New Black Panther Party members have announced plans to offer a $10,000 reward for the “capture” of George Zimmerman.
On February 26, Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer, shot hoodie-wearing Trayvon Martin in a gated Sanford, Florida community.
The 17-year-old Martin was killed while walking home from a convenience store. Zimmerman said that he shot Martin in self-defense after Martin attacked him.
As we’ve previously reported, before the incident, Zimmerman called police and reported a “suspicious guy” wearing a hoodie. On the 911 call, later released to the public, Zimmerman is told not to follow Martin.
Martin was found with no weapons in his possession, according to reports, instead only in possession of skittles and an iced tea.
Zimmerman has not been charged in the teen’s death. Currently according to Examiner.com, the U.S. Department of Justice and the FBI are investigating for potential civil rights violations, while a special task force has been established to handle the criminal aspect of the killing.
The killing has outraged millions, sparking protests across the nation including New York where hundreds of people marched on Union Square during a rally dubbed “A Million Hoodies March for Trayvon Martin” in Manhattan Wednesday night to support the family of Martin.
This past week, the New Black Panthers decided to take it into their own hands and leader Mikhail Muhammad announced a reward for Zimmerman’s capture. He announced the news during a protest in Sanford Saturday, which according to NHRegister, was the group’s third protest in recent weeks over Martin’s death.
The New Black Panther Party is a Texas-based black political organization and their announcement has been criticized by Sanford Police. Sanford Police Captain Robert O’Connor, released a statement condemning the group’s announcement.
“The City is requesting calm heads and no vigilante justice,” he said, reported NHRegister. “Attempts by civilians to take any person into custody may result in criminal charges or unnecessary violence.”
