George Zimmerman Charged With Aggravated … – ABC News
George Zimmerman is in a Florida prison cell awaiting his first appearance before a judge Tuesday near the same courthouse where he was acquitted this summer of murdering Trayvon Martin.
Zimmerman, 30, was arrested today after a "domestic disturbance" with his girlfriend. He now faces a felony charge of aggravated assault and the lesser charges of battery domestic violence and criminal mischief.
Zimmerman's girlfriend, who the Seminole County Sheriff's Office identified as Samantha Scheibe, told a 911 dispatcher that the incident began when the former neighborhood watch captain grew upset during an argument and brandished a weapon at her.
"He's in my house, breaking all my s--- because I asked him to leave," Scheibe told the dispatcher. "He's got a freaking gun breaking all my stuff right now."
Scheibe said Zimmerman then pushed her out the home that they have shared ever since Zimmerman became estranged with his wife and locked her out. Authorities said when they arrived Scheibe gave them keys to the home, and that they had to push through obstacles by the door to get in.
"When we arrived, the victim indicated that she and George Zimmerman were having a verbal dispute and at that time she alleged that he had broken a table and pointed a long-barrel shotgun at her," Seminole County Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Dennis Lemma said at a news conference.
However, Zimmerman tells a different tale. He told police in a separate 911 call that she instigated the incident.
"My girlfriend has ... for lack of a better word, gone crazy on me," said Zimmerman while police knocked on the door trying to speak with him.
"The police is already there and so why are you calling? What happened?" the dispatcher asked.
Zimmerman replied, "I just want everyone to know the truth."
In Zimmerman's 911 call he says his "pregnant" girlfriend instigated the altercation and that no guns were used. Police later noted that his girlfriend was not pregnant.
"I never pulled a firearm. I never displayed it. When I was packing it I'm sure she saw it. I keep it next to the bed," Zimmerman said.
He said he agreed to leave the house to diffuse a tense conversation, and at first she agreed but then became upset.
"When she changed, she just started smashing stuff. Taking stuff that belonged to me. Throwing it outside. Throwing it out of her room. Throwing it all over the house. She broke a glass table," said Zimmerman.
Zimmerman appeared hesitant to speak with officers who were trying to get in the home.
Dispatcher: Is she still outside with the officers now? Zimmerman: I don't know ma'am. I'm inside. Dispatcher: You're inside? And you're still not willing to go out and speak with the officers? Zimmerman: I can talk to one of the officers. But I don't want to go outside.
Zimmerman asked to speak with an officer on the phone. He was unarmed when police got to him and "rather passive," Lemma said. He offered no resistance and was taken into custody. He is being held without bond and if a judge decides to let him go free, authorities have requested that he once again be outfitted with an electronic monitoring device.
Late Monday night police were seen removing what looked like evidence from the home.
A spokesman for lawyer Mark O'Mara, who represented Zimmerman in the murder trial, noted that O'Mara "is not representing George Zimmerman in today's matter or any new matters, and as such it is not appropriate for him to make any comments."
Monday's incident is Zimmerman's latest run in with the law since his acquittal in Martin's death.
In September, he was released after being arrested without charges after his wife called 911 to say Zimmerman punched his father-in-law in the nose and threatened to shoot him and his wife.
Zimmerman claimed that he was acting in a "defensive manner" during the incident, according to police, who later added that they never found a gun on Zimmerman.
He has also been pulled over for speeding, once in July and once in September. During the July incident, he alerted the officer that he had a gun in his glove compartment.
On July 18, the Seminole County Sheriff's Office said Zimmerman was one of two men who came to the aid of a family who became trapped inside their Ford Explorer after it rolled over on the side of the highway.
By the time police arrived, two people -- including Zimmerman -- helped the family get out of the overturned car, according to the sheriff's office.
Zimmerman became a controversial figure when he shot and killed unarmed black teen Trayvon Martin. He was acquitted of second-degree murder in July.
Zimmerman conceded he shot and killed Martin in Sanford, Fla., on Feb. 26, 2012, but maintained he fired in self-defense. His acquittal caused widespread anger.
Though Zimmerman's defense did not invoke the "stand your ground" law, the case sparked a national debate about race and "stand your ground" laws, which exist in at least 22 states. Martin's mother, Sybrina Fulton, testified on Capitol Hill in October that "stand your ground" laws must be reviewed and amended.
Zimmerman has a concealed carry permit in Florida that was re-instated after the trial, making him legally entitled to transport and possess a weapon in most states.
Continued here:
George Zimmerman Charged With Aggravated ... - ABC News
- George Zimmerman To Keep $200K Raised Online - essence.com - April 1st, 2025 [April 1st, 2025]
- George Zimmerman Charged With Second-Degree Murder in Trayvon Martin Tragedy - essence.com - April 1st, 2025 [April 1st, 2025]
- What happened to George Zimmerman? What we know about the man acquitted in Trayvon Martin's death as late teen remembered on his 30th birthday - MSN - February 14th, 2025 [February 14th, 2025]
- What happened to George Zimmerman? What we know about the man acquitted in Trayvon Martin's death as late teen remembered on his 30th birthday - Soap... - February 9th, 2025 [February 9th, 2025]
- George Zimmerman Obituary (2024) - Orangeburg, SC - The Times and Democrat - Legacy.com - November 24th, 2024 [November 24th, 2024]
- George Zimmerman's Brother Compares Trayvon Martin to Alleged Baby Killer - Essence - November 4th, 2024 [November 4th, 2024]
- George Zimmerman Is to Auction the Gun Used to Kill Trayvon Martin, Reports Say - Yahoo Movies Canada - June 12th, 2024 [June 12th, 2024]
- Trayvon Martin Shooter George Zimmerman Charged With Murder - imdb - May 11th, 2024 [May 11th, 2024]
- City where Trayvon Martin was killed hopes to fix racial tension with storytelling, respect - Yahoo News - February 25th, 2024 [February 25th, 2024]
- Celebrating Trayvon Martin: How His Legacy Continues To Thrive - NewsOne - February 12th, 2024 [February 12th, 2024]
- Mary L. Bowman | News, Sports, Jobs - The Express - Lock Haven Express - November 3rd, 2023 [November 3rd, 2023]
- The 'useful idiots' who cannot understand total evil - The Suburban Newspaper - November 3rd, 2023 [November 3rd, 2023]
- Weaponizing death _- Commentary | Government/Opinion - City-sentinel - May 12th, 2023 [May 12th, 2023]
- Giffords: Cleveland, other shootings show the gun industry's ... - Houston Chronicle - May 12th, 2023 [May 12th, 2023]
- Today's Savannah Guthrie's multi-million net worth compared to Hoda Kotb, Dylan Dreyer, Al Roker, and more who's on top? - HELLO! - May 12th, 2023 [May 12th, 2023]
- I met Harry Belafonte a decade ago at a protest. Im still moved by that moment. - Andscape - May 2nd, 2023 [May 2nd, 2023]
- How two decades of gun culture helped shape America's 'Stand Your Ground' laws - ABC News - May 2nd, 2023 [May 2nd, 2023]
- Texas Governor Seeks To Pardon Convicted Killer Of Anti-police Brutality Protester - Barron's - April 13th, 2023 [April 13th, 2023]
- Why businesses should double down on EDI to weather economic ... - People Management Magazine - April 13th, 2023 [April 13th, 2023]
- Rep. Justin Jones: 5 Things About The HBCU Grad Reinstated To ... - BET - April 13th, 2023 [April 13th, 2023]
- Jackie Robinson breaks baseball barrier: Today in history - Calgary Herald - April 13th, 2023 [April 13th, 2023]
- Adidas Drops Trademark Dispute With Black Lives Matter - The New York Times - April 4th, 2023 [April 4th, 2023]
- From Homewood to Bronx, Grammy-winning saxophonist ... - Chicago Tribune - April 4th, 2023 [April 4th, 2023]
- Social Media Sympathizes With Tekashi 6ix9ine After Brutal Gym Beatdown - MadameNoire - March 28th, 2023 [March 28th, 2023]
- Tekashi 6ix9ine Receives Support Online After Gym Beatdown - MadameNoire - March 23rd, 2023 [March 23rd, 2023]
- Was Tekashi Beat Up By His Own Security Force? - AllHipHop - March 23rd, 2023 [March 23rd, 2023]
- The Republicans war on woke has turned the party into a group of hysterical Chicken Littles - TheGrio - March 23rd, 2023 [March 23rd, 2023]
- A Timeline of George Zimmerman's Post-Trayvon Life - March 6th, 2023 [March 6th, 2023]
- Timeline of the George Zimmerman Murder Trial - ABC News - February 26th, 2023 [February 26th, 2023]
- Why George Zimmerman was acquitted - MSNBC.com - February 26th, 2023 [February 26th, 2023]
- Where is George Zimmerman now in 2022? He remains ... - TheNetline - February 10th, 2023 [February 10th, 2023]
- Fast Facts: The Zimmerman Case - CBS Miami - CBS News - February 10th, 2023 [February 10th, 2023]
- Eric Holder Praises Reverend Al Sharpton; Reports Say Zimmerman to be ... - December 16th, 2022 [December 16th, 2022]
- George Zimmerman's Bizarre Life Since Trayvon Martin's ... - Newsweek - August 28th, 2022 [August 28th, 2022]
- Black Man Charged With Murder of White Teen Says He Was Standing His Ground - VICE - August 28th, 2022 [August 28th, 2022]
- Re-Directing Clinical Passion: Benefits and Pitfalls - Psychotherapy.net - August 22nd, 2022 [August 22nd, 2022]
- A List Of All The Ways Fans Heckle Accused Cheater Patrick Reed - Defector - August 22nd, 2022 [August 22nd, 2022]
- Letter: What is a 'stand-your-ground' law? - INFORUM - August 7th, 2022 [August 7th, 2022]
- Justice remains elusive in Till's murder | | dailyitem.com - Sunbury Daily Item - July 29th, 2022 [July 29th, 2022]
- White Man In Connecticut Arrested After Pushing 11-Year-Old Black Boy Off Bike - The Root - July 4th, 2022 [July 4th, 2022]
- We Need a Congressional Investigation Into the 2020 Riots - Heritage.org - June 26th, 2022 [June 26th, 2022]
- Religious fanatics are now running the country - Daily Kos - June 26th, 2022 [June 26th, 2022]
- George Zimmerman: A Complete Story of a Murder and Life After - June 24th, 2022 [June 24th, 2022]
- We Need a Congressional Investigation Into the 2020 Riots | Opinion - Newsweek - June 24th, 2022 [June 24th, 2022]
- War Profiteering Benefits a Few But Hurts Most of Us - LA Progressive - June 24th, 2022 [June 24th, 2022]
- Opinion | Embracing the Complexity of Peace | Robert C. Koehler - Common Dreams - June 19th, 2022 [June 19th, 2022]
- Two White Men Arrested For Threatening Black Teen, Throwing a Rock In His Car In Same Town Trayvon Martin Was - Black Enterprise - June 17th, 2022 [June 17th, 2022]
- A dark money-fueled conservative group rebranded its effort to infiltrate local politics and local media outlets are falling for it - Media Matters... - June 17th, 2022 [June 17th, 2022]
- #WordinBlack: Texas native son talks Juneteenth: better late than never - Afro American - June 17th, 2022 [June 17th, 2022]
- A Country Armed to the Teeth - CounterPunch.org - CounterPunch - June 17th, 2022 [June 17th, 2022]
- Review: Netflixs Civil follows a momentous year in the life of Americas Black attorney general - SF Chronicle Datebook - June 13th, 2022 [June 13th, 2022]
- Kyle Rittenhouse is Lying About Going to College - The Root - June 10th, 2022 [June 10th, 2022]
- Buffalo associate superintendent named to Time's 'Innovative Teachers of the Year' list - WBFO - June 10th, 2022 [June 10th, 2022]
- Notre Dame says it is 'appalled' the Buffalo shooting suspect cited an article by one of its professors - Chicago Tribune - May 29th, 2022 [May 29th, 2022]
- The NRA Exists to Keep Weapons Profits Booming and Guns in the Hands of the State and Right Wing - Left Voice - May 29th, 2022 [May 29th, 2022]
- His Name is George Floyd by Robert Samuels and Toluse Olorunnipa review the murder that shamed the US - The Guardian - May 23rd, 2022 [May 23rd, 2022]
- Be careful with testing waivers | News, Sports, Jobs - The Daily Times - May 20th, 2022 [May 20th, 2022]
- Attorney Ben Crump hired to represent family of Buffalo mass shooting victim - Orlando Sentinel - May 20th, 2022 [May 20th, 2022]
- The New Black Panther Party: The Journal of Steffanie Rivers | WATCHinterview - eurweb.com - May 20th, 2022 [May 20th, 2022]
- JAY-Z Has Dissed More People Than Any Other MC - Ambrosia For Heads - April 17th, 2022 [April 17th, 2022]
- Today in History: Today is Saturday, April 9, the 99th day of 2022. - wausaupilotandreview.com - April 14th, 2022 [April 14th, 2022]
- Woke Exclusive: The Cast and Creatives Reveal When They Got Woke at WonderCon 2022 - The Illuminerdi - April 14th, 2022 [April 14th, 2022]
- Parkland mass shooter finally faces judgment. Jury selection to begin on Monday - Norman Transcript - April 2nd, 2022 [April 2nd, 2022]
- Letter to the editor | Welcome all refugees into our country - TribDem.com - April 2nd, 2022 [April 2nd, 2022]
- Today in History: Today is Saturday, March 19, the 78th day of 2022. - wausaupilotandreview.com - March 20th, 2022 [March 20th, 2022]
- CT version of Stand your ground faces opposition in key committee - CT Insider - March 20th, 2022 [March 20th, 2022]
- Kyle Rittenhouse Gas Meme of Him Crying at the Pump Viewed Over 1M Times - Newsweek - March 18th, 2022 [March 18th, 2022]
- Letters to the Editor: Feb. 26, 2022 - TCPalm - March 4th, 2022 [March 4th, 2022]
- 'This is what makes America what it is': educators taught to include Black history through the year - North Country Public Radio - March 4th, 2022 [March 4th, 2022]
- Trayvon Martin, 10 years later: Teen's death changes ... - February 24th, 2022 [February 24th, 2022]
- Trayvon Martin 10th anniversary: A look at the players - ABC News - February 24th, 2022 [February 24th, 2022]
- Who Is George Hofstetter, Who Created The 'CopStop' App As A Teenager? - Oxygen - January 20th, 2022 [January 20th, 2022]
- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. visited Seattle and was not welcomed - NBC Right Now - January 20th, 2022 [January 20th, 2022]
- Who Is George Hofstetter, Who Created The 'CopStop' App As A Teenager? - Yahoo Entertainment - January 17th, 2022 [January 17th, 2022]
- Family of Emmett Till and more reflect on his funeral, killers' trial - ABC News - January 17th, 2022 [January 17th, 2022]
- Black Lives Matters Co-Founder Alicia Garza Never Expected The Movement To Get So Big - Oxygen - January 17th, 2022 [January 17th, 2022]
- The Re-Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. - City Watch - January 17th, 2022 [January 17th, 2022]
- Opinion: With COVID-19 and firearms, are Americans fighting another civil war? - Iowa City Press-Citizen - December 28th, 2021 [December 28th, 2021]
- Ahmaud Arbery verdict reached 9 years after the deaths of Jordan Davis and Trayvon Martin - 11Alive.com WXIA - November 26th, 2021 [November 26th, 2021]
- Two Days Before Rittenhouse Verdict, a Native Woman Was Imprisoned for Killing Her Alleged Rapist Mother Jones - Mother Jones - November 26th, 2021 [November 26th, 2021]