Will George Zimmerman's account of the shooting help his defense?

(AP) ORLANDO, Fla. - Neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman re-enacted the fight he had with Trayvon Martin in police video released Thursday (watch it above), giving his most detailed account yet of what led him to fatally shoot the unarmed black teenager. Zimmerman claims in the video that Martin said "you're going to die" and reached for Zimmerman's gun just before the shooting.

The police recording was taken a day after the Feb. 26 shooting. The video, along with audio recordings of police interviews, was released by Zimmerman's attorney about a week before Zimmerman's second bond hearing on a second-degree murder charge and on the heels of unflattering telephone calls capturing Zimmerman and his wife talking in code about using money collected for a defense fund to pay credit cards.

In the video, Zimmerman tells his side of the story to detectives, saying he grabbed his gun from a holster on his waist before Martin could get it, and shot the 17-year-old Martin once in the chest as they fought on the ground outside townhomes in a gated community. After firing, Zimmerman said thought he missed.

"He sat up and said, `You got me. You got me,' or something like that," Zimmerman said.

Zimmerman said Martin had been on top of him, slamming his head against the ground and smothering his mouth and nose with his hand and arm. The tape shows two butterfly bandages on the back of Zimmerman's head and another on his nose. There are red marks on the front of his head.

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"It felt like my head was going to explode," he said.

In one of the audio recordings, a detective tells Zimmerman three days after the shooting, that Martin was a "good kid, mild-mannered kid" and asks Zimmerman to explain some inconsistencies, such as why he doesn't have bruises on his body or broken ribs. The two dozen punches Zimmerman claims he took are "not quiet consistent with your injuries," detective Chris Sereno tells him.

Zimmerman claims he shot the teen in self-defense, under Florida's "stand your ground" law.

Martin's parents have said Zimmerman was the aggressor. They said Martin was walking back from a convenience store through the gated community in Sanford when Zimmerman spotted the black teenager and started following him. They claim their son was racially profiled.

Zimmerman's father is white and his mother Hispanic.

Sereno asked Zimmerman about profiling during one of the interviews.

"You know you are going to come under a lot of scrutiny for this," Sereno said. "Had this person been white, would you have felt the same way?"

"Yes," Zimmerman said.

The parents' attorney Ben Crump couldn't immediately be reached for comment. Crump said on his Twitter feed, "Everyone should review Zimmerman's objectively written statement in comparison to the 911 tapes which were previously released."

Crump did not elaborate on his post.

Orlando-area defense attorney David Hill, who has no connection to the case, said Zimmerman came across as "a reasonable guy."

"He came across as being straight-forward," Hill said after reviewing the video. "It doesn't hurt him."

Hill said the video didn't show him to be the zealous "cop-wannabe" that Martin's parents have portrayed him.

Zimmerman called 911 after spotting Martin walking around the neighborhood and the dispatcher told him not to follow the teen. For reasons that still aren't clear, Zimmerman kept up his pursuit, even getting out of his truck to look for him. He lost sight of Martin and was walking back to his truck when Martin confronted him, Zimmerman said.

"Do you have a problem?" Zimmerman said, quoting Martin.

If Zimmerman's account his accurate, he has a viable "stand your ground" defense, said Blaine McChesney, an Orlando defense attorney who is also not involved in the case.

Zimmerman's attorney has the option of asking for a "stand your ground" hearing in which he will present Zimmerman's account to a judge and ask that the charge be dismissed without going to trial.

McChesney said he found parts of Zimmerman's re-enactment difficult to envision, such as his account of how he was able to reach for his gun with Martin on him. Zimmerman also said he got on top of Martin and restrained him after the shooting.

"I also find it strange that Zimmerman would have attempted to use both his arms to hold Martin facedown, re-holstering his firearm, given those circumstances," McChesney said. "Once out from under Martin's alleged attack, it would have been more logical to hold Martin at gunpoint from a few feet away until police arrived."

Zimmerman's second bond hearing will be June 29. His $150,000 bond was revoked earlier this month after prosecutors said Zimmerman and his wife, Shellie, misled the court about how much money they had available for bail.

During the hearing, Shellie Zimmerman testified that they had limited funds since she was a fulltime student and Zimmerman wasn't working. Prosecutors say they had raised about $135,000 from a website set up for his legal defense at the time of the April hearing. Shellie Zimmerman was charged last week with making a false statement.

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Trayvon Martin shooting

[yardbird1948]

LEOs and many of those who carry guns, legally, are aware of the risks of a physical confrontation. The carrier must control the gun. If knocked unconscious or disabled, the victor will have the gun. Z may have had both hands on his pistol and have been shouting for help, just to control possession of the gun.

[bettie10]

Zimmerman, story seem unbelievable.

[bettie10]

Zimmerman took the law unto his own hands which lead to a disaster. His story seems unbelievable.

[Lizsys]

To all fair-minded people of all races - Do you feel in all honesty, that if trayvon had killed zimmerman on that night and gave this same account and reenactment, he would be allowed to go home that night and not convicted of anything?

[bettie10]

I look upon the world as one community. We are all created equal, no matter how one feel. The FBI is very intelligent, but I do not think George will get off as easy he think he will. I think when he commented on the hoodie that leaves him in more suspense. His story just does not sound like the truth. It seem as though he thought about it over,and wrote a Nancy Drew murder mystery or a murder she wrote mystery story. I hope all as well that justice will be served, a young man lost his life, and cannot testify to what happened, only Zimmerman are telling his version of the story. The evidence is on the 911 tapes. It sound like Zimmerman running behind the young man. I do not believe Trayvon circled around Zimmerman's truck the night of the murder. The reality are will the jury be convinced too his story he stated on tape. This is a test only a test. The real day will come when the trial take place. I hope the jury will look at this case with a large magnifying class and see all the details intelligently.

[bettie10]

I look upon the world as one community. We are all created equal, no matter how one feel. The FBI is very intelligent, but I do not think George will get off as easy he think he will. I think when he commented on the hoodie that leaves him in more suspense. His story just does not sound like the truth. It seem as though he thought about it over,and wrote a Nancy Drew murder mystery or a murder she wrote mystery story. I hope all as well that justice will be served, a young man lost his life, and cannot testify to what happened, only Zimmerman are telling his version of the story. The evidence is on the 911 tapes. It sound like Zimmerman running behind the young man. I do not believe Trayvon circled around Zimmerman's truck the night of the murder. The reality are will the jury be convinced too his story he stated on tape. This is a test only a test. The real day will come when the trial take place. I hope the jury will look at this case with a large magnifying class and see all the details intelligently.

[OhBoy768]

Why don't most of us agree to just ignore this "Dave" guy as he obviously has problems.

[OhBoy768]

Unfortunately, all we have is George Zimmerman's self-serving account of the incident. And, with his lying to the court along with his wife being the only thing that I KNOW is true, I can't just take him at his word. Considering his proven lack of honesty, he could have made up this story. And, had he come at me in the dark, I would have defended myself as well. If he would have only listened when told "you don't have to do that" about following Trayvon and just went on his way, we wouldn't be discussing this now. Finally, if he's so concerned about this neighborhood, why didn't he know the name of the next street over?

[bettie10]

Zimmerman I have my hoodie he stated to his wife, showed no emotions toward a human life.

[bettie10]

He wrote his own scene in his best interest.