After George Zimmerman’s 2013 acquittal in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, he continued to be involved in legal and public controversies.
In September 2013, Shellie Zimmerman called 911, alleging that Zimmerman had threatened her and her father with a gun and had assaulted her father during a dispute.
This incident led to George Zimmerman’s arrest, though the charges were later dropped.
Over the years, he has faced various other legal issues and has been a polarizing figure in ongoing debates about race, self-defense, and gun control in the U.S.
911 call: “He’s just threatening all of us with his firearm. And he’s going to shoot us.”
In November 2013, George Zimmerman was arrested following a domestic dispute with his then-girlfriend, Samantha Scheibe.
She reported that George Zimmerman had pointed a gun at her during an argument.
He was charged with aggravated assault, domestic violence, and resisting arrest. However, the charges were later dropped after Scheibe decided not to cooperate with the prosecution.
“You just broke my glass table, broke my sunglasses, and you put your gun in my freaking face. and told me to get the [expletive] out!” she is heard saying on 911 audio.
After the domestic dispute cases, George Zimmerman began selling artwork in late 2013. One of his paintings, an American flag, reportedly sold for over $100,000.
However, the artwork faced criticism for allegedly being a direct copy of a Shutterstock image, leading to accusations of it being a mere rip-off rather than original work.
This controversy added to the ongoing public scrutiny surrounding Zimmerman.
George Zimmerman faced additional controversies and legal issues following his 2013 acquittal. His second painting, depicting prosecutor Angela Corey, faced legal trouble when the Associated Press alleged it copied a copyrighted photo.
In early 2015, Zimmerman was charged with domestic assault after allegedly throwing a wine bottle at a girlfriend, but charges were not pursued because the alleged victim recanted her accusation.
The Department of Justice investigated whether Zimmerman had violated Trayvon Martin’s civil rights, but in 2015, they concluded that the evidence was insufficient to meet the high standard required for a federal hate crime.
George Zimmerman also made headlines in 2015 when he was involved in a road rage incident where Matthew Apperson fired a gunshot at him. This incident was part of the continued public and legal scrutiny he faced.
During Apperson’s trial, Zimmerman was asked about the Black Lives Matter Movement and his response sparked controversy.
“I don’t believe Black Lives Matter is a movement, sir, they’re terrorist cowards,” he said.
George Zimmerman’s actions continued to attract controversy over the years. In 2016, he auctioned the gun used in the Trayvon Martin shooting, which sold for nearly $140,000, sparking significant public outrage.
In 2018, Zimmerman faced criminal charges for allegedly stalking a private investigator who was working on a documentary about the Trayvon Martin case.
He eventually pleaded no contest to the stalking charge and was sentenced to 12 months probation.
Zimmerman also pursued legal action through lawsuits. In 2019, he filed a $100 million defamation lawsuit against Trayvon Martin’s parents, which was dismissed recently.
These legal battles and public incidents have kept Zimmerman in the spotlight and contributed to ongoing controversy surrounding him.
In early 2020, George Zimmerman filed a $265 million defamation lawsuit against two presidential candidates, claiming they defamed him in tweets. This lawsuit was dismissed by a judge a year later.
Over the past decade, while George Zimmerman was acquitted of criminal charges in the Trayvon Martin case and remained free, his life has been marked by continuous legal and public controversies, including domestic disputes, legal battles, and contentious public actions.
