Investigator's Bluff May Look Good For Zimmerman

What was driven home today was that Zimmerman's story has never changed. In various interviews with various cops, he fattened it out, he skinnyed it down, according to the questions, but nothing was inconsistent. The pieces all fit. The WoW finish this afternoon was when the hard-boiled, tough as a boot, veteran investigator who was under "extreme external pressure," bluffed Zimmerman in a "confrontation interview" designed to "flush out the truth."

He told him that Tryvon Martin had recorded the whole event on his phone and they were getting it hooked up and this is the time to make any corrections or admissions ...before we see the recording. Zimmerman responded "Thank God. I hoped someone had taped it." Cop said "I believed him. I think he was telling the truth." Investigator Chris Serino, is a hard- boiled character. Prototype of every TV cop. Disheveled, tired, husky-voiced, calm. 'Nother day 'nother dollar affect. 16 years as an investigator. Beat cop before that. Major Crimes now. He's seen everything twice. When he arrived on scene about midnight, other cops were already there, the body was face down, unidentified. Zimmerman had been taken down to the station. They could not ID the victim. Couldn't find him in the finger print or criminal record data. The next day they put the victim together with a missing person's report for Treyvon Martin.

At the station later that night, he met Zimmerman for the first time, after Officer Singleton's initial interview and with the eye and ear witness statements in hand. He did sort of an overview interview. Suspicious person, check. Called non-emergency number, check. Q: Why didn't you ask him what he was up to? A: Didn't want to confront him. Z stated he drew his weapon after he thought Tryvon had seen it and was reaching for it. T reached down for the gun and said "You gonna die tonight M/F" but Z got it first. Z pushed TM's hand away and with the other hand cleared the holster and shot. Z got out from under TM, and then got on top of him because TM was still talking. "You got me. You got me." Z saw a flashlight and figured the cops had arrived so he stood up. Z was shocked when he learned later at the station that TM was dead. Cops offered help with PTSD. Appointment made on tape to walk the scene the next day. Next day, Serino drove Z around the scene and recorded Z's story as they traveled in the cop car and they got out and walked and talked the scene through.

Cop lays out the possibilities: Maybe TM perceived you to be a threat and he felt allowed to defend himself? A: Don't know. IQ: s that why he was enraged? A: Don't know. Q:What set him off? A: Don't know. Why not talk to him? A: I was afraid to confront him. Z was out of his car to find address for the cops to come to. Q: Why didn't you know the address? A: Bad Memory. Confusing layout. Q: When asked by TM "What's your fucking problem? Why not say You're the problem? A: I was scared. He popped out and caught me off guard" Q: Can you see he might be scared of you following me? A: I didn't know. (This interview must be incendiary to the family and community. ) Z began to respond he didn't know that in a very deflated way. Sort of amazed. Q: TM might have thought. what gives you the right to ask for information? A: I didn't. We're not supposed to do that. Q: Why didn't you ID yourself? A: Didn't have the opportunity to speak to him. It all happened very fast. When TM yelled "what's your problem?" it twas from behind. Z turned and backed toward car which he had been headed for. NOW THIS HEAVY DUTY COP WANTS TO HYPNOTIZE Z !! Close your eyes and now you're talking to the dispatcher OK breath, now try to be back there and say what happened. Serino now play acts in a deep voice "WTF is your problem?" He tells Z to respond. Z says "I don't have a problem." Like before. WILD! Then Sorino growls "It never works but I always try it. What? ARE you kidding me?

Now they play Z's call to the non-emergency number and ask for explanations of every statement: " There's a suspicious person." Q: Why? On drugs or something. Why? Black. hoodie. pants. Staring at me. Coming towards me with his hand in his waistband. "Don't know what's wrong with him." " These assholes always get away." Q: What's behind that? Not true right? One guy was caught." "He's running." Q: What kind of run? "Don't know." Z sounds upset and deflated now. Cops says "He ran, you can't see him. Law of physics says he's hiding."

Bottom line with this investigator is he has an amazing grasp. Questioned as to inconsistencies. From night before initial interview compared to drive around next day. None I can think of. Then he wasn't sure that a person would fall down if he had been hit one time in the nose. ( Not him!) Expect the story to change . It's normal. No "spidey sense" caused concern. All pieces seemed to fit. "Recreation Interview and Challenge interview. Planning the Challenge Interview cop reviewed all info available. All the information this cop had supported self-defense. Nothing made him jump. Odds and ends different but nothing popped up. And believe me people when I tell you this guy was tough on Z. "I had nothing to hit this guy with." He could have been a victim also. I kept an open mind that he could be a victim. There were "external concerns" so I asked Q: "If TM had been white would you have done the same thing?" A: "Yes." Serino says " I believed him. "