The U.S. Justice Department on Tuesday ruled out filing criminal charges against George Zimmerman in the 2012 shooting of black Florida teen Trayvon Martin.

Attorney General Eric H. Holder Junior's decision not to prosecute had long been expected because of the lack of witnesses in the Sanford shooting and legal hurdles in proving Zimmerman did deprive Martin of his rights.

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Zimmerman, 31, shot Martin dead on the night of February 26, 2012, as the 17-year-old, who was wearing a hoodie sweatshirt, was coming back from the convenience store on the way to the home of his father's fiancée at Twin Lakes' the Retreat. Prosecutors said Zimmerman had profiled the black teen.

Holder said a thorough investigation showed the criteria for a prosecuting a federal hate crime could not be met. But the attorney general added that Martin's death showed a need for continuing dialogue and courage in dealing with tensions and issues that his death uncovered.

Zimmerman told the court at his trial that he and Martin scuffled, then the former night patrol fired his arm in self-defense. His trial began three years ago, on June 10, in Sanford. He was found not guilty of manslaughter and second-degree murder on July 13, 2013.

The shooting became an icon in the U.S. of anger over violence against black youths. Protests, organized by civil rights leaders were held in Florida then similar action hit the whole nation.

Since Zimmerman's acquittal, he made it back to the headlines after a couple of women called authorities, claiming he had violent reactions in several incidents.

On January 9 last year, he was arrested in Lake Mary when the woman he was dating, Brittany Brunelle, told police that a wine container was thrown at her. Zimmerman denied the bottle-throwing incident and contested her claim that he ruined her mobile phone.

Last month, Florida authorities junked an aggravated-assault case against Zimmerman after Brunelle took back her story and refused to aid the prosecution, state officials said.

Tagsgeorge zimmerman, racial profiling, racial discrimination, Trayvon Martin