Trayvon Martin’s parents, Tracy Martin and Sybrina Fulton, talk to TODAY’s Ann Curry about the arrest of George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watch volunteer who fatally shot their 17-year-old son. During the interview, Martin’s mom says she believes her son’s death “was an accident.”





>> trayvon martin's parents are now joining us along with their attorney, benjamin crump. good morning to all of you.



>> good morning.



>> tracy and sybrina, last night when you heard the words "second-degree murder," i noticed that you clasped hands. sybrina, awe loued yourself a small smile. what went through your mind exactly at that moment, sybrina?



>> what went through my mind was finally the person that shot and killed our son was going to be held accountable for what he has done. that's what went through my mind. the moment i heard the charges.



>> tracy , you have said -- in fact, one of the things you said when you reacted was that you were glad that george zimmerman was finally off the streets. if he is actually released on bond, probably into protective custody if, in fact, that happens as early as today, what will be your reaction, tracy ?



>> i have the same reaction because i think that they will -- they'll do the right thing, see fit to do the right thing. i feel as though he needs to be locked up and just prepare himself to be held accountable for what he did.



>> george zimmerman 's attorney said last night -- we heard from him, obviously, just a moment ago. but last night he said that there should not be a rush to judgment. i'm going to quote him here. he said, "i am hoping the community will calm down. we have to have faith in the justice system ." sybrina, are you willing to put your faith that the criminal justice system can give george zimmerman a fair trial ? and do you want that to happen even if it means that george zimmerman might actually be found not guilty?



>> yes, even if that means that he may be found not guilty. we just want him to be held accountable for what he's done. and by him not being arrested, that would not have been done. so we are happy that he was arrested so that committee give his side of the story.



>> so americans who wonder, tracy , if the reason george zimmerman was arrested was not because of the law but because of public pressure , what do you say?



>> first and foremost, i think had the sanford police department did a thorough investigation from the beginning, george zimmerman would have been locked up from day one, and there wouldn't have been such a huge public outcry for the arrest. and if, in fact, we had to plead our case to public officials just to get him arrested, if that's what we have to continue to do to plead our case, then that's what we'll do. but he should have, in fact, been arrested from day one.



>> benjamin , as you well know, a second-degree murder charge carries with it a requirement to prove that there was a disregard for human life , requires a depraved mind without regard for human life . depraved mind being defined as evil intent, spite or ill will . what do you see in the evidence so far that would justify a second-degree murder charge?



>> well, ann, it is real clear from the objective evidence that we know that in those 911 tapes, george zimmerman got out and pursued trayvon martin, even against the instruction of the 911 dispatcher. and we have always believed that for whatever reason, he confronted trayvon martin when he had been told not to do. and for those reasons, trayvon was killed when he was simply trying to get home to watch the basketball game.



>> i want to ask tracy and sybrina, either of you can take this question. if you were to come face to face with george zimmerman , what do you want to tell him? what do you want to ask him?



>> one of the things that i still believe in a person should apologize when they are actually remorseful for what they've done. i believe it was an accident. i believe that it just got out of control, and he couldn't turn the clock back. i would ask him, did he know that that was a minor, that that was a teenager and that he did not have a weapon? i would ask him -- that i understand that his family is hurting, but think about our family that lost our teenage son. i mean, it's just very difficult to live with day in and day out. i'm sure his parents can pick up the phone and call him, but we can't pick up the phone and call trayvon anymore.



>> wow. tracy martin and sybrina fulton, thank you so much, especially for joining us, benjamin crump as well, thank you so much for this. and obviously, this is the beginning of a long road ahead. we really appreciate your time this morning and perspective. it







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