VERDICT IS IN – NOT GUILTY: ZIMMERMAN AQUITTED

George Zimmerman acquitted in the death of Trayvon Martin, jury finds.

“From a legal perspective, the jury believed that George Zimmerman was justified in using deadly force, that he was in danger of great bodily harm or death in the altercation with Trayvon Martin,’’ said David Edelstein, a Miami criminal defense attorney. “They believed he was simply responding with the force necessary to protect himself. They may also have concluded this was a tragic accident.’’

Zimmerman was on trial for fatally shooting Trayvon Martin in February 2012 in a Flordia. The case sparked waves of protests across the nation. In Miami-Dade County, where Trayvon, 17, lived with his mother, police have been monitoring social media for possible trouble. In a message on Twitter and Facebook, the department started a campaign urging residents to be "vocal, not violent."

Nationally, police in cities, including New York, Detroit, Oakland and Atlanta, say they are not anticipating major protests or riots.