The Department of Justice and the FBI will begin investigating the death of an African-American teen, Trayvon Martin, who was shot and killed last month by a white man, George Zimmerman, in Sanford, Florida. On Monday, Trayvon parents said they believed that race was a factor in their son’s death. The Congressional Black Caucus has called for a federal investigation, saying the local police in Sanford have shown “blatant disregard for justice.” The killing has sparked outrage across the country. In a written statement, the Department of Justice spokeswoman Xochitl Hinojosa said, “The department will conduct a thorough and independent review of all of the evidence and take appropriate action at the conclusion of the investigation. The department also is providing assistance to and cooperating with the state officials in their investigation into the incident.”
Trayvon’s father, Tracy Martin, told CNN’s “Anderson Cooper 360” that his son’s death was “a matter of profiling.” Tracy Martin said, “I think that’s an issue that Mr. Zimmerman himself considers as someone suspicious — a black kid with a hoodie on, jeans, tennis shoes. Thousands of people wear that outfit every day, so what was so suspicious about Trayvon that Zimmerman felt as though he had to confront him?” Sybrina Fulton, Trayvon’s mother, told NBC’s “Today” show that Zimmerman “was out there reacting to the color of his skin.” She said, “My son wasn’t doing anything but walking on the sidewalk, and I just don’t understand why this situation got out of control.”
On February 26, Trayvon, 17, was visiting his father’s fiancé’s house, in a gated community, to watch the All Star game. He walked to a convenience store at half-time and never returned. Zimmerman, 28, a self-appointed neighborhood watchman, called police to report a suspicious man in the neighborhood. In 911 tapes released on Monday, Zimmerman said, “Something’s wrong with him. Yep. He’s coming to check me out. He’s got something in his hands. I don’t know what his deal is. Send officers over here.” Trayvon began running and police specifically told Zimmerman not to follow him. The dispatcher asked Zimmerman if he was following Trayvon and after he told them “yea,” the dispatcher said, “Okay, we don’t need you to do that.” Shortly after, police received phone calls reporting cries for help and a gun shot. When police arrived at the scene, 17-year-old Trayvon lay dead on the ground with nothing but a bag of Skittles and an iced tea. Zimmerman claims that he was defending himself under Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law, against a clearly unarmed teenager.
There have been no charges made against Zimmerman. There were no drug or alcohol tests for the shooter, and he was not taken in for questioning. Police initially lied to Trayvon’s parents, telling them that Zimmerman had a clean record, when in fact, he had been charged in the past for resisting arrest and assaulting an officer. Tracy Martin said that he is “positive” that the cries for help were from his son.
