UPDATE: Zimmerman saved an entire family, versus one person, the Washington Post reports.
George Zimmerman is out of hiding. Sort of.
The formerly accused murderer was acquitted in the shooting of Trayvon Martin two weeks ago, and fell off the radar only to come back with a news headline of a different kind.
Zimmerman reportedly saved a someone from an overturned truck less than two miles from where Martin was gunned down in Florida, police announced Monday (July 22).
ABC News reports:
George Zimmerman, who has been in hiding since he was acquitted of murder in the death of Trayvon Martin, emerged to help rescue someone who was trapped in an overturned truck, police said today.
Sanford Police Department Capt. Jim McAuliffe told ABC News that Zimmerman “pulled an individual from a truck that had rolled over” at the intersection of a Florida highway last week. Florida Highway Patrol is now handling the case, McAuliffe said.
The crash occurred at the intersection of I-4 and route 417, police said. The crash site is less than a mile from where he shot Martin.
It’s the first known sighting of Zimmerman since he left the courtroom following his acquittal last week on murder charges for the death of Martin. Zimmerman, 29, shot and killed Martin, 17, in Sanford, Fla., on Feb. 26, 2012. The jury determined that Zimmerman shot Martin in self-defense.
Following the not guilty verdict, Zimmerman stepped out of the spotlight and hadn’t even spoken to his parents. His brother, Robert Zimmerman Jr. told CNN that the former neighborhood watch volunteer needed time to process his newfound freedom. “He has to align himself again with himself. The free George.”
The U.S. Justice Department has reopened an inquiry into Martin’s shooting which could bring civil rights charges against Zimmerman for allegedly profiling the 17-year-old high school student.
Martin’s death has struck a chord with many, dividing viewpoints across the globe, despite the jury decision. In an address last Friday (Jul 19), President Obama likened himself to the teen saying “Trayvon Martin could have been me 35 years ago.”
Zimmerman maintains that he shot Martin out of self-defense. His wife, Shellie Zimmerman, will be in court next month on perjury charges for lying to authorities about the state of their finances. She has pleaded not guilty.
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Photo: REUTERS
