Sanford, Fl News, 1955:
Neighborhood Hails Hero
George Zimmerman is being called a hero by local residents after spotting a suspicious man lurking in their neighborhood and following him.
Mr. Zimmerman saw the man peering into houses on a rainy night and was instantly on alert. He followed him in his vehicle, but lost sight of him at one point. He called Sanford police from a phone booth and was walking back to his truck when the stranger jumped him and knocked him to the ground and grabbed for Mr. Zimmerman's revolver. After a brief struggle, Mr. Zimmerman fired a single bullet into the man's chest, instantly killing him.
Police identified the dead man as Trayvon Martin, 17, of Miami, a negro. School officials in Miami described him as a juvenile delinquent who had recently been suspended.
Local police praised Mr. Zimmerman's courage, saying he undoubtedly did them a favor. Chief John Law said, " I wish we had more men like Mr. Zimmerman who are alert to unusual behavior. We encourage the public to take note of strangers and be prepared to defend themselves if necessary."
Following the incident, a negro minister from New York, Al Sharpton, tried to foment a riot by local negros. An unruly crowd formed but the police dispersed them using police dogs and batons. Sharpton was jailed and is facing felony charges.
Neighborhood Hails Hero
George Zimmerman is being called a hero by local residents after spotting a suspicious man lurking in their neighborhood and following him.
Mr. Zimmerman saw the man peering into houses on a rainy night and was instantly on alert. He followed him in his vehicle, but lost sight of him at one point. He called Sanford police from a phone booth and was walking back to his truck when the stranger jumped him and knocked him to the ground and grabbed for Mr. Zimmerman's revolver. After a brief struggle, Mr. Zimmerman fired a single bullet into the man's chest, instantly killing him.
Police identified the dead man as Trayvon Martin, 17, of Miami, a negro. School officials in Miami described him as a juvenile delinquent who had recently been suspended.
Local police praised Mr. Zimmerman's courage, saying he undoubtedly did them a favor. Chief John Law said, " I wish we had more men like Mr. Zimmerman who are alert to unusual behavior. We encourage the public to take note of strangers and be prepared to defend themselves if necessary."
Following the incident, a negro minister from New York, Al Sharpton, tried to foment a riot by local negros. An unruly crowd formed but the police dispersed them using police dogs and batons. Sharpton was jailed and is facing felony charges.
