Trayvon lawyer: Police trying to blame victim

(CBS News) The attorney for the parents of Trayvon Martin said the Sanford Police Department is blaming the victim in the case by leaking information beneficial to George Zimmerman and by "correcting" the testimony of witnesses whose stories diverged from the shooter's claims of self-defense.

A police report was released Monday stating that, according to Zimmerman, Martin had attacked and punched the neighborhood watch volunteer on February 26. The Associated Press also reported that Martin had been suspended from school after an empty plastic baggie containing traces of marijuana was found in his book bag. The AP also said Martin had no juvenile offender record.

New details deepen Trayvon Martin Controversy

Sanford city manager Norton Bonaparte said the information about Martin's school suspension should not have been released, and wants whoever leaked it fired.

Appearing on "CBS This Morning," Martin family lawyer Ben Crump said that the police are "trying to attack his reputation, blame the victim, and that has been the pattern of the Sanford Police Department.

"There is no relevance any of this has on what happened on February 26," Crump told Charlie Rose. "The only thing that matters on February 26 is George Zimmerman disobeyed the police and got out of his car and pursued and stalked Trayvon Martin to cause this fatal encounter.

"Charlie, all you need to do is listen to the tape," Crump continued. "Zimmerman did not know Trayvon Martin before this tape. He said why he was suspicious and he says why he ran after Trayvon Martin. And if the police want to leak information, why don't they leak the witnesses who say they saw him pursuing Trayvon?

"But they have only [done] things that are beneficial to Mr. Zimmerman's claim of self-defense, and the only reason we can think [why is] that, from day one, they made a decision they were not going to arrest George Zimmerman. And each day goes by, the whole world is saying, 'You at least got to arrest this guy.'"

Some witnesses report that police who interviewed them "corrected" their testimony, with officers telling the witnesses that it was Zimmerman, not Martin, who was being attacked and crying out for help. Another witness said police refused to hear her story that Zimmerman did not act in self-defense, saying the police "blew us off."

Crump told Erica Hill of one witness, a child, whose mother said "the police were asking him very confusing questions and he was confused, and like the other witnesses there's a pattern that the Sanford police 'correct' witnesses when it doesn't go with their version of it. Three witnesses have now said that the Sanford police changed their testimony."

Hill asked about another, anonymous witness, who corroborated Zimmerman's story that Martin was the aggressor in the confrontation to a local Florida TV station. The lawyer said the family was not told of the witness, and blamed the police: "That's leaked information that we don't know because the police only leak information to the media, not to the family.

"If that was your son, Erica, wouldn't you think the police would tell you first before they go tell the world and sully his name?" he said. "That is the whole disrespect that they have given to this family, for what reason?

"That's why people are so outraged. The whole way the police have conducted this investigation has been that Trayvon Martin is the subject ... then that makes George Zimmerman the victim. That is the problem. The investigation was never fair and impartial."

Martin's parents have met with the special prosecutor and have conveyed their concerns about the investigation, Crump said. "I hope that the state attorney will look at that, and I hope they will at least arrest" Zimmerman.

"The family isn't asking for a conviction. They only want what would happen to Mr. Zimmerman what would happen to their son had he pulled the trigger, and that's equal justice and a fair and impartial investigation. They deserve that. That's the least that they deserve."

To see Crump being interviewed by "CBS This Morning" co-host Charlie Rose, click on the video in the player above.

[aaron2178]

Hard to make this a racial issue when Zimmerman is a minority himself...but boy the racists are sure trying. I wonder if Sharpton, Jackson, and NObama even knew he was hispanic...or did they just ASSume that he was a white male that killed a black male?

[gleejr63]

First of all none of us was their when any of this happened. I am not understanding why some folks are so matter of fact when we only know what the media is reporting to us. Regardless of the race of this kid, and if he was suspended from school for traces of pot in a baggie of whatever the case maybe. If this is true I assure you he's not the only person that smokes pot. This has absolutely nothing to do with this kid being dead, and the shooter is still walking around scott free hiding being the "stand your ground" law. This is what we do know. Zimmerman knows he's lying about self defense. Their is no scuffing going on on the 911 call. When Zimmerman called 911 he was sitting in his truck, when he notice Trayvon, and Zimmerman was told by the officer on the phone "he did not need to pursue the kid". Zimmerman states "they always get away". So how is this self-defense. Zimmerman got out of his truck and pursued this kid,so if their is a self defense claim the kid was standing his ground you have this man with a gun following him. Zimmerman was out to bring harm on someone no matter what. If Zimmerman had a head wound and a nose bleed why didn't he get treated, and why is this just now coming out, why wasn't it reported in the initial reporting. Because he's lying. Why did the medical respondents not treat him? This all sounds very fishy to me. Zimmerman has had a lot of time to concoct this self defense claim. He hunted that kid down like an animal and killed him, I don't care what anybody say. He intended to kill or hurt someone. We don't have to worry about Zimmerman, his conscience will get the best of him.

[ceroz]

What? All this information was all over the internet the NEXT DAY 2/27. However those that did not search well for the information would have only found what the popular media sites were posting. Zimmerman was already on foot when the officer asked if he was following him. You can hear that...thats why the officer asked right there. Zimmermans gun was not visible he was wearing a red sweater over it. It's in the police report and I quote "While I was in such close contact with Zimmerman, I could observe that his back appeared to be wet and was covered in grass, as if he had been laying on his back on the ground. Zimmerman was also bleeding from the nose and back of his head." later states "Zimmerman was placed in the rear of my police vehicle and was given first aid by SFD." By the way how does an overweight out of shape match catch a 6'3 athlete? Out ran him? Was that how you think it went he called 911, decided in between a bunch of town houses would be a good spot then used his super speed to pounce because ... no wait I can't think of a reason. He probably just wanted to keep an eye on his location.

[RandallRichard]

If Zimmerman really had a broken nose and was bleeding from the back of his head why wasn't he treated? Head wounds bleed a lot a a broken nose usually does as well. There should have been plenty of evidence of this when it happened. If you have ever had a broken nose you know you want to get it treated. Why did the police just let him walk away with no questioning? Why did they not insist he be treated for his injuries. I think that is pretty standard procedure. The whole story seems very strange to me.

[StedgyP]

He was treated. Why do you think he wasn't? Did you read the police report? You have to search for the truth for yourself, don't just assume things. The police report states they placed Zimmerman in a squad car in handcuffs. He was given treatment at this time and the decision was made to take him to the police department for further questioning and that taking him to the hospital for further treatment was not necessary. It has the names of a dozen officers and detectives who were involved in the whole process on the police report.

[cgrey14]

theyre not trying to blame the kid, idiot. THEY ALREADY DID BLAME THE KID! they used evidence and statements to do so. evidence agreeing with statements....becomes fact. why cant you chanters get that through your heads. why cant you see that, given the facts, the only reason for your chanting is racism. more importantly, why cant you see that the world can see that you are racists.

[sigin88]

Lol they are grasping at straws. Suspended for a baggie containing traces of marijuana? I don't care if he was suspended for bringing a bazooka to school, fact is he was unarmed when attacked. In any other state that hasn't had a Bush as governor this case is a no brainer, Zimmerman would be in jail awaiting trial.

[cgrey14]

the facts say he was an unarmed attacker. talk about grasping at straws!!!

[StedgyP]

We have no witnesses stating who "attacked" who. If someone is following you, you have no right to attack them. The only dialouge at that time that we know of comes from Martin's girlfriend, who said that Martin stopped, turned around, and asked Zimmerman, "Why are you following me?" To which Zimmerman replied, "What are you doing around here?" Unless another witness comes forth, or more can be heard from Martin's phone call to his girlfriend, this is all we have and there is no evidence of who started the ensuing scuffle between them.

[ceroz]

The family was not told of the witness? The witness was on TV the next day also caught the father on the same news broadcast and they didnt know about it? As for the police blowing off those witnesses I cant blame them they didn't come out until after the gun shot went off so their input is no where near as valuable (plus that blonde is stupid.) The news reports show when trayvon didnt come home his father called around to see if he was arrested. The father also said that wasn't his son calling for help then later changed his story. The family also allowed the world to think the suspensions were caused by excessive tardies they didn't attempt to make any statements correcting. The media used all these old pictures from Trayvon to make him look like some child victim along with skipping out on important details on the case creating a MASSIVE campaign against Zimmerman. Now that things are balancing out they complain? I love how the world automatically bought the story that someone calling 911 that was trying to protect their neighborhood was more likely the one that started the physical altercation than a teenager. I mean look where it was at why would Zimmerman start a physical altercation when police were on the way in view of many different town houses?

[cantuc]

OhRyan? I take it you were there? Sounds like you saw the whole thing? Did you give your account to the police? Or do you just know everything in the world by osmosis or something? It is a sick understanding of self defense that says you can start a fight by chasing down a guy that's smaller than you, and then say you were acting in self defense. The only "self-defense" going on is the police making up their own story about what happened.

[cgrey14]

you are not using the facts.

[cgrey14]

they didnt try to you *******. the evidence gave them no choice but to blame the victim (of the shooting). go point your finger at somthing else.

[JackLeanII]

Zimmerman stalked Trayvon after the dispatcher told him 'NOT TO PURSUE.'

Zimmerman pursued Trayvon.

Trayvon was trying to get away from a man with a gun.

OhRyan is absolutely and categorically wrong.what he

[cgrey14]

following is not stalking. tryavon was NOT just trying to get away. sell the fantasy some where else! facts are bought here.

[StedgyP]

There is no proof that Martin knew that Zimmerman had a gun. If someone is following me, in the dark, in the rain, and I knew they had a gun, I would be running and getting far away. Instead, Martin, according to his girlfriend on the phone, stopped to asked Zimmerman, "Why are you following me?" That to me makes it clear that he did not know Zimmerman had a gun.

[JB_in_Palo_Alto]

Maybe Trayvon was standing -his- ground.

[cgrey14]

no evidence to support this claim.