re: #257 Targetpractice

The police probably are better educated about the law, namely this section that allows people to kill others in “self-defense,” even if the person they were “defending” themselves against had nothing more than a bag of Skittles. Zimmerman just points to his injuries, which could have come from Martin fighting to get free, and claims that he “reasonably believed” that Martin posed a threat to him.

It’s still no reason not to take Zimmerman into custody simply to process him for evidence. Competent investigative officers are interested in things like defensive wounds. There are basic questions that need to be answered, did Zimmerman have Martin’s DNA under his fingernails, was the blood reported on the back of Zimmerman’s head his own or Trayvons, was a GSR residue test done on Zimmerman. He says he pulled the trigger but only an idiot takes an admitted shooter’s word at face value, you document, you corroborate, you interrogate. You don’t let the shooter go home immediately, you take him into custody and even if he refuses to speak without a lawyer you take his clothing and process it as potential crime scene evidence.

None of this appears to have been done with any degree of professionalism in this case. One of the police officers even contradicted a witness, correcting her to her face when she said she heard Trayvon screaming for help. The officer informed her that she was mistaken, that it was Zimmerman she heard. That’s misconduct, when gathering evidence you don’t go around telling witnesses what they saw or heard, to do so is a basic fucking violation of criminological ethics and procedure.