Accused taught not to pursue suspects
Witness tells of Neighbourhood Watch program
George Zimmerman was told not to pursue suspects or act as “vigilante police” during instruction to serve as Neighborhood Watch co-ordinator at the central Florida condominium complex where he fatally shot teenager Trayvon Martin, a prosecution witness told jurors Tuesday.
during the second day of testimony in Mr. Zimmerman’s murder trial in Florida state court, Wendy dorival of the Sanford Police said she visited the Retreat at Twin Lakes condo community in September 2011 at Mr. Zimmerman’s request to explain the work of Neighborhood Watch to about 25 residents.
“What do you tell someone about following someone?” prosecutor John Guy asked Ms. dorival, a civilian police employee who works with Neighborhood Watch volunteer organizations.
“We tell them not to do that,” Ms. dorival replied.
Mr. Zimmerman, who is charged with second-degree murder, an unlawful killing without premeditation, faces as long as life in prison if he’s found guilty. He has maintained he fired in self-defence after Mr. Martin punched him in the nose, knocked him down and banged his head on the sidewalk.
Mr. Guy told the sixwoman jury Monday during opening statements that prosecutors believe Mr. Zimmerman, 29, came to spot, confronted and shot Mr. Martin, 17, point blank as he walked to the condo of his father’s girlfriend on Feb. 26, 2012, in Sanford.
The gunning down of an unarmed black teenager by a man whose father is white and mother Hispanic prompted rallies and protests across the u.S. and elicited a comment from u.S. president Barack Obama that if he had a son, that child would have looked like Mr. Martin.
The encounter with Mr. Zimmerman happened as Mr. Martin was walking through Mr. Zimmerman’s gated community on a rainy evening.
Ms. dorival, the fifth prosecution witness, testified her impression of Mr. Zimmerman was positive and she even suggested he consider working as a police volunteer. She said he refused.
The trial, presided over by Seminole County Circuit Judge debra Nelson, might last as long as three weeks.