Accused Zimmerman Shooter's Charges Upgraded

Seminole County prosecutors have upgraded the charges against the man accused of firing a gun at George Zimmerman during a May traffic encounter in Lake Mary.

Matthew Apperson now faces an attempted second-degree murder charge, court documents indicate. Apperson is also charged with shooting into an occupied vehicle and aggravated assault with a firearm.

“Our law enforcement community and the State Attorney’s Office works vigorously to ensure people may travel our busy streets, going about their business, without fear,” State Attorney Phil Archer said in a prepared statement. ”Every resident and visitor to Seminole County deserves this freedom.”

The upgraded charges were announced on Thursday via the filing of a request to the court.

Further comment was not available from the State Attorney’s Office.

Charges against Apperson, 36, stem from a May 11 incident during which he is accused of firing a gun into Zimmerman’s car. Apperson’s lawyer Michael Lafay has stated that Zimmerman posed a threat to his client. He announced intentions to use the “Stand Your Ground” defense in late May.

Florida’s ”Stand Your Ground” law allows the court to dismiss charges if the shooter felt they faced imminent death or serious bodily injury.

See Also:

• George Zimmerman Was Armed During Monday’s Shooting, Cops Say
• No Arrest Yet in George Zimmerman Shooting
• George Zimmerman Blames President Obama for Racial Tensions
• Federal Charges Ruled Out in Trayvon Martin’s Death
• George Zimmerman Reality TV Show Idea Floated
• George Zimmerman Involved in Road Rage Incident, Cops Say
• George Zimmerman Protests Not Over Yet

Zimmerman became famous for referencing the law following the shooting death of unarmed teen Trayvon Martin in 2012. Zimmerman eventually abandoned the defense and was acquitted of second-degree murder when he went to trial in 2013.

During the altercation May 11, Zimmerman suffered minor injuries from shattered glass, according to Lake Mary Police and he reportedly flagged down an officer shortly after the incident.

Zimmerman has been in and out of the news since his acquittal, most recently blaming President Barack Obama for racial tensions that erupted following Martin’s 2012 death. He was also implicated in a road rage incident and had domestic violence allegations levied against him that were subsequently dropped.

Federal civil rights charges in the 17-year-old’s death loomed over Zimmerman until recently. The U.S. Justice Department cited “insufficient evidence” for its February decision against pursuing further action. Zimmerman was a neighborhood watch captain in Sanford when the 2012 shooting took place. His acquittal sparked protests across the country.

Booking photo courtesy of the Seminole County Jail