Shooter Had 'Fixation' on Zimmerman: Police Report

Matthew Apperson showed signs of paranoia, anxiety
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted May 19, 2015 12:34 PM CDT
Shooter Had 'Fixation' on Zimmerman: Police Report
George Zimmerman leaves the courtroom in 2013.   (Joe Burbank)

A Florida man charged with shooting at George Zimmerman last week had "a fixation" on the man acquitted in Trayvon Martin's death and had recently been admitted to a mental institution, according to a police report made public today. The Lake Mary Police Department report said that 36-year-old Matthew Apperson had shown signs of paranoia, anxiety, and bipolar disorder. Zimmerman told officers he had been driving in Lake Mary last week when Apperson got behind his truck and yelled, "You remember me, you fat motherf-----?" according to the report. Apperson then yelled at Zimmerman, "You owe me your life. The only reason I didn't press charges on you is because I wanted to kill you myself," Zimmerman told detectives, per the report.

Zimmerman and Apperson had a previous road-rage encounter last September, when Apperson alleged that Zimmerman threatened him. Apperson decided not to pursue charges. In the most recent incident, Zimmerman told officers he laughed and called Apperson a clown, and Apperson fired a gun at his car, leaving a bullet hole in his passenger-side window. Zimmerman suffered minor injuries. Apperson, meanwhile, told police Zimmerman had pointed a gun at him as they were driving, so he fired at him. A detective at the scene said he overheard Apperson say, "I hope I got him this time," per the police report. Apperson was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, aggravated battery. He's out on $35,000 bond. (More George Zimmerman stories.)

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