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12/22/2024 09:29:21 pm

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George Zimmerman a Year after Trayvon Martin Murder Acquittal: Still Down and Out

The late Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman

It's been exactly a year since his acquittal for the murder of teenager Trayvon Martin, and George Zimmerman seems to have lost none of his talent for making the news--the wrong way.

Zimmerman became world infamous for shooting the unarmed Martin to death on a street in an upscale neighborhood in Sanford, Florida on February 26, 2012.

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Police accounts said Martin, a 17-year-old African American, was on his way home after buying a pack of Skittles and a glass of iced tea from a nearby 7-Eleven store when he was accosted by Zimmerman.

During his trial, Zimmerman said he believed Martin to be a thief who had robbed a house in the neighborhood. A fistfight between both men ended with Zimmerman shooting the unarmed Martin to death with a 9 mm pistol.

Zimmerman claimed self-defense under Florida's controversial "stand your ground" law passed in 2006. He was acquitted by a jury of second-degree murder and manslaughter on July 13, 2013 based on this law that still stands.

Zimmerman had five run-ins with police in 2013. Two of these incidents involved his ex-wife and his girlfriend, who both called the police after Zimmerman apparently threatened their lives.

In September, police answered a 911 call by Zimmerman's estranged wife who reported Zimmerman had threatened her and her father with a gun and had punched her father in the face.

After investigating, police decided not to press charges against Zimmerman. Two months later, Zimmerman's girlfriend called the police and said he had pointed a shotgun at her and had destroyed some of her personal belongings.

Zimmerman barricaded himself inside his girlfriend's apartment and was arrested after police broke into the apartment. Police charged Zimmerman with aggravated assault with a weapon, domestic violence battery and criminal mischief.

Zimmerman's girlfriend, however, subsequently dropped the charges. During the trial, Zimmerman claimed he was indigent and was US$2.5 million in debt.

The next month, Zimmerman, who fancies himself a painter, managed to sell his first painting. His painting of an American flag sold for US$100,099.99 on eBay in December.

Despite hostile criticism of his work by art experts, Zimmerman defended his newfound passion for painting.

"I found a creative, way to express myself, my emotions and the symbols that represent my experiences," he said.

"My art work allows me to reflect, providing a therapeutic outlet and allows me to remain indoors :-)."

It was later discovered that his painting of an American flag was plagiarized from a stock image taken from a photo website without attribution.

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