New details in the Trayvon Martin shooting

The story of Trayvon Martin has been slowly changing. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

The story of Trayvon Martin – the unarmed Florida teenager shot and killed a month ago supposedly in self-defense – has been slowly changing.

We first heard that George Zimmerman shot Martin after pursuing him – against the advice of a 911 operator.

But police gave Orlando Sentinel reporter Renee Stutzman a different version – that Zimmerman actually DID give up the chase:

“Zimmerman told police that he was returning to his SUV when Trayvon approached him. The two exchanged words and Zimmerman told police that Trayvon then threw a punch, hit him in the nose and that punch knocked George Zimmerman to the ground,” said one report.

Remember the 911 tape where you can hear screaming in the background right before the shot?

The police now say there is a witness who says it wasn’t the teenager screaming – that was the gunman – who was getting his head pounded into the sidewalk. It almost sounds as if the police would like to have charged Trayvon Martin with assault. His father finds this odious:

“Even in death they are still disrespecting my son,” said his father.

But as I understand it, even if this new version of events is true – under Florida’s Stand Your Ground law, Trayvon Martin would have had no duty to retreat when he saw this guy following him, and if he felt threatened, had every right to attack him. Even with a gun – if he’d been old enough to have one. All of which makes me wonder – is this law making anyone feel safer?

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