George Zimmerman, a former neighborhood watch volunteer charged with second-degree murder in the killing of unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin, is suing NBC’s “Today” show after it edited the audiotape of a 911 call to make Zimmerman appear racist,
the New York Post reported.
The show on March 27 played an audiotape with Zimmerman saying on a 911 call, "This guy looks like he’s up to no good...he looks black."
But the fuller text of the call showed that the exchange between Zimmerman and the 911 dispatcher was edited, missing out a vital portion.
The full version said:
ZIMMERMAN: This guy looks like he's up to no good, or he's on drugs or something. It's raining, and he's just walking around, looking about.
911 DISPATCHER: Okay, is this guy, is he white, black, or Hispanic?
ZIMMERMAN: He looks black.
NBC later apologized for the mistake. The Post reported that the complaint will be filed against NBC News President Steve Capus and correspondent Ron Allen.
Zimmerman is charged in the Feb. 26 shooting death of 17-year-old Martin in a gated community in the central Florida city of Sanford. Martin's killing drew national attention because police initially declined to arrest Zimmerman.
They cited Florida's "Stand Your Ground" self-defense law and Zimmerman's claim that he used deadly force because he believed his life was being threatened by Martin.
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