An aerial photograph shows The Retreat at Twin Lakes neighborhood where Trayvon Martin was shot and killed Feb. 26.
Zimmerman is charged with the second-degree murder of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. Since the incident occurred Feb. 26, Zimmerman has asserted he shot and killed Martin in self-defense.
In his initial phone call to the police non-emergency line that evening, Zimmerman reported Martin as a suspicious person in the neighborhood. Between his phone call and the time police arrived an altercation between the two occurred, with Zimmerman claiming Martin confronted and attacked him.
Included in today’s release of evidence are seven non-emergency calls made between August 2011 and February that sound strikingly similar to the call Zimmerman made the night Martin was shot and killed.
Two calls made in August have Zimmerman beginning the same way his call on Feb. 26 does – stating there have been break-ins in the neighborhood and he sees suspicious black males that match the suspect descriptions from the break-ins around his neighbors’ homes.
He makes a similar call in October reporting two black males he does recognize driving through the neighborhood.
Another call made in September has Zimmerman reporting that his neighbor left their garage door open – something he finds out of the ordinary. He also states the neighborhood just held a neighborhood watch meeting the night before.
“They told us to report anything suspicious,” he said. “It’s late and they usually don’t have their garage door open all night.”
In January the neighborhood watch captain makes another call to report that children have been playing in the street at dusk, and they would run in front of vehicles.
“Obviously it’s not an emergency, I’m just concerned for their safety and for the drivers in the neighborhood,” he said.
Less than a month before the incident with Martin, Zimmerman makes a call to report another black male in the neighborhood, walking repeatedly around a home.
“I don’t know what his deal is,” stated Zimmerman. “I don’t want to approach him personally.”
The final non-emergency call from Zimmerman has him reporting Martin as a suspicious person – even using the same phrasing to the dispatcher – “We’ve had some break-ins in my neighborhood,” and “I don’t know what his deal is.”
Police radio transmissions reveal little about the incident that hasn’t already been released. In the most notable transmission the first responding officer can be heard reporting the situation when he arrived.
“I need someone ASAP. I’ve got one down with a gunshot wound and one secured,” he said.
Transmissions also have police checking Zimmerman’s license plate and gun registration with the dispatcher.
Zimmerman is currently out of jail on a $1 million bond. His attorney Mark O’Mara said he is currently in a safe house in Seminole County while being monitored on GPS as part of his bond release conditions.
Check back for uploads of the newly released evidence.