When a recording was released of a 911 call George Zimmerman made to police shortly before fatally shooting Trayvon Martin, some who heard it zeroed in on three words to suggest he had uttered a racial slur.
An affidavit released by the prosecutor who has charged Zimmerman with second-degree murder says he did not use a slur, however. The document filed Thursday did say Zimmerman "profiled" Martin. It did not elaborate.
Some cited the alleged slur as potential evidence for the U.S. Justice Department, which could still bring a hate-crime charge against Zimmerman. And it fed growing outrage over the police department's initial decision not to arrest Zimmerman.
It is not clear what effect the affidavit's conclusion will have on the federal investigation. Martin was black. Zimmerman's father is white and his mother is Hispanic.
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