National
George Zimmerman Awaits Police Probe in Shooting on Road
MIKE SCHNEIDER, Associated Press
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — George Zimmerman had moved away from Florida, but is now sticking around as police investigate his role in a confrontation with a man who shot at him as they were driving.
It’s Zimmerman’s latest brush with the law since he was acquitted two years ago for fatally shooting Trayvon Martin.
Police officers Tuesday said they had recovered a handgun from Zimmerman and took two guns from Matthew Apperson, the man accused of shooting at Zimmerman while both were driving Monday on a busy street in the Orlando suburb of Lake Mary.
Documents show detectives are investigating the shooting as a possible aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill. There is no timetable on when they will decide on whether any charges are warranted.
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.
“He never waved it, displayed it or brandished it,” Zimmerman’s attorney, Don West, said. “He did not threaten Mr. Apperson in any way with a firearm.”
Apperson’s attorney, Mark NeJame, said the shooting was “a good, old-fashioned self-defense case.” He said their encounter on Monday was pure “happenstance.”
“He is not looking for trouble. He did not want trouble,” NeJame said of Apperson. “He’s not following George Zimmerman around. He’s not wanting anything to do with George Zimmerman, as it relates to any of this.”
Police officers on Tuesday also released a 911 call in which the caller says Apperson told him he was forced to fire at the former neighborhood watch volunteer.
“A guy says he had to shoot a guy through the window and he wants the police to come,” the man said on the call. “He had to shoot at somebody … He said it was George Zimmerman.”
Police appealed to the public for help, believing “there is someone that saw something” on the busy road, Lake Mary police officer Bianca Gillett said.
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.
West refused to say where Zimmerman was now living. Zimmerman doesn’t have a regular-paying job, and will stay in central Florida to cooperate with the investigation “until he is no longer needed,” West said.
“He was getting settled,” West said. “His plan was to be around for a couple of days and go back.”
Zimmerman was acquitted in the February 2012 shooting death of 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.
___
Follow Mike Schneider on Twitter: http://twitter.com/mikeschneiderap.
Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024
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Barbara Lee
Congresswoman Barbara Lee Issues Statement on Deaths of Humanitarian Aid Volunteers in Gaza
On April 2, a day after an Israeli airstrike erroneously killed seven employees of World Central Kitchen (WCK), a humanitarian organization delivering aid in the Gaza Strip, a statement was release by Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA-12). “This is a devastating and avoidable tragedy. My prayers go to the families and loved ones of the selfless members of the World Central Kitchen team whose lives were lost,” said Lee.
By California Black Media
On April 2, a day after an Israeli airstrike erroneously killed seven employees of World Central Kitchen (WCK), a humanitarian organization delivering aid in the Gaza Strip, a statement was release by Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA-12).
“This is a devastating and avoidable tragedy. My prayers go to the families and loved ones of the selfless members of the World Central Kitchen team whose lives were lost,” said Lee.
The same day, it was confirmed by the organization that the humanitarian aid volunteers were killed in a strike carried out by Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Prior to the incident, members of the team had been travelling in two armored vehicles marked with the WCF logo and they had been coordinating their movements with the IDF. The group had successfully delivered 10 tons of humanitarian food in a deconflicted zone when its convoy was struck.
“This is not only an attack against WCK. This is an attack on humanitarian organizations showing up in the direst situations where food is being used as a weapon of war. This is unforgivable,” said Erin Gore, chief executive officer of World Central Kitchen.
The seven victims included a U.S. citizen as well as others from Australia, Poland, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Palestine.
Lee has been a vocal advocate for a ceasefire in Gaza and has supported actions by President Joe Biden to airdrop humanitarian aid in the area.
“Far too many civilians have lost their lives as a result of Benjamin Netanyahu’s reprehensible military offensive. The U.S. must join with our allies and demand an immediate, permanent ceasefire – it’s long overdue,” Lee said.
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