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George Zimmerman
Mugshot from Seminole County Sheriff's Office in 2012.
BornGeorge Michael Zimmerman
(1983-10-05) October 5, 1983 (age 41)
Manassas, Virginia, U.S.
Height5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)

George Michael Zimmerman (born October 5, 1983) is an American best known for fatally shooting Trayvon Martin on February 26, 2012, in Sanford, Florida. On July 13, 2013, his trial for second-degree murder and manslaughter ended in acquittal.

Biography

This section needs expansion. You can help by making an edit requestadding to it . (September 2013)

George Michael Zimmerman was born on October 5, 1983, in Manassas, Virginia, and is the son of Gladys (née Mesa) Zimmerman, who was born in Peru, and Robert Zimmerman, Sr., a retired Virginia magistrate. George was raised as a Catholic, in a family that his father has described as "multiracial"; his father is a White American of German descent and his mother is Peruvian with some black ancestry through her Afro-Peruvian maternal grandfather. Zimmerman's voter registration record lists him as Hispanic.

Zimmerman and his wife moved to The Retreat at Twin Lakes in 2009.

In early 2011, Zimmerman participated in a citizen forum at the Sanford City Hall, to protest the beating of a black homeless man by the son of a white Sanford police officer. During the meeting, Zimmerman claimed he witnessed "disgusting behavior" while in ride-along program with local police; however the police department said it did not know when, if ever, Zimmerman was in that program.

At the time of the Martin shooting, Zimmerman was employed as an insurance underwriter and was in his final semester at Seminole State College for an associate degree in Criminal Justice.

Trayvon Martin shooting and trial

This section needs expansion. You can help by making an edit requestadding to it . (September 2013)
Main articles: Shooting of Trayvon Martin and State of Florida v. George Zimmerman

On February 26, 2012, Zimmerman fatally shot 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in The Retreat at Twin Lakes community in Sanford, Florida. Martin was a 17-year-old African American high school student. Zimmerman was the neighborhood watch coordinator for the gated community where Martin was temporarily staying and where the shooting occurred. The National Sheriff's Association issued a statement saying that their program has never existed in the neighborhood where the altercation between Zimmerman and Martin transpired, and therefore Zimmerman was "self-appointed." The statement says that Zimmerman ignored everything the program stands for. Following an earlier call from Zimmerman, police arrived within two minutes of a gunshot during an altercation in which Zimmerman fatally shot Martin, who did not possess any weapons. Zimmerman was subsequently taken into custody, treated for head injuries, then questioned for five hours. The police chief said that Zimmerman was released because there was no evidence to refute Zimmerman's claim of having acted in self-defense, and that under Florida's Stand Your Ground statute, the police were prohibited by law from making an arrest. The police chief also said that Zimmerman had had a right to defend himself with lethal force. As news of the case spread, thousands of protestors across the country called for Zimmerman's arrest and a full investigation. Six weeks after the shooting, amid widespread, intense, and in some cases misleading media coverage, Zimmerman was charged with murder by a special prosecutor appointed by Governor Rick Scott.

Zimmerman's trial began on June 10, 2013, in Sanford. On July 13, 2013, a jury acquitted Zimmerman of the charges of second-degree murder and manslaughter.

Other encounters with police

This section needs expansion. You can help by making an edit requestadding to it . (September 2013)

During and in the wake of national coverage of the trial, some other minor interactions with police were reported. In 2005, Zimmerman was arrested and charged after shoving an "undercover alcohol-control agent" while a friend of Zimmerman's was being arrested for underage drinking. The charges were subsequently dropped when Zimmerman entered a pre-trial diversion program that included anger management classes. Also in 2005, Zimmerman's ex-fiancée filed a restraining order against him, alleging domestic violence. Zimmerman requested a reciprocal restraining order. Both orders were granted. The incidents were raised by prosecutors at Zimmerman's initial bond hearing. The judge described the arrests as "run of the mill;" Zimmerman's bond was granted with numerous conditions, including an order that Zimmerman wear an electronic global positioning device so that authorities can track his location. On September 9, 2013, in Lake Mary, Florida, police responded to a 911 call by Zimmerman's estranged wife, who reported that Zimmerman had threatened her and her parents with a gun and had punched her father in the face. Zimmerman was briefly detained and questioned by police. His wife refused to press charges and recanted her story, now saying she never saw a gun. No gun was found at the scene. Police were investigating a broken iPad for video to determine if they would press charges, and if they would be against Zimmerman or his wife.

Notes

  1. Zimmerman's weight was shown as 185 pounds (84 kg) on his Seminole County Sheriff's Office Inmate Booking Information on April 11, 2012, the date of his arrest.
  2. Zimmerman's father is white and his mother is a Hispanic from Peru. Zimmerman's ancestry includes an Afro-Peruvian great-grandfather.

References

  1. Seminole County Sheriff's Office, "Zimmerman, George Michael", Inmate Booking Information, Public Version, 4/11/2012 20:10. (PDF from Central Florida News 13) (from BBC News)
  2. "Trayvon Martin Shooting Fast Facts". CNN. June 25, 2013. Retrieved July 12, 2013.
  3. ^ Francescani, Chris (April 25, 2012). "George Zimmerman: Prelude to a shooting". Reuters.
  4. Manuel Roig-Franzia, (March 22, 2012). "Who is George Zimmerman?". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 24, 2012. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)
  5. "Trayvon Martin case: George Zimmerman's brother defends him as his father attacks Obama". Daily Mail. London. April 5, 2012. Retrieved April 14, 2012.
  6. "George Zimmerman: Brother says Sanford's history adds to furor". Orlando Sentinel. February 16, 2013. Retrieved June 30, 2013.
  7. Gamboa, Suzanne (March 29, 2012). "Florida shooter's race a complicated matter". Associated Press. Archived from the original on April 6, 2012. Retrieved April 11, 2012.
  8. Connor, Adam Sheets (March 27, 2012). "Voting Form Shows George Zimmerman Is A Registered Democrat, Confounding Message Pushed By Left". International Business Times. Retrieved March 27, 2012.
  9. Rush, Annemarie (March 29, 2012). "A Closer Look At George Zimmerman". InsightOut News. Retrieved March 29, 2012.
  10. DeGregory, Lane (March 25, 2012). "Trayvon Martin's killing shatters safety within Retreat at Twin Lakes in Sanford". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved March 29, 2012.
  11. Thuman, Scott (May 24, 2012). "Zimmerman publicly accused Sanford police of corruption in 2011". Washington, DC: WJLA-TV. Retrieved July 18, 2013.
  12. Robles, Frances (August 9, 2012). "Records show George Zimmerman got D's in criminal justice classes". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved June 12, 2013.
  13. Prieto, Bianca (March 14, 2012). "Trayvon Martin: 'We are gathered here today to demand justice' in teen's fatal shooting". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved March 20, 2012.
  14. Hamacher, Brian. "George Zimmerman Makes First Appearance Before Judge". NBC Miami. Retrieved April 21, 2012.
  15. Robertson, Campbell; Schwartz, John (March 22, 2012). "Trayvon Martin death spotlights neighborhood watch groups". The New York Times. Retrieved June 23, 2012.
  17. Robles, Frances (March 27, 2012). "Sanford cops sought warrant to arrest George Zimmerman in Trayvon Martin shooting". Tampa Bay Times.
  18. Lee, Trymaine. "Trayvon Martin Case: Police Chief Bill Lee Under Fire With 'No Confidence' Vote". Huffington Post.
  19. "From coast to coast, protestors demand justice in Trayvon Martin case". CNN. March 27, 2012.
  20. "NBC Fires Producer Of Misleading Zimmerman Tape". Huffington Post. April 7, 2012. Retrieved July 20, 2013.
  21. "Third Person Exits NBC Over Misleading Edit Of Zimmerman's 911 Audio". Deadline.com. May 12, 2012. Retrieved July 19, 2013.
  22. McClam, Erin (June 10, 2013). "Potential Trayvon Martin case jurors get look at defendant George Zimmerman". NBC News. Retrieved June 10, 2013.
  23. Campo, Arian (July 14, 2013). "Jury Acquits Zimmerman of All Charges". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved July 14, 2013.
  24. "George Zimmerman's wife testifies at bond hearing: 'He is absolutely not a violent person'". CBS News. April 20, 2012.
  25. "Zimmerman accused of domestic violence, fighting with a police officer". U.S. News. NBC News. Retrieved June 12, 2013.
  26. "Zimmerman apologizes as judge sets $150,000 bond". CNN. April 20, 2012.
  27. Fausset, Richard (April 20, 2012). "George Zimmerman apologizes to Trayvon Martin family; bond is set". Los Angeles Times.
  28. George Zimmerman detained
  29. iPad video key in George Zimmerman domestic dispute case with estranged wife

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