Re: Trayvon Martin Shooting
Lawyer says Zimmerman medical report leaked to boost case
4:23 PM, May. 16, 2012 |
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http://i.usatoday.net/news/_photos/2...MV-x-large.jpg
George Zimmerman appears in court during a bond hearing in Sanford, Fla., on April 20. / By Gary W. Green, AP
By Marisol Bello, USA TODAY
The attorney representing Trayvon Martin's parents said Wednesday a medical report detailing injuries sustained by the man who said he shot Trayvon was leaked to bolster his claims of self-defense.
Lawyer Benjamin Crump said he has not seen the medical report but questions who leaked the information and why.
"It was leaked for a beneficial purpose," he said, "certainly to help George Zimmerman's claim of self-defense."
The medical report detailing George Zimmerman's injuries after he shot and killed Trayvon was first reported by ABC News on Tuesday.
Zimmerman, 28, is charged with second-degree murder in the fatal shooting Feb. 26 of Trayvon, an unarmed black 17-year-old, in a gated Sanford community where Zimmerman was a neighborhood watch volunteer.
Zimmerman, whose father is white and mother is Hispanic, said he shot Trayvon in self-defense after the teen confronted him, punched him in the face and bashed his head on the sidewalk. Police 911 recordings after Zimmerman reported a person in a hooded sweatshirt who looked suspicious indicate that Zimmerman got out of his vehicle and followed Martin for 20 seconds before the dispatcher asked, "Are you following him?" Zimmerman said he was, at which point the dispatcher told him they did not need him to do that.
The three-page medical report is among the evidence the special prosecutors provided defense lawyers before Zimmerman's trial.
Zimmerman had two black eyes, a "closed fracture" of his nose and two cuts on his head after the fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin, according to the report and court records obtained by CNN, ABC news and other outlets.
Crump said Wednesday the injuries cited in Zimmerman's medical report do not clear him of shooting Martin.
"You have to look at this in the full context," he said. "George Zimmerman made the decision to get out of his car, profile Trayvon Martin, pursue Trayvon Martin and confront him."
He said the report shows that Martin was fighting for his life and the altercation never would have happened if Zimmerman had not pursued the teen.
He also questioned the severity of Zimmerman's injuries. He said Zimmerman refused to go to the hospital at the scene, was then seen on a police videotape at least 30 minutes later in which he had no visible injuries and went to his doctor the next day to get clearance to return to work.
"This report needs to be vetted with a keen eye," he said.
Michelle Jacobs, a defense attorney and law professor at the University of Florida, said the reports show there was a fight between the two men but it does not get to the central points of the case: Why did the fight occur, and was the use of deadly force justified?
"He may have gotten injuries, but it could have been because it was Trayvon Martin who feared he was at risk of death or serious bodily injury," Jacobs said. "The injuries themselves do not tell us anything about who initiated the contact. And that's what the case will hinge on."
Also Tuesday, CNN affiliate WFTV reported that Martin's autopsy showed the teen had injuries to his knuckles when he died.
"He was fighting for his life," Crump told CNN's Anderson Cooper. "Let's not forget that Trayvon Martin was fighting a man with a 9mm gun. We also have to remember that he didn't start this fight. George Zimmerman got out his car and pursued Trayvon Martin."
Re: Trayvon Martin Shooting
Making shit up as they go again....
Quote:
"You have to look at this in the full context," he said. "George Zimmerman made the decision to get out of his car, profile Trayvon Martin, pursue Trayvon Martin and confront him."
The "pursue and confront" part is what I am talking about.
He was following a suspect and talking to a 911 operator and pulled off the alleged "pursuit" and left to leave when he himself was attacked.
Re: Trayvon Martin Shooting
John Snell, a.k.a. Snell the ass clown.
Also, I find that people keep repeating this canard that he didn't follow police "orders"
"We don't need you to do that" is no an order.
Also, this fuckwit can't even get the facts right and we're supposed to listen to him?
Quote:
When he armed himself and left his residence, against the instructions of the 911 operator, he put himself in the position of being the initial aggressor in this incident.
He was in his vehicle, you fucking stupid asshole!
Re: Trayvon Martin Shooting
I love how "if he didn't get out of his car...blah blah blah"
If your father hadn't prematurely ejaculated in your mother's stank and spawned you Marisol Bello, we wouldn't have to listen to your babble. Fuck off.
Re: Trayvon Martin Shooting
He should sue his parents for breeding....
Re: Trayvon Martin Shooting
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Rick Donaldson
He should sue his parents for breeding....
Marisol is a female name.
Re: Trayvon Martin Shooting
Ah, should sue "her" parents for having children that had sex changes then....
Re: Trayvon Martin Shooting
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Malsua
John Snell, a.k.a. Snell the ass clown.
Also, I find that people keep repeating this canard that he didn't follow police "orders"
"We don't need you to do that" is no an order.
Also, this fuckwit can't even get the facts right and we're supposed to listen to him?
He was in his vehicle, you fucking stupid asshole!
And also don't forget, dispatcher ≠ police.
Re: Trayvon Martin Shooting
A lot of people don't understand that Ryan.
Re: Trayvon Martin Shooting
More details emerge in Trayvon Martin investigation
By the CNN Wire Staff
updated 11:06 AM EDT, Fri May 18, 2012
http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/ass...al-gallery.jpg George Zimmerman, 28, faces second-degree murder charges in the death of Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Florida, on February 26.
(RD: Looks like a head wound to me)....
HIDE CAPTION
Photos: Evidence from the Trayvon Martin case
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STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- NEW: Trayvon Martin's girlfriend says he called out "Get off, get off" before his death
- NEW: The girl was on the phone with Martin just before his slaying
- The revelations are contained in audio recordings released by prosecutors
- George Zimmerman is accused of second-degree murder in Martin's death
(CNN) -- Trayvon Martin's girlfriend, talking to him on the telephone, heard the teenager saying, "get off, get off" in the moments before his cell phone cut off and he was shot dead, according to a recording of the girl's interview with a prosecutor released Friday.(RD: Trayvon's "Girl Friend" is mistaken. Voice analysis by experts have confirmed it was G. Zimmerman yelling)
The recording provides the most detailed look yet into the telephone conversation between the girl and Martin in the moments before he died.
Martin was shot to death February 26 while walking in the Sanford, Florida, neighborhood where he was staying during a visit with his father.
Neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman is charged with second-degree murder in the death, which sparked nationwide protests and inflamed public passions over race relations and gun control.(RD: FINALLY! "Volunteer", not "self-appointed")
http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/ass...story-body.jpgDoes new evidence change Trayvon case?
http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/ass...story-body.jpg'Still a strong case against Zimmerman'
http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/ass...story-body.jpgVideo of Martin before he died
http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/ass...story-body.jpgMark O'Mara on new evidence
The girl, whose name has not been made public, told Assistant State Attorney Bernie de la Rionda that Martin got away from the man, who turned out to be Zimmerman, but only temporarily.
He was out of breath from running away, and scared, she said, and decided not to keep running because he was close to the house where he was staying.
And as Zimmerman drew closer, the girl said, Martin called out," Why you following me for?" according to the recording.(RD: Grammar.... it exists not, no more...)
"I hear this man, like this old man, say, 'What are you doing around here?' " the girl said.
The girl said she called out to Martin, asking what was happening, but he didn't answer. The next thing she heard was a bumping sound, followed by what might have been a scuffle.
"I could hear it a little bit, 'Get off, get off,' then the phone just hung up," the girl said.
Zimmerman has claimed self-defense in the shooting, saying Martin charged him after the two exchanged words, knocking him to the ground and hitting his head repeatedly against a concrete sidewalk.
Prosecutors say Zimmerman profiled Martin, an African-American teenager wearing a hoodie, as a criminal and killed him, even though he was doing nothing wrong.(RD: "Profiled"? Zimmerman certainly saw what he thought was a criminal, the same description of people who had recently robbed the neighborhood homes. )
The recording released Friday is the latest in a series of revelations from the official investigation into the shooting. Authorities are making details of the case publicly available as attorneys prepare for Zimmerman's trial.
Also released this week was a document filed with prosecutors by Sanford police two weeks after the shooting, urging Zimmerman's arrest.
New documents shed light on Trayvon Martin killing
"The encounter between George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin was ultimately avoidable by Zimmerman, if Zimmerman had remained in his vehicle and awaited the arrival of law enforcement, or conversely if he had identified himself to Martin as a concerned citizen and initiated dialog (sic) in an effort to dispel each party's concern" the police request to arrest Zimmerman said. "There is no indication that Trayvon Martin was involved in any criminal activity."(RD: So getting robbed in your home, or having your house robbed is also "ultimately avoidable" if you aren't home to get robbed, or you don't have anything worth taking, or you know, you just don't report it to the cops, right?)
Other documents released this week include Martin's autopsy report, a fire department report on Zimmerman's injuries and an FBI analysis of emergency calls in which someone can be heard screaming in the background.
http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/ass...story-body.jpgMedical report lists Zimmerman injuries
http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/ass...story-body.jpgReport details Zimmerman's injuries
http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/ass...story-body.jpgNew medical report may help Zimmerman
http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/ass...story-body.jpgFirm cashing in with hoodie target
The autopsy report showed that Martin died of a gunshot wound to the chest fired from within 36 inches and that he had traces of marijuana in his blood and urine.
In his 911 call just before the shooting, Zimmerman had speculated that the teen looked like he was "up to no good or he's on drugs or something."
Martin's blood contained THC, which is the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, according to autopsy results released Thursday. The autopsy was conducted February 27, the day after the teenager was shot dead.
Toxicology tests found elements of the drug in the teenager's chest blood -- 1.5 nanograms per milliliter of one type (THC), as well as 7.3 nanograms of another type (THC-COOH) -- according to the medical examiner's report. There also was a presumed positive test of cannabinoids in Martin's urine, according to the medical examiner's report. It was not immediately clear how significant these amounts were.(RD: Yes, it IS IMMEDIATELY evident from a toxicology report!)
No precise levels on the urine were released.
Dr. Michael Policastro, a toxicologist, cautioned against reading too much into the blood THC levels, adding that one cannot make a direct correlation between those findings and a level of intoxication. (RD: WTF? REALLY? So you're saying you can't use a blood test to determine how 'under the influence' a person is?????)
He also said that levels of THC, which can linger in a person's system for days, can spike after death in certain areas of the body because of redistribution.
And Dr. Drew Pinsky, an addiction specialist who hosts a show on CNN's sister network HLN, added that marijuana typically does not make users more aggressive.
Concentrations of THC routinely rise to 100 to 200 nanograms per milliliter after marijuana use, though it typically falls to below 5 ng/ml within three hours of it being smoked, according to information on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's website.
While some states have zero-tolerance policies for any drug traces for driving while impaired, others set certain benchmarks, the website of California's Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs notes. In Nevada, that equates to 2 ng/ml for THC and 5 ng/ml for THC-COOH, also known as marijuana metabolite. The cutoff level in Ohio is 2 ng/ml for THC and 50 ng/ml for THC-COOH.
What happened that night?
Martin's father, Tracy, had taken his son with him to Sanford, about four hours away from the boy's home and where the father's fiancee lived, after the teen was suspended for 10 days from Michael M. Krop High School in Miami.
According to records obtained by The Miami Herald, Martin had been suspended from school three times: once for writing graffiti on a door, another time for school truancy and the last time because of drug residue found in his backpack.
Just before the shooting, Zimmerman, 28, called 911 to complain about a suspicious person in his neighborhood.
In the call, Zimmerman said he was following Martin after the teen started to run, prompting the dispatcher to tell him, "We don't need you to do that."
Prosecutors say Zimmerman disregarded the advice, leading to a confrontation between the two.
Much has been made about whether Zimmerman during that call used a racial epithet in referring to Martin. But an FBI analysis, released Thursday, determined that the word could not be definitively identified "due to weak signal level and poor recording quality."
A screaming voice could be heard on other 911 calls placed by neighbors, with some speculating that those screams came from Martin and others that they belonged to Zimmerman. The FBI did not make a final determination either way, citing several reasons, including the fact they came during "an extreme emotional state," that there weren't enough words to make a good comparison and that the sound quality was low and distant.
FBI analysis -- Zimmerman's 911 call (pdf -- strong language)
Zimmerman claimed, according a police report released earlier, that he'd been "assaulted (by Martin) and his head was struck on the pavement."
According a report from the Sanford Fire Department, released Thursday, Zimmerman had "abrasions to his forehead," "bleeding/tenderness to his nose," and a "small laceration to the back of his head" when emergency personnel arrived at the scene at 7:27 p.m., six minutes after they were first called.
By that time, Martin had no apparent pulse, according to the fire and EMS report. Emergency personnel attempted mouth-to-mask resuscitation and chest compressions, to no avail. He was pronounced dead at 7:30 p.m.
Prosecutors have said Zimmerman, who is a white Hispanic, killed the unarmed teenager after unjustly after profiling him. Zimmerman, who has pleaded not guilty, has said that he shot Martin in self-defense.
The start of the trial hasn't been set.
The case put a spotlight on race relations, spurring protests nationwide and drawing prominent civil rights leaders to central Florida denouncing the actions of Sanford police and calling for Zimmerman's arrest. Special prosecutor Angela Corey announced he'd been charged on April 11, weeks after Sanford police initially declined to do so.
The case also raised questions about gun laws, as well as the merits of the "stand your ground" law in Florida and similar laws in other states that allow people to use deadly force anywhere they feel a reasonable threat of serious injury or death.
Re: Trayvon Martin Shooting
I just want to, for clarity identify the problem with society today.
These assholes on the Left screaming about "Profiling" really do NOT know what they are talking about.
Zimmerman couldn't have "profiled" anyone:
pro·fil·ingnoun /ˈprōˌfīliNG/
The recording and analysis of a person's psychological and behavioral characteristics, so as to assess or predict their capabilities in a certain sphere or to assist in identifying a particular subgroup of people.
Re: Trayvon Martin Shooting
Another new factoid.
TM wasn't carrying Iced Tea. It was Watermelon Fruit Punch. At every turn, we're striking down the stereotypes!
Re: Trayvon Martin Shooting
LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! "Watermelon Fruit punch"!
Re: Trayvon Martin Shooting
Another Black on Black crime... it made the news because it:
1) Happened in Detroit
2) Involved a Pastor
3) The Pastor had JUST given the eulogy for Whitney Houston!
4) They got away with a Rollex
Detroit police: Marvin Winans' gas station attack started with music talk
May 17, 2012 |
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http://cmsimg.freep.com/apps/pbcsi.d...ted-music-talk
The Rev. Marvin Winans was carjacked at this Citgo near Linwood and Davison on Wednesday. He suffered multiple bruises after being assaulted. Police investigators say the thieves took off with his burgundy 2012 Infiniti QX56 SUV and about $200 from his wallet. / JARRAD HENDERSON/Detroit Free Press
http://cmsimg.freep.com/apps/pbcsi.d...axH=55&maxW=55 By Bill Laitner
Detroit Free Press Staff Writer
Related Links
http://cmsimg.freep.com/apps/pbcsi.d...station-attack Purchase Image Zoom
Winans, a Detroit pastor and famous gospel singer, probably wasn't recognized, police said. / J. KYLE KEENER/DETROIT FREE PRESS
Detroit police said they don't believe a group of young attackers knew they had targeted a prominent Detroit pastor and gospel recording artist when they beat and carjacked him Wednesday afternoon.
The Rev. Marvin Winans had scrapes, bumps and ripped pants after the incident at a gas station in northwest Detroit.
The three or four young men fled with his gray Louis Vuitton wallet containing $200, his $15,000 Rolex gold-and-diamond-encrusted watch and the deep-burgundy 2012 Infiniti QX56 SUV he was driving, according to Detroit police.
Winans, 54, who gave a eulogy for singer Whitney Houston at her funeral in February, refused EMS transport to a hospital but a friend drove him to get medical attention, police said.
He said he was pumping gas at a Citgo station on Davison and Linwood when a young man approached and "engaged him in conversation about the music he had on the radio," Detroit police Inspector Nick Kyriacou said.
When the young man suddenly told Winans that gas was spilling from his tank, the minister turned toward his SUV and the young man sucker-punched him from behind and pushed him down, after which "three or four men punched and kicked him on the pavement," Kyriacou said.
"Somebody said, 'Roll him over,' and they got his wallet," Kyriacou said.
As many as 10 young men, ages 18 to 20, were in the station when Winans paid for his gasoline, and the attackers apparently followed him to his car, Kyriacou said. Winans was able to describe only the one who spoke with him: 5 feet 4, in his late teens, wearing a white T-shirt and dark jeans, police said.
Winans' newest recording -- "Let the Church Say Amen" -- was listed on Billboard.com this week as the nation's top gospel recording. He is pastor of Perfecting Church, whose website says it has more than 3,000 members and a 4,500-seat sanctuary being built at Woodward and 7 Mile in Detroit. It has been incomplete for at least a year.
"I am shocked, but I'm not shocked that something like this happened at this location," said the Rev. James Garrett, pastor of Christ Temple Apostolic Faith Church in southwest Detroit. Garrett, 67, said he lives near the crime scene and drove there after his daughter told him of the crime.
Anyone with information can call the Detroit police 10th Precinct anytime at 313-596-1000.
Detroit Free Press writers Gina Damron and Elisha Anderson contributed to this story.
Re: Trayvon Martin Shooting
I misspoke. The choice of THC imbibers that wear hoodies.
http://www.nationwidecandy.com/mmCAN...Watermelon.jpg
Re: Trayvon Martin Shooting
May 18, 2012 2:27pm
Trayvon Martin Case: Does Zimmerman’s Self Defense Claim Depend on Who Started the Fight?
http://abcnews.go.com/images/US/ht_g...0518_wblog.jpg
By DAN ABRAMS, ABC News Legal Consultant
Hundreds of pages of documents released yesterday in the Trayvon Martin case shed new light on a number of important aspects of the investigation . Maybe most importantly, it seems clear that George Zimmerman took a beating. Probably a pretty bad one. Bloody lacerations on his head, grass stains on his back, a “swollen” or “broken” nose and more than one witness claiming to have seen what must have been Martin on top of Zimmerman during the altercation, all support Zimmerman’s longstanding claim. But it is also pretty clear from the other evidence we know of — the 911 call where Zimmerman ignores instructions not to follow Martin, and the account of Martin’s friend who was on the phone with him immediately before the incident- that Zimmerman likely followed Martin and initiated whatever altercation eventually ensued. While these facts remain in dispute, if Martin was effectively defending himself from Zimmerman, then started punching out Zimmerman, can Zimmerman still claim he killed Martin in self defense under Florida’s stand your ground law? Maybe.
I started thinking about this more in depth last night after receiving an email from a well respected attorney who suggested that I misstated an aspect of the law during a television appearance. In particular, he believed I was wrong to say that “under Florida Law you can’t start a fight, start losing a fight and then claim you were standing your ground.”
The Florida Stand your Ground Law passed in 2005 reads as follows:
A person who is not engaged in an unlawful activity and who is attacked in any other place where he or she has a right to be has no duty to retreat and has the right to stand his or her ground and meet force with force, including deadly force or herself or another or to prevent the commission of a forcible felony.
So the law is pretty clear that if Zimmerman was attacked by Martin, he could use deadly force “if he. . . reasonably believes it is necessary to do so to prevent death or great bodily harm to himself.” Who was the aggressor becomes a, and probably the, crucial legal question. But its not the only question. While the law also states that the defense “is not available to a person who initially provokes the use of force against himself,” there are 2 exceptions. First, if:
“in good faith, the person withdraws from physical contact with the assailant and indicates clearly to the assailant that he or she desires to withdraw and terminate the use of force, but the assailant continues or resumes the use of force.”
There is nothing yet to suggest that Zimmerman will claim he tried to withdraw but since he was the only witness to the events just preceding the altercation, it could still become an issue. But the second exception is far more likely to be relevant. The law also states that the initial aggressor is permitted to invoke the law and claim self defense if in response to his own aggression,
“Such force is so great that the person reasonably believes that he or she is in imminent danger of death or great bodily harm and that he or she has exhausted every reasonable means to escape such danger other than the use of force which is likely to cause death or great bodily harm to the assailant.”
So in theory this could mean that Zimmerman chases down Martin, Martin defends himself and starts pummeling Zimmerman and Zimmerman could still claim he was “standing his ground” because he now feared for his life. Essentially Wild West rules would apply, whoever shoots best and last wins. When asked about this potential issue, the law’s sponsor Florida Rep. Dennis Baxley said, “That scenario was never discussed.”
I think its beyond a leap to suggest that “losing a fight” as I described it is akin to exhausting “every reasonable means to escape” and some in the legal community have argued that provoking the incident immediately eliminates any opportunity to invoke the defense. In particular, I think the defense would have trouble arguing that after getting your butt kicked by someone you chased down and provoked, that you could then argue that you were in any way shape or form “reasonable” in your effort to escape. But there is at least an argument, and probably more than one, that Zimmerman could make to try to invoke the Stand Your Ground Law even if he were to concede (or it was proven) that he was the aggressor. So if I have more time maybe I should say “under Florida law you can’t start a fight, then start losing a fight, and then, without reasonably trying to escape first, shoot and kill someone?”
Regardless, this law is incredibly protective of the defendant and for everyone who has pointed fingers of blame at the police and prosecutors in connection with this case, now that we know a lot more about the evidence, I think any fingers would have been far more accurately pointed at the Florida legislature.
Re: Trayvon Martin Shooting
Question:
Quote:
Trayvon Martin Case: Does Zimmerman’s Self Defense Claim Depend on Who Started the Fight?
Answer: NO!!
Re: Trayvon Martin Shooting
Just for reference:
Quote:
In the
United States, the
defense of self-defense allows a person to use reasonable force in his or her own defense or the defense of others (see the
theoretical background for why this is allowed).
While the definitions vary from state to state, the general rule makes an important distinction between the use of non-deadly and deadly force. A person may use non-deadly force to prevent imminent injury, however a person may not use deadly force unless that person is in reasonable fear of serious injury or death. Some states also include a
duty to retreat (exceptions include Louisiana and Florida), when deadly force may only be used if the person is unable to safely retreat. A person is generally not obligated to retreat if in one's own home in what has been called the
castle exception (from the expression "A man's home is his castle").
I personally believe that the right to defend oneself extends at times even to criminals - let me clarify this though, I don't mean someone in the act or performing a crime. Rather I mean those who were previously incarcerated for some crime, regardless of the crime who has "served their time" and is now out either on parole or free from all other required service to the State... that person also has a right to defend his or her life against other criminals.
I am pretty certain this is what we call "an inalienable right" - something that NO government, whether Federal, State or Local and remove from us.
Thus regardless of Zimmerman's previous conduct (eg, that of following Martin to ascertain his location for the 911 Operator) does not give Martin the right to beat the snot out of Zimmerman, knock him to the ground and then proceed to pound his face with his fists and Zimmerman's head into the concrete.
I would have shot him too, no matter who he was.
The difference is, I wouldn't have let him get that close to me in the first place, or if he did, he'd have gone down and out with serious (probably irreversible) knee and groin injuries.
It's one thing to be sucker punched from the side, but a full on, frontal attack is simply not called for and anyone should be able to defend themselves.
Even from a "sucker punch" one should be able to defend oneself - and the use of deadly force when overwhelmed is the next step.
Re: Trayvon Martin Shooting
And define starting a fight.
Its not against the law or even provocative, in my opinion, to walk up to an unfamiliar person and ask, "Hey, what are you doing here?"
Re: Trayvon Martin Shooting
Very true, Ryan. I was passing through Kansas a few weeks back on the way to Michigan and I walked up to a big tall black fella and said, "What are you doing here?!"
He said, "What the HELL are YOU doing here?"
We both laughed.
It just so happens he and I knew each other... Miles and miles from any place in nowhere Ks. LOL.
We shook hands, went our respective ways. No one died.
(was funny, he is the government director of security at MDA - and he was on his way to Wichita for a meeting, I was on the way to Mich. to see Dad)