George Zimmerman Arrested Over Domestic Violence Incident

George Zimmerman
Author

Wire Report

Release Date

Monday, September 9, 2013

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George Zimmerman, the Florida man who was acquitted of murder in the shooting of an unarmed teenager in 2012, was being questioned by authorities over a possible domestic violence incident, a police spokesman said on Monday. Lake Mary, Florida, police spokesman Zach Hudson said police "were trying to figure out exactly what happened" in the incident and that a gun was present. Hudson said Zimmerman was being questioned by police but did not provide any additional details. Zimmerman was acquitted on July 13 of murdering 17-year-old Trayvon Martin as he walked back to the townhouse where he was staying after buying snacks at a nearby convenience store. The shooting and trial in the central Florida town of Sanford captivated and polarized the U.S. public on issues of race, gun laws and self-defense laws. Zimmerman's life has been tumultuous since his acquittal. Family friends say he left central Florida shortly after the trial and has been out of contact for more than a month. His wife, Shellie Zimmerman, 26, filed for divorce last Thursday, her lawyer said. She sought the divorce after she said last week in an interview with ABC News that the trial had strained their marriage of six years. That came after Zimmerman was twice stopped for speeding. Zimmerman was stopped and ticketed on Sept. 3 in Lake Mary for driving 60 miles per hour in a 45 mph zone, police said. Zimmerman previously was stopped on suspicion of speeding in northern Texas two weeks after his acquittal, and was let off with a warning. He has a concealed weapon permit and told the Texas officer that he was carrying a gun in the glove compartment. A gray Honda Ridgeline, similar to one driven by Zimmerman when he was ticketed last week in Lake Mary was parked out front if the house, the same one where the couple had lived in hiding between September and at least the end of Zimmerman's trial July 13. Zimmerman had successfully kept his hideout a secret for a year, but on Monday that fell apart when his estranged wife called police. Three news helicopters hovered overhead and TV news trucks lined what had been a very quiet residential street near Seminole State College. In her divorce petition filed last week Shellie Zimmerman wrote that the couple had separated Aug. 13.

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