Trayvon Martin Case: Militia group says it will make citizen’s arrest
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL – MARCH 20: Attorney Benjamin Crump holding papers with the cell phone records and the police report speaks with the media about his clients son, 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, who was killed by neighborhood watch person, George Zimmerman on February 26 in Sanford, Florida, on March 20, 2012 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Mr. Crump feels that the teenagers cell phone records contradict the account of what happened
As the facts of the Trayvon Martin case unfold, more and more groups are coming forward to call for the arrest of George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watch leader who admitted to shooting and killing the black teenager in Florida. One militia group threatens to make a citizen's arrest.
As GlobalPost reported on Monday, several groups have already called for further investigation into the incident and the arrest of Zimmerman. Martin's own family called for an investigation after the release of the 911 tapes.
Members of The New Black Liberation Militia are taking the call to action one step further by planning a citizen's arrest of Zimmerman.
Najee Muhammad, a leader of the militia group, told the Associated Press, they plan to take Zimmerman, 28, to the federal authorities, as the local police have yet to take action. "We'll find him. We've got his mug shot and everything," said Muhammad.
Zimmerman is steadfast that he was acting in self-defense when he shot Martin, who was unarmed, in the chest. Local authorities have yet to place him under arrest.
More from GlobalPost: Trayvon Martin case: Family calls for investigation (VIDEO)
Martin's family, however, does not condone the plan proposed by the militia group. Family attorney Benjamin Crump said in a statement: "They want justice at the hands of authorities and nobody else. Everybody has a right to peacefully assemble but we certainly want to leave any kind of arrests to the authorities."
In order to make a citizen's arrest in the state of Florida, the crime committed has to be a felony or witnessed by the citizen himself, according to the AP. "It has to be witnessed by the citizen making the arrest or the citizen has to have probable cause that the person being arrested is guilty of a felony," it reported.
The militia group describes itself on its website as: "A multi-faith, spiritual, cultural, scientific, and political instructional institution. Developing and Teaching Spiritual, Psychological, Social, Wholistic and Scientific Methods and Techniques to ensure the survival of black people in the 21st century and beyond." It has been involved in other racially charged events including the execution of Troy Barnes, a Texas man who was put to death after shooting a police officer.
More from GlobalPost: Trayvon Martin Case: Seminole County to investigate shooting
Other groups such as Change.org have taken a more peaceful protest approach. The website started a petition calling for the arrest of Zimmerman and an investigation into the killing. So far the petition has collected over 594,000 signatures, making it one of the site's top three campaigns in their history.
View all of our Trayvon Martin coverage.
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