Zimmerman's Wife Calls Florida Police On Him
LAKE MARY, Fla. (CBSDFW.COM/AP) — Since he was acquitted for the murder of an unarmed teenager in mid-July, George Zimmerman has managed to stay in the news. He was stopped by Forney police and given a warning in North Texas. He was also stopped and given a speeding ticket in Florida for speeding. On Monday, his estranged wife called police officers to her father's house in Florida, saying Zimmerman threatened her with a gun.
Shellie Zimmerman called police shortly after 2 p.m. Monday, said Lake Mary Police Chief Steve Bracknell.
Zimmerman hasn't been arrested and officers were at the house trying to determine what happened, Bracknell said.
"We've only heard one side of the story so far," Bracknell said.
A fire department ambulance arrived at the house but nobody needed to be transported, said Officer Zach Hudson, a spokesman for the Lake Mary Police Department.
"The call went out as a 911 call that Mr. Zimmerman was threatening them with a firearm," Hudson said. "We're trying to see if that's true or not."
Shellie Zimmerman in a divorce petition filed last week she said she and her husband separated a month after Zimmerman was acquitted of any crime for fatally shooting 17-year-old Trayvon Martin last July in Sanford, just a few miles away Lake Mary.
Zimmerman's acquittal led to protests nationwide.
Shellie Zimmerman was asking that her husband pay for a permanent life insurance policy with her named as the beneficiary, according to a divorce petition made public last week.
George Zimmerman and his lawyers have made no public statements on the divorce proceedings. An email to Zimmerman's lawyers weren't immediately answered. But lead defense attorney Mark O'Mara arrived at the home and was allowed behind police barricades.
Neighbors and other onlookers have been gathering to watch.
George Zimmeran's brother Robert Zimmerman Jr., tweeted that "we've learned from GZ case not to 'jump to conclusions,' to wait for facts, & to avoid speculation. 'News' is a business — not your friend."
Last month, Shellie Zimmerman, 26, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor perjury charge for lying about the couple's finances during a bail hearing following her husband's arrest after Martin's shooting.
George Zimmerman, 29, said he acted in self-defense when he killed Martin and the polarizing case opened up national discussions on self-defense laws and race. Martin was black. Zimmerman has a white father and Hispanic mother.
Shellie Zimmerman was sentenced to a year's probation and 100 hours of community service. Her husband did not attend the sentencing hearing in the Sanford courtroom.
Zimmerman has been involved with a domestic case at least once before. In 2005, Zimmerman's former fiancee filed for a restraining order against Zimmerman, alleging domestic violence. Zimmerman responded by requesting a restraining order against his then-fiancee.
Since his acquittal, Zimmerman has gotten a speeding ticket in Florida and was pulled over was stopped for speeding on a highway near Dallas.
Forney police stopped Zimmerman on Sunday as he drove west on U.S. 80, about 20 miles east of Dallas. A police dashcam video released July 31 shows an officer interacting with Zimmerman and letting him go with a warning.
The officer can be heard saying, "Just take it easy. Go ahead and shut your glove compartment. Don't play with your firearm."
Although the officer's comments indicated Zimmerman had a gun, a weapon can't be seen and it's not clear that he had one. However, Zimmerman had a concealed weapons permit in Florida that would be also recognized under Texas law. The gun used in Martin's shooting remains in the custody of the federal government, which is looking into a possible civil rights case.
(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
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