George Zimmerman: Self-appointed watchman or racist killer?
By David Ovalle The Miami Herald
A portrait of George Zimmerman paints the picture of a man obsessed with law enforcement, the very career that eluded him.
By David Ovalle
dovalle@MiamiHerald.com
SANFORD, Fla -- George Michael Zimmerman, the man at the center of the racially charged killing of an unarmed black teen, is a former altar boy, insurance salesman and college student.
And another label has also stuck in the publics perception: frustrated cop wannabe.
Over the years, his scores of calls to police showed he pursued shoplifters and errant drivers with zeal, reporting pit bulls, potholes, children playing in the street, open garage doors and suspicious youths usually black males loitering in the street.
He peppered his calls with jargon familiar to police. In one case, he chased a reckless driver while calling 911 the driver later told police he was terrified that Zimmerman was going to attack him. In another case, Zimmerman tailed a supermarket shoplifter until a police officer successfully arrested the thief.
On the night of Feb. 26, he tailed Trayvon Martin through the Retreat at Twin Lakes, the gated community where Zimmerman lived with his wife, describing his every move to a dispatcher who told him he didnt need to follow the young man. A scuffle ensued and Zimmerman shot Trayvon dead. Zimmerman claims self-defense.
Dr. Laurence Miller, a Palm Beach County clinical psychologist who works with local police agencies, said he believes Zimmerman likely was acting out the whole TV cop role in his head when he confronted Trayvon.
A lot of people like the power and control that law enforcement officers have but with that comes a tremendous amount of responsibility, Miller said, pointing out that a police officer is the only profession that can use coercive physical force or lethal force to subdue a suspected criminal.
People act like cowboys and like the power, but not the responsibility.
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