Zimmerman charged with assault

SANFORD - Reuters

George Zimmerman. AFP photo

George Zimmerman, who was acquitted this summer in the fatal shooting of unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin, was arrested on Nov. 18 after he allegedly pointed a shotgun at his girlfriend during a domestic dispute, police said.

Zimmerman was involved in an altercation at the house in central Florida he shares with his girlfriend, Seminole County Sheriff Chief Deputy Dennis Lemma told reporters.

Zimmerman, 30, was taken to a jail in Sanford, Florida, and faces charges including aggravated assault with a firearm, which is a felony, and two misdemeanors, domestic violence and criminal mischief, Lemma said.

If found guilty he could face between three and 15 years in jail, according to David Weinstein, a Miami attorney and former state prosecutor.

He is being held in jail without bond which is standard procedure in Florida domestic violence cases.

Samantha Scheibe, Zimmerman’s 27-year-old girlfriend, told police that at one point during a verbal altercation he grabbed a shotgun and pointed it at her, broke a glass table and locked her out of the house.

Zimmerman then barricaded the door with furniture, police said. Scheibe suffered no injuries during the incident.