Did America betray Trayvon Martin?

Trayvon Martin

American braces itself for another night of protests by supporters of Trayvon Martins who are angry that his killer George Zimmerman, was acquitted on Saturday night. George Zimmerman was found not guilty of second-degree murder in the fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin, an unarmed black teenager.

In New York last night, protesters filled Time Square and in Los Angeles they burnt flags, blocked roads and had a stand off with police officers.

Zimmernan was acquitted from the killing after he pleaded self-defense. The jury believed him and released him. He can even get his gun back.

Barack Obama issued a statement today on the George Zimmerman not-guilty verdict saying that the fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin was a tragedy but a 'jury has spoken'. The American president called for calm and he famously stated last year, that if he a son, he would have looked like Trayvon. He described the teenager's shooting death in Florida last year as a 'tragedy for America' while using the opportunity to renew his calls for tighter gun legislation across the U.S.

How shooting happened
On 26 February 2012, , Trayvon Martin had gone with his father to see relatives in a gated estate in Florida. He left the house to buy a packed of Skittles and a drink but as he walked back to the house he noticed that he was being followed. He called one of his friends on his phone and was talking to her as he tried to get away from the man following him. Later in court, she testified that Trayvon had been scared. 

Zimmerman later claimed that Trayvon attacked him and he shot him in self-defense.
It took the state 44 days to get Zimmerman arrested. Before his arrest last year, thousands of protesters had gathered in Sanford, Miami, New York and elsewhere, many wearing hoodies like the one Martin had on the night he died.
They also carried Skittles and a can of iced tea, items Martin had in his pocket. 

Zimmerman claimed Trayvon had emerged from the darkness to break his nose with a sucker punch and smash his head several times on a concrete pavement.
The case hinged on the conflicting testimony of witnesses as to who was on top of the other during the struggle, and the key issue of whose screams were heard on a recording of a 911 call made by one of Zimmerman's neighbours, which also captured the fatal shot. 

Martin's mother, father and brother all testified that they were certain it was the teenager who was pleading for his life. Zimmerman's parents and a numbers of friends and neighbours took the stand to insist that it was Zimmerman.

What Zimmerman said to police

After George Zimmerman, a self-appointed neighbourhood watch volunteer of mixed white-Hispanic parentage, shot dead Trayvon Martin, he called the police and admitted killing Martin but told police he fired in self-defence. He was released without charge that night but was arrested six weeks later following public outcry, including intervention by Barack Obama.

Before shooting Trayvon, Zimmerman called 911 to report what he described as Martin's "suspicious behaviour", telling the operator he looked like he was "up to no good, on drugs or something". Zimmerman was warned by the operator not to follow the teenager. During the call he used the words "fucking punks" and said: "These assholes, they always get away."

Racial tension

• A jury of six women who concluded that Zimmerman had justifiably killed the unarmed black 17-year-old were made up of five white women, the sixth was Hispanic.
• The court did not release the racial and ethnic makeup of the jury, but the panel appeared to reporters covering the selection to be made up of five white women and a sixth who may be Hispanic.
• Martin's killing in February 2012 in Florida unleashed debate across the U.S. over racial profiling, self-defense and equal justice
• Protesters nationwide lashed out against police in the Orlando suburb of Sanford after it took 44 days for Zimmerman to be arrested.
• Many, including Martin's parents, said Zimmerman had racially profiled the unarmed black teen. Zimmerman is Hispanic.
• Some in the group wore hoodies while others carried signs that said 'Racism is Not Dead' and 'Who's Next?'

Trayvon's parents, Tracy Martin and Sybrina Fulton, were not in court to hear the verdict on Saturday. They later took to Twitter to acknowledge their deep disappointment at the verdict.

So, did America betray Treyvor Martin? Many say they feel let down by the legal system and how children are killed without justice.

Now, there are calls for a civil case and a fresh investigation into the case but whether that happens or not this case has put race and gun crime at the top of America's agenda.