In Reply: Isn't It Possible That Trayvon Martin Was Standing His Ground and Defending Himself Against A Creepy Stranger Who Was Following Him?

In reply to: The Trayvon Martin Narrative Changes Suddenly: Witnesses Say Martin Beat Up Zimmerman Before Being Shot | THE WESTERN EXPERIENCE

I don't mean to be difficult, Jason, but how has the narrative changed?

The witness testimony of "John" (quoted above) isn't new. It's been a part of the story (even in the MSM) since the night after Trayvon was shot. (Here's a report from a Fox station in Orlando, on 2/27/12 - the night after the incident - that includes John's eyewitness testimony: Man shot and killed in neighborhood altercation).

Even if "John's" recollection of what he saw is 100 percent accurate, it doesn't prove that Trayvon was the aggressor, or that Zimmerman was justified in shooting him. It only proves that whoever laid hands on the other first, Trayvon got the upper hand. Losing a street fight does not justify shooting the guy who won--especially if the loser started the fight, which is at least as possible as the alternative. (No one is claiming to have seen the initial verbal or physical contact between Trayvon and Zimmerman. One ear witness--the 16 year old girl that Trayvon was on the phone with--says that Zimmerman came up to Trayvon and shouted "What are you doing here?!?" before there were sounds of a scuffle and the phone went dead.) The girl also says Trayvon was trying to avoid the guy who was following him (she even told him to run away from the guy), and according to the tape of Zimmerman on the call with the police dispatcher, Zimmerman was told not to follow the alleged perpetrator he was calling about, which he agreed not to do.

There is no evidence or testimony suggesting that Trayvon ever approached or "attacked" Zimmerman, and lots suggesting that Zimmerman pursued and ultimately confronted Trayvon Martin. While we don't know which man initiated physical contact or why, a credible supposition can certainly be made that Trayvon, finding himself unable to get away from this stranger who was following him, and fearing that Mr Zimmerman intended to do him harm, lashed out to defend himself. We don't know for sure because, unlike Mr Zimmerman, Trayvon isn't here to tell his side of the story. I'm not saying this is definitely what happened. I am saying it's possible that Trayvon was at least as in fear for his life as Mr Zimmerman was, and believed he had at least as much cause to defend himself as best he could from bodily harm, even if that meant incapacitating the other guy long enough so that he could get away from him. (Isn't that the goal of self-defense training; to do at least enough damage to the aggressor to escape the situation and thus not be hurt yourself?)

One thing seems pretty clear... Had Mr Zimmerman stayed in his truck by the mailboxes and met the responding officers the way the police dispatcher asked him to, neither man would've had cause to stand their ground or defend themselves--Zimmerman, from a suspicious-looking guy in a hoodie, and Trayvon, from a creepy older stranger who was following him through the neighborhood--and Trayvon would likely still be alive.
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Posted March 25, 2012 at 12:09 am

Links: Stinque � New Witness is Old Witness Who Saw Part of Fight But Didn’t See Start of Fight
memeorandum: Witness: Martin attacked Zimmerman (WTVT-TV)
memeorandum: Beth Stebner / Associated Press:
Now witness claims TRAYVON attacked Zimmerman