March 28th, 2012 NAACP on opening of Martin investigation
Sanford, FL - The NAACP commends the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice for heeding calls from the NAACP to investigate the shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin at the hands of a vigilante in Sanford, Florida.
“We are pleased the Department of Justice has heeded our calls and agreed to investigate this outrageous case,” stated NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous. “The rules of justice in this nation have failed when an innocent teenage boy can be shot to death by a vigilante and no arrest is made for weeks. Pursuing and killing a 17-year-old boy should never be construed as self-defense. Our society deserves better, our community deserves answers and Trayvon’s family deserves justice.”
On February 26th, 17-year-old Trayvon Martin was shot to death in Sanford, Florida by neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman. The unarmed teen was returning from a local 7-Eleven carrying nothing but Skittles, a cellphone and an iced tea at the time of the shooting.
“This is another step in the right direction,” stated Jealous, “but we will not rest until Trayvon’s family gets justice.” |
