Zimmerman describes Trayvon Martin shooting in newly released interview

Zimmerman describes Trayvon Martin shooting in newly released interview

George Zimmerman told investigators that Trayvon Martin smothered him and pounded his head against the concrete, then reached for Zimmerman's gun. That's when Zimmerman fired one shot into the teen's torso, he said.

Moments before, Zimmerman said, Martin had "emerged from the darkness" and circled his vehicle to confront Zimmerman, who was on the phone with authorities reporting a suspicious youth, according to his written statement to Sanford, Fla., police.

"I shot him," Zimmerman said.

Martin said, "You got me," Zimmerman told authorities.

In video and audio evidence released Thursday, Zimmerman is heard for the first time in his own words detailing his version of what happened on the rainy February night in Sanford, when he fatally shot the 17-year-old.

Benjamin Crump, an attorney for Martin's family, said after reviewing the evidence, "It is clear to us, and should be to everybody, why the special prosecutor charged George Zimmerman with second-degree murder."

Crump said Zimmerman was inconsistent in his statements, and altered his explanation of why he got out of his car and walked toward Martin.

Hours after the shooting, Sanford police investigator Chris Serino did most of the talking during an interview with Zimmerman.

The investigator told Zimmerman he would face lots of questions about why he thought Martin was suspicious.

"Ever hear of Murphy's law?" Serino asked.

"Yes, sir."

"OK, that's what happened. This person was not doing anything bad," Serino said. "He was 17 years old. An athlete. A kid with a future ... with folks that care.... Not the goon."

Serino later asked what was going through Zimmerman's mind that night when he made the nonemergency call. Zimmerman described an incident weeks before when he saw a black man wandering around the neighborhood looking in a window.

"What did you see Trayvon doing that caught you as being suspicious?"

Zimmerman said Martin was looking at the same house.

"You know you're going to come under a lot of scrutiny under this, the profiling aspect of this. You understand that, right?" Serino asked.

"Yes," Zimmerman said.

"I got to ask that," Serino said. "Like I said, this child has no criminal record whatsoever. Good kid. Mild-mannered kid."

Serino said one of Martin's hobbies was videotaping everything he does. Martin had an extensive video library on his phone.