theGrio

Back to the Top

Main menu

Skip to primary content
Skip to secondary content
  • Home
  • Entertainment
    • Music
    • The Dish
  • Health
    • Ask Dr. Ty
    • Black Men’s Health
    • Black Women and Breast Cancer
    • Back to School Health
  • Living
    • Travel and Leisure
    • Living Forward
    • Books
  • Politics
    • Perry on Politics
  • Sports
  • News
    • Good News
  • Opinion

News

Zimmerman tells Hannity: ‘No regrets’ over his actions in Trayvon Martin shooting

by Joy-Ann Reid | July 18, 2012 at 10:59 PM
Comments
Print

Related Posts

  • Zimmerman wants Trayvon's pot use referenced
  • Trayvon Martin case: George Zimmerman's evolving narrative
  • Investigator: Zimmerman was not at a physical disadvantage to Trayvon Martin
  • Zimmerman apologizes to Trayvon Martin's parents: I'm 'sorry for the loss of your son'
  • Conservative site's lead story: 'Registered Dem Killed Trayvon'

Zimmerman also said that after discharging his gun, he didn’t think he’d hit Martin, and didn’t know he was dead until “an hour later,” when he was taken to the police station for questioning. However, a witness, who was the first on the scene to talk to Zimmerman, just before the first police officer arrived, told investigators Zimmerman told him he had “just shot someone,” and asked him to call his wife.

“After the shooting did you — and you saw that he was laying there, and obviously injured, there was a moment when you realized he was shot?” Hannity asked.

“Like I said,” Zimmerman responded, “he sat up and he said something to the effect of ‘you got it’ or ‘you got me.’ I assumed he meant, ‘OK, you got the gun, I didn’t get it. I’m not going to fight anymore.’ At which point I got out from under him.”

Several witnesses questioned by police expressed confusion about which person they saw on top during the fight between Martin and Zimmerman. At least one witness told state attorney’s investigators she believed the “larger man” who walked away after the gunshot was on top. That question is considered crucial to the outcome of the case.

Hannity asked if Zimmerman regretted getting out of his car, following Martin or carrying a gun that night. Zimmerman replied, “No,” adding that he would not have done anything differently.

“I feel that it’s all God’s plan and I shouldn’t question it,” he said.

That answer drew a sharp response from Martin’s family, who issued a statement through their attorneys saying: “George Zimmerman said that he does not regret getting out of his vehicle, he does not regret following Trayvon, in fact he does not regret anything he did that night. He wouldn’t do anything different and he concluded it was God’s plan.”

“We must worship a different God,” Martin’s father, Tracy Martin said. “Because there is no way that MY God would have wanted G. Zimmerman to KILL my teenage son.”

Asked what he would tell Martin’s parents, Zimmerman said, “I’m sorry that they buried their child,” adding, “I can’t imagine what it must feel like. I pray for them daily.”

O’Mara would not permit Zimmerman to answer questions about the allegations that Zimmerman and his wife hid money raised through his website from the court prior to his April 20 bond hearing. Zimmerman did answer a question about Witness 9, a younger cousin who accused his family of “disliking black people” and who accused Zimmerman of molesting her from age 6 to 16. Zimmerman said the FBI “cleared him” of any accusations of racial bias, and called it “ironic” that the “only person anyone could find” accusing him of racial bias “also accuses me of being deviant.” A federal probe of the shooting remains open, pending the outcome of the state criminal case.

Responding to the sexual abuse allegations, O’Mara told Hannity Zimmerman’s legal team was unlikely to take the time and resources to respond to the allegations, and said he didn’t expect them to be an issue at trial.

Asked how he would respond to questions of whether racial profiling had anything to do with his confrontation with Martin, Zimmerman said: “I’m not a racist and I’m not a murderer.”

Toward the end of the interview, Zimmerman said he thought the media had covered the case unfairly, and had “ignored anything positive,” and said he felt he is owed an apology by director Spike Lee, who tweeted an address he thought was Zimmerman’s (Lee later apologized and reached a settlement with the homeowner whose address mistakenly wound up online). “If I did something wrong, I would apologize,” Zimmerman said.

Caryn Freeman contributed to this report. Follow Caryn on Twitter at @CarynFreemanDC and Joy Reid at @thereidreport

  • Pages:
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • trayvon-parents-on-trial-16x9.jpg
    Next Story:

    Trayvon Martin’s parents say his death was not ‘God’s plan’

  • Yokamon Hearn
    Previous Story:

    Texas inmate set to die after appeals rejected

Filed in: News | Related Topics: Fox News, George Zimmerman, Sean Hannity, Trayvon Martin, Trayvon Martin Case
  • Learn about our User Panel

    Read More
  • New Stories on theGrio

    • Venus Williams previews French Open dress Venus Williams previews French Open dress
    • Chief Keef threatens to slap Katy Perry via Twitter Chief Keef threatens to slap Katy Perry via Twitter
    • Warrant for rapper Tim Dog, despite death reports Warrant for rapper Tim Dog, despite death reports
    • Pa. woman convicted in fiance’s wedding day death Pa. woman convicted in fiance’s wedding day death
    • Mayoral candidate ‘endorsed by Jesus’ finishes last
    • First lady: ‘I have failed at things’
    • Is hip-hop finally over molly?
    • 4 boss moves to make during Memorial Day weekend
  • What Your Friends Are Reading

  • More from theGrio

More Stories on theGrio

Top News

Politics

  • Transportation Secretary nominee, Charlotte, N.C. Mayor Anthony Foxx testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, May 22, 2013, before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee hearing on his nomination. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

    Anthony Foxx receives warm reception from senators

  • Obama cites new framework for terror war

  • Obama's 1979 prom photo, yearbook note to 'foxy' friend unearthed

  • Are the Obamas too critical of black Americans?

» Read More in Politics

Business

  • An elderly black couple. © poco_bw – Fotolia.com

    Black Americans retiring earlier, with less savings

  • BlackStartup.com seeks to uplift black businesses

  • Payday loans: A debt trap in disguise

  • Tiger Woods makes a comeback on the course, and in video game sales

» Read More in Business

Living

  • mcdonalds_lottery 1x9

    McDonald's can't shake criticism about nutrition

  • Beyoncé and Rent The Runway launch 'The Beyoncé Boutique'

  • Homeless teen graduates as valedictorian of high school class

  • Memorial Day staycation hotspots!

» Read More in Living

Inspiration

  • Television journalist Robin Roberts poses with her Peabody at the 72nd Annual Peabody Awards at the Waldorf-Astoria on Monday, May 20, 2013 in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

    Robin Roberts to write memoir about illness

  • Charlotte remembers 1963 desegregation 'eat-in'

  • Tornado survivor saved by teacher

  • Obama speech makes Morehouse grads 'proud'

» Read More in Inspiration

Entertainment

  • Kanye West  (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)

    The top 5 rap lyrics of the week

  • UK rapper live tweets London knife attack

  • Darius Rucker rides 'Wagon Wheel' to top of charts

  • Janet Jackson officially hits billionaire status

» Read More in Entertainment

News

  • Trayvon Martin and his father

    Defense releases photos, texts of Trayvon Martin

  • Robert Griffin III still aiming for Redskins' opener

  • UCLA awarded $10M grant to study autism in African-Americans

  • Chinua Achebe honored in Nigeria funeral

» Read More in News

Main menu

Skip to primary content
Skip to secondary content
  • Politics
  • Living
  • Video
  • Inspire
  • Health
  • Entertainment
  • News
  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Policy
  • Advertise with TheGrio
  • About
©2013 NBCUniversal
Powered by WordPress.com VIP