A witness in the high-profile trial of a Florida neighborhood watch volunteer accused of murdering a black teen testified Wednesday she heard a “boy’s cry for help” before a gun was fired.
Jane Surdyka, a former neighbor of defendant George Zimmerman, told the court she went to her window after hearing a scuffle and saw two men before hearing a boy’s plea and multiple gunshots in the gated community in Sanford.
Only one shot was fired, however, in the altercation that left 17-year-old Trayvon Martin dead in a case that has stirred racial tensions in the United States.
The judge meanwhile handed the prosecution a small victory by ruling that the jury should hear calls Zimmerman made to police in the six months before he fatally shot Martin.
Zimmerman, 29, has pleaded not guilty, saying he shot Martin in self-defense on the rainy night of February 26, 2012 after the teen knocked him to the ground and started bashing his head against the sidewalk.
He faces second-degree murder charges that can carry a life sentence.
Martin’s supporters accuse Zimmerman of racial profiling, saying he ignored police advice and pursued Martin, who was unarmed and had no criminal record.
Defense attorneys had opposed the release of Zimmerman’s previous calls to the police, arguing that they were irrelevant to the trial and that in any case they demonstrated “good, responsible, citizen behavior.”
The prosecution argued that the calls showed Zimmerman’s state of mind and growing frustration with repeated break-ins at the community.
Neighbor heard 'boy's cry for help' before US teen died
