Attempted Murder Charge For Man Who Shot At Zimmerman
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ORLANDO (CBSMiami/AP) - The man accused of firing shot at George Zimmerman has been charged with attempted murder.
Matthew Apperson, 36, had originally be charged with aggravated assault in last month's shooting.
Apperson, who had "a fixation" with the former neighborhood watch leader, had recently been admitted to a mental institution and had shown signs of paranoia, anxiety and bipolar disorder, according to his arrest report.
The report says Zimmerman told officers he had been driving in an Orlando suburb when Apperson got behind his truck and yelled, "You remember me?"
Zimmerman said he called Apperson a clown and Apperson fired a gun at his car a short time later.
Police recovered two guns from Apperson and one from Zimmerman.
Both men had their guns legally. The passenger window of Zimmerman's pickup had a bullet hole in it, and Zimmerman suffered minor injuries from flying glass and debris.
Zimmerman and Apperson were involved in a road-rage episode last September. Apperson said Zimmerman had threatened to kill him after Apperson made a U-turn that put him in an adjacent lane, asking "Do you know who I am?"
Apperson decided not to pursue charges.
Two days later, Apperson called police to report that Zimmerman's truck was parked near the disability-benefits office where he works. Zimmerman told police officers he had an appointment in the same office park, and no charges were filed.
Zimmerman was acquitted in the February 2012 shooting death of Trayvon Martin, an unarmed black teenager, in a case that sparked protests and a national debate about race relations. The Justice Department later decided not to bring a civil rights case against Zimmerman.
Since then, Zimmerman was charged with assault based on complaints from two girlfriends. In both cases, the girlfriends refused to cooperate and charges were dropped. His estranged wife also accused him of smashing her iPad during an argument days after she filed divorce papers. No charges were filed because of lack of evidence.
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