"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 request said. Martin had THC, the drug found in marijuana, in his blood on the night of his death, according to the autopsy. 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 fiance lived, after the teen was suspended for 10 days from Michael M. Krop High School in Miami. Two police reports written the night that George Zimmerman shot Trayvon Martin said that Zimmerman had a bloody face and nose, according to police reports made public today. 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. Zimmerman, who has pleaded not guilty, has said that he shot Martin in self-defense.
– Get ready for a deluge of information in the Trayvon Martin/George Zimmerman case, as prosecutors today released a cache of related documents. Some early samples: Pro-Zimmerman: His lawyers surely hope lots of attention will be paid to the fact that Trayvon apparently smoked pot at some point before the altercation. (It's not clear when or how much.) The autopsy found traces of the drug THC in his system, the active ingredient in marijuana, reports CNN. Also, ABC News notes that two witness accounts given to police "appear to back up Zimmerman's version" of events. Pro-Trayvon: Prosecutors will no doubt point to the police conclusion that the shooting was "ultimately avoidable," had Zimmerman "remained in his vehicle and awaited the arrival of law enforcement." The Orlando Sentinel leads its story with it. Zimmerman photo: The documents include a grainy copy of a photo police took of Zimmerman after the shooting in which he appears to have a bloody nose, notes AP. See the photo here. Trayvon's belongings: He had $40.15 on him, along with a packet of Skittles, a red lighter, headphones, and a photo pin in his pocket. See for yourself: MSNBC has the documents here in PDF form, and the Sentinel has crime-scene photos here. Click to read about a damning assessment of the Sanford police by the New York Times here.