George Zimmerman's Accused Shooter Hoped He 'Got Him,' Cops Say

While the man accused of shooting at George Zimmerman is out on $35,000 bond, a newly released arrest report is shedding light on the incident that rocked the small town of Lake Mary last week.

Police say Matthew Apperson, 36, is the man who opened fire on Zimmerman around 12:45 p.m. as he was traveling along Lake Mary Boulevard near Interstate 4. Zimmerman suffered minor injuries during the altercation.

While Apperson and Zimmerman gave officers conflicting accounts of the events that led up to the shooting, police formally charged Apperson in the case on Friday. According to the arrest report, during an interview Apperson told Lake Mary Police Sgt. Towler that he did fire on Zimmerman with a .357, but only after “Zimmerman pointed a gun at him.”

Apperson told police Zimmerman pointed the gun and said “I’m going to kill you,” the report said. Apperson then told police he wasn’t going to let it go any further, so he pulled out his own gun, cocked the hammer and fired, the report said.

The report went on to say that Det. C. Umana overheard Apperson say, “I hope I got him this time,” during the questioning.

Apperson and Zimmerman have a history that includes a road rage incident last September. In that case, Apperson told police that Zimmerman threatened him, but charges were dropped when Apperson decided not to pursue the issue.

See Also:

• Bond Set at $35,000 for George Zimmerman’s Accused Shooter
• 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’s account of last week’s events was different than Apperson’s, according to the arrest report. Zimmerman told police he was driving when a car pulled up behind him and the man inside yelled, asking if he remembered him. Zimmerman told police he did not, but the driver insisted that he owed him his life, the report said.

Zimmerman said that Apperson went on to tell him he didn’t press charges in September because, “I wanted to kill you myself.”

Zimmerman, the report said, laughed and called Apperson a clown. Zimmerman kept driving, and Apperson continued to follow before firing the single shot, the report said.

“Zimmerman swore to his statement and indicated that he wanted to press charges,” the report noted.

Police also noted in the report that “Apperson has exhibited unusual behaviors. It appears that Apperson has a fixation on Zimmerman.”

Apperson was charged with aggravated assault, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, and sending a missile into an occupied vehicle. His arraignment has been set for 1:30 p.m. June 23 before Judge Debra Nelson, the same judge who presided over Zimmerman’s trial in the Trayvon Martin case.

Zimmerman was acquitted in the shooting death of the unarmed black teenager in 2013. He 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

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