Florida Sentinel Bulletin

As killer Michael Dunn, 45, prepares to face 1st-degree murder charges in September for the November 23, 2012 slaying of 17-year-old Jordan Davis, in an exclusive interview with Jet Magazine, the teen’s parents, Ron Davis and Lucia McBath, share the difficulties in keeping their son’s story alive and how they’ve bonded with Trayvon Martin’s parents, Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin.

Davis was gunned down by Dunn at a gas station in Jacksonville, Florida. Dunn claims that he felt threatened by the teen — who was sitting inside of an SUV with friends — and loud music coming from the vehicle, so he shot inside of it 8 or 9 times before driving away leaving Davis to die in a friend’s arms. None of the teens had weapons.

The fact that Dunn was carrying a legal concealed weapon, and is counting on Florida’s controversial ‘Stand Your Ground’ law to justify his actions, has drawn attention to the racial implications of the law in a state where Black manhood is consistently criminalized.

Late Saturday evening, George Zimmerman was found not guilty in the death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin.

The issue of self-defense played a central role in Zimmerman’s not guilty plea and his defense’s argument against the second-degree murder charges, and his acquittal is drawing comparisons in the media to the verdict of another high-profile Florida shooting incident: the case of Marissa Alexander.

Alexander, an African-American Florida woman, was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2012 for shooting what she described as warning shots into a wall during a confrontation with her husband. Alexander’s lawyers claimed self-defense in the case, and said her husband had a history of abuse in their relationship. They invoked Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law, which gives people the right to use lethal force if they feel their life is threatened.

The jury ultimately sided with prosecutors in deciding Alexander’s actions were not in self-defense. Her sentencing fell under the guidelines of what’s known in Florida as the “10-20-Life” law, which set certain mandatory minimum sentences for crimes committed with a firearm.

A 5-year-old girl is safe after police said she was the victim of an apparent abduction.

The search is on for her alleged abductor. Joceyln Rojas had been playing outside her home when her mother was unable to find her. Police said two teenage boys on bicycles went searching for Rojas and spotted a maroon or burgundy sedan.

The boys noticed a girl with light brown hair matching the description of the missing girl in the vehicle so they began to follow it, according to police. The vehicle stopped and Rojas got out.

“As soon as the guy noticed we were chasing him, he stopped at the end of the hill and let her out and she ran to me and said that she needed her mom,” said Temar Boggs, one of the teens.

President Barack Obama released a statement Sunday on the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the death of Trayvon Martin, urging Americans to honor the slain teenager by acting to curb gun violence.

Read Obama’s full statement:

“The death of Trayvon Martin was a tragedy. Not just for his family, or for any one community, but for America. I know this case has elicited strong passions. And in the wake of the verdict, I know those passions may be running even higher. But we are a nation of laws, and a jury has spoken. I now ask every American to respect the call for calm reflection from two parents who lost their young son. And as we do, we should ask ourselves if we’re doing all we can to widen the circle of compassion and understanding in our own communities. We should ask ourselves if we’re doing all we can to stem the tide of gun violence that claims too many lives across this country on a daily basis. We should ask ourselves, as individuals and as a society, how we can prevent future tragedies like this. As citizens, that’s a job for all of us. That’s the way to honor Trayvon Martin.”

WASHINGTON — The Justice Department says it is looking into the shooting death of Trayvon Martin to determine whether federal prosecutors should file criminal civil rights charges now that George Zimmerman has been acquitted in the state case.

The department opened an investigation into Martin’s death last year but stepped aside to allow the state prosecution to proceed.

In a statement Sunday, the Justice Department said the criminal section of the civil rights division, the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s office for the Middle District of Florida are continuing to evaluate the evidence generated during the federal probe, in addition to the evidence and testimony from the state trial.

The statement said that, in the government’s words, “experienced federal prosecutors will determine whether the evidence reveals a prosecutable violation.”

A Queens high school principal has drawn the ire of community members after  allegedly making racially charged remarks about several employees.

Parents and teachers protested outside the New York City Department of Education last Monday, demanding authorities immediately investigate the situation. In addition, a Change.org petition calling for the termination of the principal has garnered more than 1,000 signatures.

Minerva Zanca, the principal of Pan American International High School, allegedly targeted several Black teachers who recently filed complaints with the Department of Education Office of Equal Opportunity.

Two of the teachers, who were fired, say they were victims of harassment and that their poor performance ratings were a result of racial discrimination. Another teacher, who quit, said she also felt targeted because of her race.

In a witness statement, the school’s assistant principal, Anthony Riccardo confirmed their claims. He said Zanca called the teachers “gorillas” and made comments about their “big lips” and “nappy hair,”

In cities across the country, protests have taken shape in reaction to George Zimmerman’s acquittal of all murder charges in his second degree murder trial for the death of Trayvon Martin.

“Trayvon was murdered,” marchers chanted in Washington, D.C. “No justice, no peace,” they intoned according to NBC 4 Washington.

The Los Angeles Times is covering similar developments. Officials in San Francisco have noted that 200 people have gathered peacefully, yet taken to the streets, to contest the Seminole County jury’s finding that George Zimmerman is not guilty after two days of deliberations.

“We haven’t been notified of any disturbance,” an officer told the paper. “So far it’s peaceful.”

On Twitter, people have captured and shared these spontaneous outpourings into public spaces, where kindred spirits are gathering to lament the outcome to a controversial trial that some feel underscores a widespread belief that, for African-Americans, true justice is a fleeting ideal.

“The whole system is racist,” stated the signs of protesters at a BART station in the San Francisco region, driving that message home.

Similar protests have been documented on Twitter and news reports in Chicago, Florida and New York City.

At approximately 10 p.m. on Saturday, the six jurors assigned to the George Zimmerman trial returned a unanimous verdict of not guilty. It is a legal requirement for such cases in Florida that juries must come to a unanimous decision.

Earlier on Saturday, there was some speculation that Zimmerman would receive the lesser verdict of manslaughter, rather than second degree murder, due to the fact that the jury had presented a question about that verdict to the court during its deliberations.

Zimmerman maintains that he was attacked by Trayvon Martin and acted in self-defense. Martin was shot and killed during an altercation that took place in Sanford, Florida in February 2012.

Jahvaris Fulton, brother of Trayvon Martin, responded to Zimmerman ‘not guilty’ verdict via Twitter
Six women found George Zimmerman, 29, “not guilty” on all charges for the shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin and the slain teen’s parents have spoken out about the verdict:
“God blessed Me & Sybrina with Tray and even in his death I know my baby proud of the FIGHT we along with all of you put u [sic],” tweeted Tracy Martin. “Thanks to everyone who are with us and who will be with us si [sic] we together can make sure that this doesn’t happen again. Even though I am broken-hearted my faith is unshattered I WILL ALWAYS LOVE MY BABY TRAY.”
Minutes later, Sybrina Fulton tweeted her appreciation for all the support and reaffirmed her faith in God:
Lord during my darkest hour I lean on you. You are all that I have. At the end of the day, GOD is still in control. Thank you all for your prayers and support. I will love you forever Trayvon!!! In the name of Jesus!!!
The jury of six White women deliberated for 16 hours and 20 minutes — over the course of 2 days — before ultimately deciding that the life of a Black, unarmed teenager means nothing in the United States of America

Zimmerman Found Not Guilty In Trayvon Martin’s Death

Statement By Rev. Al Sharpton On George Zimmerman Acquittal
Saturday, July 13, 2013 (New York, NY) “The acquittal of George Zimmerman is a slap in the face to the American people but it is only the first round in the pursuit of justice. We intend to ask the Department of Justice to move forward as they did in the Rodney King case and we will closely monitor the civil case against Mr. Zimmerman. I will convene an emergency call with preachers tonight to discuss next steps. And intend to head to Florida in the next few days.”

Rev. Al Sharpton, President of National Action Network and MSNBC Host
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SANFORD, Fla. — Neighborhood watch George Zimmerman was cleared of all charges Saturday in the shooting of Trayvon Martin, the unarmed black teenager whose killing unleashed furious debate across the U.S. over racial profiling, self-defense and equal justice.
Zimmerman, 29, blinked and barely smiled when the verdict was announced. He could have been convicted of second-degree murder or manslaughter. But the jury of six women, all but one of them white, reached a verdict of not guilty after deliberating well into the night Saturday.
Martin’s mother and father were not in the courtroom when the verdict was read; supporters of his family who had gathered outside yelled “No! No!” upon learning of the not guilty verdict.
The jurors considered nearly three weeks of often wildly conflicting testimony over who was the aggressor on the rainy night the 17-year-old was shot while walking through the gated townhouse community where he was staying.
The verdict came a year and a half after civil rights protesters angrily demanded Zimmerman be prosecuted. That anger appeared to return Saturday night outside the courthouse, at least for some who had been following the case.
Rosie Barron, 50, and Andrew Perkins, 55, both black residents of Sanford, stood in the parking lot of the courthouse and wept.
“I at least thought he was going to get something, something,” Barron said.
Added her brother: “How the hell did they find him not guilty?”
Perkins was so upset he was shaking. “He killed somebody and got away with murder,” Perkins shouted, looking in the direction of the courthouse. “He ain’t getting no probation or nothing.”