Jurors in the George Zimmerman case on Monday heard the police statement he made after killing Trayvon Martin in which he repeatedly referred to the unarmed teen as a "suspect."
When Florida police officer Doris Singleton took the stand, prosecutors played the interview she conducted with Zimmerman and interviewed her about his demeanor after the February 2012 killing.
Zimmerman, 29, says he shot Martin because he feared for his life, and much of the testimony last week could bolster his self-defense claims.
Prosecutors this week are expected to try to show discrepancies in Zimmerman's story. Here's Zimmerman's account, from the interview played in court and a written statement he made:
- Zimmerman tried to follow Martin in his car after calling 911.
- He left the vehicle to find the direction where the "suspect" went, even though the 911 dispatcher told him not to follow the teen. Singleton also testified that Zimmerman included the term "suspect" without coaching from her. She never labeled Martin that.
- Martin "approached him" and asked, "You got a problem?" Zimmerman said no, and Martin responded, "You do now."
- Martin punched Zimmerman in the face, making him fall backward. Martin got on top of him.
- Zimmerman yelled for help multiple times, but Martin told him to "shut the f*** up." Martin started smashing Zimmerman's head into the sidewalk.
- Martin went to grab for Zimmerman's now exposed firearm (Zimmerman told the dispatcher he was armed) and said, "You're gonna die tonight, mothaf*****."
- Zimmerman un-bolstered the gun first and shot Martin.
- An onlooker told Zimmerman he was going to call the police, but Zimmerman already had.
- When the police arrived, Zimmerman placed his hands above his head. When an officer asked who shot Martin, Zimmerman said, "I did."
Two parts of the conversation with Singleton didn't make it onto the recording. Singleton testified that Zimmerman didn't even know Martin had died. When he found out, she said he "slung his head down." According to Singleton, Zimmerman also asked her about her cross, saying "In my religion, it's always a sin to kill somebody."
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