George Zimmerman won’t be prosecuted on aggravated assault charges for allegedly throwing a wine bottle at his girlfriend earlier this month, the Florida State Attorney’s Office said Friday. The office reviewed reports and statements provided after Zimmerman’s arrest on Jan. 9 and determined no formal charges should be filed. State Attorney Phil Archer said in a statement that “the subsequent recantation by the victim of her initial statement along with new documents provided by the victim and her attorney precludes my office from proceeding further.”
Police said Zimmerman threw the bottle at his girlfriend during the alleged assault at his Lake Mary home. His lawyer told reporters that while the 31-year-old “has not been lucky with the ladies,” he has also had a “rough time” since he was acquitted in the shooting death of unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin in 2013.
Zimmerman made bail after his arrest and was scheduled to appear in court in February. But prosecutors said the victim refused to attend a first scheduled meeting after the incident, and that she denied Zimmerman ever assaulted her or that she was fearful of him as investigators claimed. She also said she didn’t want to proceed with the case.
In 2012, Zimmerman filed a defamation suit against NBC News but a judge dismissed that claim last summer. Zimmerman has appealed the judge’s decision.
Erik Ortiz Recommended
