George Zimmerman seen here after his arrest on April 11, 2012. Zimmerman’s arrest follows weeks of anger and debate throughout the country in response to the murder of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. Zimmerman’s attorney said his client would plead not guilty and invoke Florida’s “stand your ground” law, which gives people wide latitude to use deadly force rather than retreat during a fight.
George Zimmerman's attorney released new case material as part of their defense of Zimmerman in the Trayvon Martin case.
Zimmerman is currently on trial for second-degree murder in the death of Martin, who Zimmerman admits to fatally shooting in February. Zimmerman claimed self-defense under Florida's stand your ground law, but Martin's family and civil rights activists are accusing Zimmerman of racially profiling Martin, CNN reported.
As part of the release, Zimmerman's attorney also leaked this video showing Zimmerman giving police his version of events.
The video was made by investigators the day after Zimmerman shot Martin, CNN reported.
In the video Zimmerman claimed that he was heading back to his car, when Martin jumped out of the bushes and yelled, "What's your problem?" Zimmerman said he replied, "I don't have a problem," to which Martin replied, "You've got a problem now." From here, Zimmerman claims Martin continuously beat him until Zimmerman shot him.
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After he fired the shot, Zimmerman said, “He sat up and said, ‘You got me. You got me, or something like that."
The Associated Press spoke with Orlando-area defense attorney David Hill, who is not involved with the case, who said the video may help Zimmerman in his defense because he came across as a "reasonable guy."
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“He came across as being straight-forward,” Hill said after reviewing the video. “It doesn’t hurt him.”
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