Zimmerman sues over edited 911 call

(CNN) -- George Zimmerman, charged in the shooting death of a 17-year-old Florida boy, sued NBC Universal on Thursday for using "the oldest form of yellow journalism" by editing an audio tape of his 911 call to make him sound racist, the lawsuit said.

Zimmerman is seeking "damages in excess of the jurisdictional limit" in Seminole County Circuit Court in Florida, where the lawsuit is filed.

Zimmerman, who is Hispanic and is charged with second-degree murder, is accused of fatally shooting Trayvon Martin, who was African-American. The February incident has provoked national controversy.

Zimmerman says he shot Martin in self-defense. Attorneys for Martin's family say the teen was shot and killed "in cold blood."

Read more: George Zimmerman defense releases new photo

"NBC saw the death of Trayvon Martin not as a tragedy but as an opportunity to increase ratings, and so set about to create the myth that George Zimmerman was a racist and predatory villain," the lawsuit said.

"Because of NBC's deceptive and exploitative manipulations, the public wrongly believes that Zimmerman 'us(ed) a racial epithet' while describing Martin during the call to the dispatcher on that fateful night," the suit said.

A spokesman for NBC Universal couldn't be reached immediately for comment.

The defamation lawsuit accuses the network of sensationalizing and manipulating a potential "racial powder keg that would result in months, if not years, of topics for their failing news program, particularly the plummeting ratings for their ailing Today Show."

The edited recordings included multiple deletions, removed intervening dialogue between Zimmerman and the dispatcher and juxtaposed unrelated content "to make it appear that Zimmerman was a racist, and that he was racially profiling Trayvon Martin," the lawsuit said.

NBC aired various edited versions of the 911 call on March 19, 20, 22 and 27, the suit said.

The suit accuses the network of malice, including correspondent Ron Allen's segment on the Today Show on March 27.

"Allen's broadcast removed a critical aspect of the dialogue between Zimmerman and the dispatcher, bringing the 'up to no good' and 'he looks black' statements even closer together, to further the false and defamatory implication that Zimmerman had said he believed Martin was 'up to no good' because 'he looks black,' " the suit said.

The lawsuit accuses NBC of falsely claiming that Zimmerman said "f---ing coons" on the February 26 call.

"The truth, as known to the defendants, was that Zimmerman said 'f_____ punks' and there was no evidence, or reason to believe, that Zimmerman uttered a racial epithet during the call," the suit said.

Zimmerman only mentioned Martin's race when prompted by the dispatcher, the suit said.

NBC never aired an "earnest" retraction and never apologized to Zimmerman, who has since experienced death threats, a bounty on his head and a genuine fear for his life, the suit said. He now lives in hiding, court documents said.

"NBC's President, Steve Capus, made a bogus non-apology that claimed the doctoring was merely a 'mistake,' " the suit said.

Zimmerman wears a bulletproof vest and was even dismissed from his college because it felt the death threats endangered fellow students, the lawsuit said. At the time of the incident with Martin, Zimmerman was living in a community known as The Retreat at Twin Lakes in Sanford, Florida, court papers said.

"Due to the defendants' journalistic crimes, Zimmerman has been transformed into one of the most hated men in America," the suit said.

The suit also names as defendants Lilia Rodriguez Luciano of Dade County, Florida, who was reporting directly from Sanford County, Florida. She was terminated by NBC as a result of her reporting, the suit said.

Also named as a defendant is Jeffrey Burnside of Dade County, another journalist who was reporting from Sanford County to his station WTVJ in Miami, Florida, the suit said. Burnside was also fired by NBC, the suit said.

0

Comments »

• Print
• Email
• More sharing

Click Here to Comment on this Article

Tagged : No tags for this article

Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens retiring

What Obama must say to black grads

Headlines Newsview all

Body of army vet, 36, who was due to graduate from college this month found in California desert after she was 'killed by roommate'

Maribel Ramos disappeared two weeks ago from her home in Orange, CaliforniaPolice have arrested her ex-roommate KC Joy on suspicion of murderArmy vet Ramos had ...

David Beckham will play his last game TONIGHT instead of next week as England legend retires from football

Star says farewell in specially designed patriotic red white and blue boots with the names of his children and the initials of his wife Victoria ...

Gay man shot dead in 'hate attack' in Greenwich village

Shooting occurred around midnight as 'anti-gay' remarks were made by passing group of menSuspect was caught five minutes later and is now in police custodyIncident ...

Andrea Rebello murder: Harrowing account of neighbors who heard Hofstra University sorority girl plead for her life

Andrea Rebello, a junior at Hofstra, was shot dead at 2.30am on FridayMasked male intruder, who has not been identified, was also shot deadThe victim's ...

Frank Sinatra's Manhattan penthouse sells for just under 5.5 million dollars

New York apartment was the setting for many a Rat Pack partyPresident John F Kennedy, Marilyn Monroe and Andy Warhol were all guests thereDuplex features ...

Japanese leader revives dark memories of imperial-era biological experiments in China

[unable to retrieve full-text content] For several years during World War II, a branch of the Japanese Imperial Army known as Unit 731 operated a ...

Maid who claims she saw Michael Jackson shower with Wade Robson when he was EIGHT 'asked to testify at choreographer's new lawsuit'

Wade Robson, 30, is mounting a civil lawsuit against the dead star's estate claiming he suffered years of abuseRobson, who testified for Jackson and denied ...

Latest Blog

Pictured: Two teenage girls killed after car crashes into ditch... just A WEEK after one of their friends was killed on the same stretch of road

Victims named as best friends Kerry Staniford, 17, and Shaya Leigh, 18Renault Clio veered off the road and into ditch near SwindonTwo men also fighting for their lives in hospital following 'horrific' crashMiss Staniford was a friend of Jack Savage who died on same road last weekShe had liked the 20-year-old's Facebook tribute page on Thursday By Anthony Bond PUBLISHED: 09:28...

0 comments

Andrea Rebello murder: Harrowing account of neighbors who heard Hofstra University sorority girl plead for her life

Andrea Rebello, a junior at Hofstra, was shot dead at 2.30am on FridayMasked male intruder, who has not been identified, was also shot deadThe victim's twin sister was in the home at the time of the shootingPolice were alerted when another woman in the home was allowed out to get cash from an ATM and immediately called authorities By Lydia...

0 comments

President Obama checks for rain before golf outing just days after causing uproar by having uniformed soldier hold an umbrella over him

President Obama headed with two members of his Cabinet to Andrews Air Force Base for his first round of golf this yearPresident unwittingly forced two U.S Marines to break protocol and regulations as he ordered them to use umbrellasFormer United States Air Force Lieutenant Thomas McInerney criticized the President for making the officers look like butlersCame as he was assailed...

0 comments

Body of army vet, 36, who was due to graduate from college this month found in California desert after she was 'killed by roommate'

Maribel Ramos disappeared two weeks ago from her home in Orange, CaliforniaPolice have arrested her ex-roommate KC Joy on suspicion of murderArmy vet Ramos had served in Iraq and South Korea and was due to graduate this month with a degree in criminal justice By David Mccormack PUBLISHED: 13:33 EST, 18 May 2013 | UPDATED: 13:34 EST, 18 May 2013 The body of a 36-year-old...

0 comments

Misty and Larry Shaffer Before and after pics of wife who secretly loses 150lbs for soldier husbands return

Misty Shaffer set herself a goal to lose weight while her husband was awayShe kept her weight loss secret by not taking pics below the shoulderHusband Larry  didn't recognize her in the crowd at the airportIncredible welcome home surprises: daughter has grown up and the family have a new house too By James Daniel PUBLISHED: 13:11 EST, 18 May 2013 | UPDATED: 13:14 EST,...

0 comments

Notes and diagrams show how famous authors including J.K. Rowling and Sylvia Plath planned out their novels

By Tara Brady PUBLISHED: 12:33 EST, 18 May 2013 | UPDATED: 12:55 EST, 18 May 2013 Gathering your thoughts when writing a novel can be a tricky process. Which is why many of the greats made sure their planned their plots beforehand. A mini-collection of notes penned by writers including James Salter and J.K. Rowling have surfaced. From tables to scrawls to diagrams they are a...

0 comments

UK weather: Flooding hits north east as one month's rainfall of nearly TWO INCHES falls in just 24 hours

Flood warnings in place across much of the north east of EnglandHeavy rainfall saw a busy route in Newcastle closed to trafficMotorists stranded on rural road in flood-hit County Durham By Kerry Mcdermott PUBLISHED: 09:48 EST, 18 May 2013 | UPDATED: 12:41 EST, 18 May 2013 The elusive spring weather is still showing no signs of appearing in Britain, with the north of the country...

0 comments

Frank Sinatra's Manhattan penthouse sells for just under 5.5 million dollars

New York apartment was the setting for many a Rat Pack partyPresident John F Kennedy, Marilyn Monroe and Andy Warhol were all guests thereDuplex features four bedrooms, 18-foot ceilings, wraparound terraces and glass Apple store staircase By Daily Mail Reporter PUBLISHED: 12:35 EST, 18 May 2013 | UPDATED: 12:40 EST, 18 May 2013   The upscale Manhattan penthouse that legendary crooner Frank Sinatra had...

0 comments

Maid who claims she saw Michael Jackson shower with Wade Robson when he was EIGHT 'asked to testify at choreographer's new lawsuit'

Wade Robson, 30, is mounting a civil lawsuit against the dead star's estate claiming he suffered years of abuseRobson, who testified for Jackson and denied former maid Blanca Francia's evidence at his 2005 trial, is now asking her to help him Maid said she saw the pop star with the boy, hired as a dancer for Jackson, in the shower...

0 comments

Smoking marijuana can help ease the pain of social exclusion and low self-esteem but it won't fix your problems, claims new research

Tests by researchers at the University of Kentucky found cannabis can act as a buffer against feelings of  negative self-worth and poor mental health By Daily Mail Reporter PUBLISHED: 12:12 EST, 18 May 2013 | UPDATED: 12:20 EST, 18 May 2013 Newly published research suggests that one of the main reasons people enjoy smoking marijuana is because it helps them combat intense feelings of social...

0 comments

Atiffa Brown: Philadelphia mother charged with beating up 11-year-old school bully

By Snejana Farberov PUBLISHED: 11:25 EST, 18 May 2013 | UPDATED: 12:16 EST, 18 May 2013 Belligerent: Atiffa Brown, 26, is accused of walking into her daughter's school and assaulting an 11-year-old girl for allegedly tormenting her child A Philadelphia mother has been arrested inside her daughter's school after police say she attacked an 11-year-old girl for bullying her child.Atiffa Brown, 26, has been...

0 comments

J.K. Rowling's personal copy of the first Harry Potter book - complete with handwritten notes - is put up for charity auction

Book is one of 500 first editions of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's StoneRowling also includes a 43-page account of writing the 1997 novelAuction also selling annotated copies by Roald Dahl and Philip Pullman By Helen Lawson PUBLISHED: 11:26 EST, 18 May 2013 | UPDATED: 11:55 EST, 18 May 2013 Fans who have long wondered what went through author J.K. Rowling's mind when she wrote...

0 comments

Family of British girl, 5, who drowned in Egyptian hotel pool say they are 'angry and hurt' lifeguards did not help and ambulance took FOUR hours to arrive

Chloe Johnson died in the waterpark at the Coral Sea Waterworld hotel in Sharm el-SheikhYoungster from south London was on holiday with her family when the tragedy happened'We've all got knives in our hearts to think that if she had been seen would she still be with us?' By Daily Mail Reporter PUBLISHED: 18:53 EST, 17 May 2013 | UPDATED: 11:53 EST, 18 May...

0 comments

Michael Gove's education reforms: Headteachers pass vote of no confidence

National Association of Head Teachers conference votes against Government's policiesConcerned about curriculum overhauls, exam reform and academies By Rosie Taylor PUBLISHED: 07:10 EST, 18 May 2013 | UPDATED: 11:51 EST, 18 May 2013 No confidence: Headteachers have criticised Education Secretary Michael Gove's policies Michael Gove today faced the wrath of headteachers over the state of the education system, just hours after they passed a landmark...

0 comments

Gay man shot dead in 'hate attack' in Greenwich village

Shooting occurred around midnight as 'anti-gay' remarks were made by passing group of menSuspect was caught five minutes later and is now in police custodyIncident being treated as a 'hate crime' - the fourth in two weeks By James Daniel PUBLISHED: 11:32 EST, 18 May 2013 | UPDATED: 11:34 EST, 18 May 2013 The shooting of a 32-year-old man in Greenwich Village last night is...

0 comments

Mitt Romney blasts President Obama on AP, Benghazi and IRS scandals as he appears on Tonight Show with Jay Leno

By Snejana Farberov PUBLISHED: 10:09 EST, 18 May 2013 | UPDATED: 11:31 EST, 18 May 2013 Mitt Romney had a few choice words for the man who beat him in the race for the White House, lambasting President Obama for his handling of the IRS scandal, the Benghazi investigation and the Associated Press controversy.   Appearing on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno Friday for the...

0 comments

Comment on: Zimmerman sues over edited 911 call