A recurring dispute between George Zimmerman and another man led to gunfire on Monday, leaving Zimmerman with minor injuries, according to police.
Just before 1 p.m. ET, Zimmerman flagged down police in Lake Mary, Florida, claiming that he had been involved in a shooting, Lake Mary Police Department spokesperson Bianca Gillett told reporters. At the same time another man, identified by police as Matthew Apperson, had someone dial 911 on his behalf to also report the shooting, according to NBC affiliate WESH.
Gillett did not say whether Zimmerman was armed at the time of the shooting, but she said Zimmerman was not the shooter in the incident.
Police said Apperson and Zimmerman have had ongoing tensions that go back to at least September 2014, when the pair were involved in a “road rage” incident in which Zimmerman allegedly threatened Apperson, according to the Orlando Sentinel. Zimmerman later showed up near Apperson’s workplace unannounced, according to reports. Apperson never pressed charges in the incident, according to the Orlando Sentinel.
RELATED: Feds close Zimmerman investigation
On Monday, according to police, the men found themselves in another altercation, this time with Apperson allegedly firing at Zimmerman. WESH reported that its helicopter video showed a bullet hole in a window of Zimmerman’s vehicle.
According to WESH, Zimmerman was not struck by the bullet but suffered minor injuries. Zimmerman was taken to a local hospital for treatment and later released, police said.
A bullet narrowly missed Zimmerman’s head, his lawyer Don West told The Associated Press.
Gillett said it was unclear what sparked this latest confrontation. She said investigators are waiting for Zimmerman and Apperson to secure counsel before interviewing them and that at this point neither man has been charged with any crimes. The shooting occurred just miles from where Zimmerman shot and killed unarmed black teen Trayvon Martin in 2012. Zimmerman rose to notoriety following the shooting and his eventual acquittal on second-degree murder and manslaughter charges in the teen’s death. Monday’s shooting is just the latest in a growing string of brushes with law enforcement involving Zimmerman, although he has not been in charged in any of the incidents. After he was acquitted in the killing of Martin, Zimmerman’s wife at the time alleged that he had attacked her father and threatened the family. She decided not to press charges, according to the AP. In November 2013, a new girlfriend alleged that Zimmerman pointed a shotgun at her and smashed items in her living room. She later recanted her story. Gillett , the police spokesperson, said the 911 call from Monday’s shooting was expected to be released in the coming days.
Trymaine Lee
Trymaine Lee is an NBC News correspondent. Recommended
