XDA

Here is the headline for CNN's coverage of the release of information about the Trayvon Martin shooting:

Police: Trayvon Martin's death 'ultimately avoidable'

And here is the support for that headline:

The encounter between George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin was ultimately avoidable by Zimmerman, if Zimmerman had remained in his vehicle and awaited the arrival of law enforcement, or conversely if he had identified himself to Martin as a concerned citizen and initiated dialog (sic) in an effort to dispel each party's concern...

This paragraph is the impression (opinion) of a police officer and it is meaningless for several reasons.

1) It has nothing to do with a single element of 2nd degree Murder or any lesser included (like manslaughter). Florida Law does not have any language in its homicide statutes that starts, "Unless the encounter was ultimately avoidable..."

2) This is not an opinion rationally based on the perception of someone there as no police officer was there at the scene until after the shooting.

3) The opinion that 'nothing would have happened if...' is rank speculation not admissible as evidence in any court I've ever been in.

So of all the bits of information revealed yesterday to seize on for a headline, this 'ultimately avoidable' is about the least important of the lot.

So why did CNN cling to this meaningless bit of speculation for highlighting?

Because the talking heads there were such supporters of the narrative where Zimmerman was a racist, vigilante murderer, they are unable to abandon it, no matter how worthless the so called support of that narrative now is.

Oh, by the way, has anyone at CNN or MSNBC apologized for saying Zimmerman was not attacked or injured by Trayvon based on the earlier leaked surveillance tape at the jail, on which no detail was evident? I didn't think so.

Unless there is something more out there not yet revealed, I predict a dismissal by the judge prior to trial.

UPDATE: Check out this question and answer about this case. It would have been shorter just to say "no."

Q. Has any solid evidence emerged after all these months of media frenzy that the story George Zimmerman told the police wasn’t true?
– Steve Sailor *

A. Some Sanford officers were skeptical about certain details of Mr. Zimmerman’s account. For instance, he told the police that Mr. Martin had punched him numerous times, but they questioned whether his injuries were consistent with the number of blows he claimed to have received. They also suspected that some of the threatening and dramatic language that Mr. Zimmerman said Mr. Martin used during the struggle — like “You are going to die tonight” — sounded made up.

Labels: Trayvon Martin; George Zimmerman