Lessons Learned from the Zimmerman Case

As expected after his trial, George Zimmerman was found not guilty of killing Trayvon Martin. As expected, his legal troubles are far from over. There is discussion of a federal trial—and you can count on a civil suit as well.

These are the real outcomes of a justified self-defense shooting. I have for years been telling self-defense students that a shooting—even a justified one—is like a fire. You see, fire always wins. Prevention is the best way to remain safe from fire. The same is true of a self-defense shooting. If you can avoid a conflict, do so. In fact, go out of your way to avoid a conflict because the end result is the legal meat grinder you see Zimmerman sitting in right now.

I have a poster on the wall during my CCW classes. This poster shows the five things that happen when you pull the trigger on a pistol. There should be a sixth paragraph on the poster. It should read: The police come! And when they come, you will have some explaining to do. So get an attorney.

But even more important than having an attorney is having proper training and the right mental attitude to help you through such situations. Remember, you have two goals in a deadly force encounter: you want to stay alive and stay out of jail. The first goal is, of course, primary. Do what you need to do to stay alive — even it if means walking away or staying away. As the Zimmerman case clearly shows, you can do everything right and still find yourself neck-deep in the tub of crap today’s modern media can whip up. Make no mistake about it, the entire Zimmerman trial was created and pushed ahead by media coverage. On the night of the shooting and shortly thereafter, police and prosecutors agreed Zimmerman had acted in self-defense. Then the frenzy began.

So, what did we learn from the George Zimmerman case? Well, tactically, let’s all remember that even while armed we need to maintain safe distance. That Martin was able to get on top of Zimmerman and begin bludgeoning him shows that Zimmerman allowed Martin to get too close. From a legal standpoint, this case is a reminder that even if you do everything right, outside forces can push prosecutors to turn on you and bring you to trial in an effort to placate the masses. This case was not about justice or truth. It was a prosecution designed to satisfy a vocal minority. Finally, you need to be prepared to handle the challenges associated with such a legal fight. I don’t know what Zimmerman’s final legal bill will be, but that is the price of his freedom. The stress and torment he endured during the past 16 months will continue. He did the right thing. A jury reinforced that. But still he will pay for that into the foreseeable future. He has a long fight ahead of him.

Finally, I must close with a comment about Trayvon Martin and his family. My heart goes out to them. While I can’t say I know exactly how they feel, there is some connection. I lost a brother to bullets. A legally armed citizen shot my brother in order to stop a felony robbery. I feared that day for 15 years because I knew my brother was on the wrong path. Still, that day brought shock and pain and even denial by some in my family. There is no easy way to lose a loved one. Having to admit your loved one acted improperly and brought about his own death is even more difficult.

Remember, your responsibility to be prepared to defend yourself never ends.

https://www.usconcealedcarry.com/legal-issues/politics/lessons-learned-from-the-zimmerman-case