George Zimmerman stopped for speeding in Texas, tells officer he's armed
George Zimmerman was pulled over for speeding in Texas, saying he was armed and going 'nowhere in particular.' The officer let Zimmerman off with only a warning for his driving.
George Zimmerman smiles after a not guilty verdict was handed down in his trial at the Seminole County Courthouse in Sanford, Fla., earlier this month. Police reports say he was speeding across Texas Sunday.
AP/File
George Zimmerman can't stay out of the news – or, perhaps, the news can't stay away from him.
Police in the Dallas suburb of Forney, Texas, say they stopped George Zimmerman for speeding at about 1 p.m. on Sunday on US Highway 80.
Mr. Zimmerman told the policeman he was armed, according to a report by a local CBS station, and the officer told him to put the weapon in the glove compartment, which he did.
A police dashcam video released Wednesday shows the officer speaking to Zimmerman and not immediately recognizing him. The officer asked where Zimmerman was headed, and Zimmerman responded: "Nowhere in particular," according to the CBS report. When the officer questioned him further, Zimmerman said: "You didn't see my name?"
"What a coincidence," the office responded.
The video shows the officer returning to his patrol car with Zimmerman's driver's license to check for outstanding warrants. The officer returned the license, instructed Zimmerman to slow down, and released him with a warning.
City Manager Brian Brooks says police records don't show how fast Zimmerman was driving.
A spokesman for Zimmerman's legal team says he's baffled that a traffic stop would become national news.
"Baffled" might be a bit of overstatement.
It was national news when Zimmerman stopped to help a family in Florida get out of their SUV after it flipped onto its side on an exit ramp on July 17. The family even planned to hold a news conference to thank Zimmerman before backing out.
"They can't even say that George did something good for them because people out there believe he's so toxic even though he's been acquitted," said Mark O'Mara, Zimmerman's attorney, according to the Orlando Sentinel.
Zimmerman was acquitted on July 13 of both murder and manslaughter charges in the killing of teenager Trayvon Martin. The case gained national attention and became a part of a broader debate on race, gun control, and "stand your ground" self-defense laws.
• Associated Press material was used in this report.