Man Accused Of Shooting George Zimmerman Guilty Of Attempted Murder
On Monday a judge sentenced Matthew Apperson to 20 years in prison in connection to the attempted murder of George Zimmerman during a road-rage incident in Seminole County.
Apperson’s attorney requested that he be released on bond while awaiting the outcome of an appeal.
Last month a jury found Apperson, 37, guilty of attempted second-degree murder, shooting into an occupied vehicle and aggravated assault.
The encounter took place in May 2015 and Apperson testified that he acted in self-defense because Zimmerman flashed a gun. Zimmerman also testified, saying he had been pursued by Apperson’s vehicle and that the driver opened fire but missed him.
While Zimmerman is no stranger to the court room, he is also no stranger to Apperson. This was the second confrontation between the two. In September 2014 Apperson alleged that Zimmerman threatened him in a road-rage encounter but did not press charges at the time.
Apperson faced a minimum mandatory 20-year sentence on the attempted second-degree murder charge.
Zimmerman, the former neighborhood watch volunteer, was acquitted of murder in the 2012 shooting of Trayvon Martin, an unarmed black teenager.
What Happened In This Road-Rage Incident
Zimmerman told police he was driving in the suburban Lake Mary area when Apperson got behind his truck. The two then drove alongside each other on Lake Mary Boulevard when Apperson began yelling and pulled out a gun.
Apperson shot at Zimmerman as they were driving. Zimmerman was not hit by any bullets, but did suffer some lacerations to his face from the shattered window glass.
According to police, Apperson had a fixation on Zimmerman.
Apperson is charged with attempted second-degree murder with a firearm, shooting into an occupied vehicle and aggravated assault with a firearm.
On September 12th attorneys selected a jury to hear the attempted second-degree murder case. The questioning of potential jurors took a good amount of time due to Zimmerman’s notoriety. Opening statements and witness statements are expected to take most of the day.
On September 13th security at the Seminole County courthouse was ramped up in anticipation of Zimmerman’s appearance. Sheriff’s deputies searched bags and put extra metal detectors in place for anyone attending the trial against the alleged shooter.
