Trayvon Martin Case Inspires Local Altadena Discussion Event

The is hosting a discussion this Saturday on how local youth can communicate effectively with law enforcement, and the talk is inspired by a big national news story: the shooting of 17-year-old Florida resident Trayvon Martin.

will be led by retired Oakland Police Chief Anthony Batts.  It is meant in particular for African-American men, according to Town Council member Brent Musson, who helped organize the event.

Musson told Patch that it was originally meant as a small discussion among church members and local interested community members, but with the sudden national rise in awareness about the Martin case, interest in the speech has intensified.  The event is open to anyone in the public interested in attending.  

Martin was shot on Feb. 26 in Sanford, FL, by a neighborhood watch volunteer who had been following him as he walked home from a local store.

The volunteer, George Zimmerman, called 911 and described Martin as "suspicious" and then followed him in his car.  The two ended up in a physical struggle, and Zimmerman claimed Martin had attacked him.  

Sanford Police Department had not made an arrest as of March 22, though federal authorities have opened a case into whether an arrest should have been made or not.

While Martin's story does not involve a direct interaction with law enforcement, it does highlight a case in which a black youth lost his life after somebody deemed him suspicious.  In Martin's case, the concern was unwarranted as his family lived in the neighborhood, was unarmed and had no criminal record.