen and let his anger get away from him and committed murder. I understand you are upset by what you feel is happening here but you are now promoting the very things you are spewing hatred over and it will not end well for you.
MSNBC : WHERE THE SPIN STARTS HERE. give it a try guys. maybe being honest will get you some viewers so you don't have to rely on soros and his buddies to keep you alive.
What are the chances that the real truth will ever come out and that this poor slob can ever get a fair trial? He will be found guilty regardless of any facts. He may well be guilty, but his fate is predetermined in order to prevent any further uprising. Once in prison his fate is sealed. Black Panther reward anyone?