Crowds outside courthouse await Zimmerman verdict

Rick Neale | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Zimmerman trial protests heat up From the very beginning, Trayvon Martin's shooting has sparked fiery debate. As the the George Zimmerman trial nears its end, protests outside the Sanford, Florida courthouse are heating up.

Judge Debra Nelson sent the case to the jury Friday afternoon

George Zimmerman is charged with second-degree murder in the case

Trayvon Martin%2C 17%2C was shot to death in February 2012

SANFORD, Fla. -- As the George Zimmerman murder trial went before a jury Friday, a diverse crowd gathered outside the Seminole County courthouse awaiting a verdict.

Some had come from as far as New Jersey to be there for the decision.

They carried signs expressing support or condemnation of Zimmerman, the former neighborhood watch volunteer charged in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, an unarmed black teen. However, most of those outside the courthouse appeared to support the notion that Zimmerman is guilty.

One man said Trayvon and Zimmerman both contributed to the February 2012 confrontation that left Trayvon dead. Several members of the New Black Panther Party led loud chants, shouting "What do we want? Justice! When do we want it? Now!"

More than 20 sheriff's deputies representing Seminole County stood in front of the courthouse entrance. At one point, about 100 people gathered on the grass, most in support of Trayvon. Television reporters and camera operators surrounded them.

Trayvon, 17, was shot to death in a Sanford gated community on Feb. 26, 2012, while visiting his father. Zimmerman, charged with second-degree murder, says he acted in self-defense.

The case has gripped the nation since the shooting. Police initially did not charge Zimmerman with a crime, citing Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law, which allows someone who believes he is in imminent danger to take whatever steps are necessary to protect himself. Protests ensued in several cities, including New York, by supporters of Trayvon's family. Many protesters voiced the opinion that Trayvon was targeted and killed for racial reasons. Trayvon was black, and Zimmerman is Hispanic.

Some traveled a distance to be at the courthouse when the verdict is announced.

David Hunt flew to the area with his wife, Kristen, from New Jersey on Friday. Hunt has been following the case from the beginning and believes Zimmerman should be acquitted.

"I had to come by and see it," Hunt said. "It's just like it is on TV."

Of the altercation between Trayvon and Zimmerman, he added, "There's just too many scratch-your-head questions."

Curtis Blakey, who lives 2.5 hours away in St. Petersburg, Fla., was in Sanford Friday handing out fliers for a Sunday community rally supporting Trayvon in that city. Curtis, 15, said he took the case personally.

"I'm young, like Trayvon. I'm black," Curtis said. "It could have been me."

Near the courthouse entrance Friday, David Turner of Sanford tied a yellow sign listing details of Florida's "Stand Your Ground" firearms law to a temporary fence.

The former Army helicopter crew chief wore a beret, sunglasses, a black T-shirt and bandana bearing the U.S. flag. He believes Zimmerman thought he was doing his job when the confrontation with Trayvon took place and that he should be acquitted.

"They're both responsible with what transpired," said Turner. "They both engaged each other."

Rockledge, Fla., resident Marites Jones, a home health care provider, brought her two children to the courthouse with a tent to ward off rainy weather. She was accompanied by Latasha Kirk, a Titusville, Fla., resident and University of Central Florida student, and her young son.

Each of them held signs reading "Justice for Trayvon" and "Truth Shall Be Told."

"I just wanted to support Trayvon Martin and his family in any way possible, for justice for him," Jones said. "Maybe these (signs) could possibly give someone a change of heart if they actually thought he (Zimmerman) was innocent, which is fine – everyone has their own opinion. But I truly believe that he is not innocent."

James Evans Muhammad, the national minister of education for the New Black Panther Party, said there was no way Trayvon's death could have been an accident given that, according to evidence, the police department advised Zimmerman not to follow Trayvon.

"If George Zimmerman wouldn't have racially profiled Trayvon Martin, we would be having a different conversation today," said Muhammad, of Jacksonville.

Neale also reports for Florida Today. Mackenzie Ryan of Florida Today, also in Sanford, and Melanie Eversley in New York contributed to this report.