George Zimmerman says he’s homeless and suffering from PTSD: report
The man who killed Trayvon Martin in February 2012 told the Spanish language station Univision that Martin threatened him and he felt his life was in danger. He said he now fears for his life but thinks he did the right thing.By Joel Landau
Saturday, February 15, 2014, 4:56 P.M.
New York Daily News
George Zimmerman says his problems continue.
He told a Spanish language television station he is now homeless, battling post-traumatic stress disorder, more than $2 million in debt and lives in fear for his life.
Zimmerman opened up on the Univision television show "Aquí y Ahora" (Here and Now) that will air Sunday on the Spanish language station at 7 p.m.
Zimmerman also discussed his well-known struggle with 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, an African-American teen who was walking in Zimmerman's neighborhood in Sanford, Fla., on Feb. 26, 2012.
After he called the cops, the two got into a fight that ended with Martin's death.
Zimmerman says the teen attacked him and threatened to kill him.
George Zimmerman says in Univision interview that he's homeless and suffering from PTSD (Univision)
"He (Martin) saw my gun and told me he would kill me, and I knew he was telling the truth. I mean, was not playing," he told the station. "I asked him to stop …. And the young man did not care. Continued attacking ... I knew he would not stop even though I knew that someone had seen (the fight) and the police are coming. He did not care."
But he didn’t answer when asked if he should have waited for the cops — saying that the case is under a federal Department of Justice investigation.
Zimmerman was acquitted of charges of second-degree murder and manslaughter in a trial in July.
The ex-neighborhood watchman said he did not think he initially shot Martin and that it went through the side of his clothes and towards a neighbor's house.
After the bullet was fired the fight [sic] with Martin stopped "immediately," he said.
George Zimmeran says he feared for his life when he shot 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. (Pool/Getty Images)
Asked if he still thought he had done the right thing, he said, "in my mind and between God and me … I know that if I did not act the way I acted ... I would not be here."
He insisted his life was in danger during the fight with Martin.
"When you hit your head repeatedly against the concrete, you have a broken nose, eyes full of blood and tears, you're not in the position to do much," he said.
Zimmerman said he now lives in fear that his life is in danger. He has worn a bullet proof vest and follows a safety plan when he goes out in public.
He is also $2.5 million in debt from the trial — although he raised $350,000 online to pay for his defense.
[Hidden caption] George Zimmerman (2-R) watches the judge arrive for the 16th day of his trial in Seminole circuit court in Sanford, Florida, USA, 01 July 2013. Zimmerman, a former volunteer neighborhood watch captain has been charged with second-degree murder for the 2012 shooting death of 16-year-old Trayvon Martin in Sanford.
[Exposed caption] Zimmerman was acquitted of murder charges in the July trial. (Joe Burbank /pool/EPA)
Of those donors he says, “[To] those people I owe my freedom, because without them we could not have the experts we had, we could not have paid for the documents we [needed]."
Recently he had planned to take part in a celebrity boxing match with rapper DMX but the promoter announced last week it was canceled. He is not working and lost his health insurance.
Since the trial, he has been in the news for a variety of other matters, including a speeding ticket and a police call to his home over a domestic dispute with his wife.
"Honestly, I [would] love to live a calm life without being in the press. I’d like [to be treated like] any American citizen — have a ticket ... or an argument ... [and] not have everyone aware," he said. "But that ... that's my life and I do not understand why that is, but I'm living my life as I have always lived, " he said.
jlandau@nydailynews.com Follow on Twitter @joelzlandau
It's been two years since Trayvon Martin was gunned down by then neighborhood watch captain George Zimmerman.
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4 comments:
The lesson of Zimmerman that even if you are right under the law, you will be destroyed for daring to exercise self defense.
The left has always held that there is no natural right to self-defense. Especially if the attacker belongs to a protected class.
God bless and keep George Zimmerman.
Oh dear. The leftists pooped out a stinker this time!
Jorge has spilled his guts on Univision the official news of La Raza!
Dose darn negroes better look around in Mexifornia and press 2 for Spanish areas.
You know, George doesn't look White does he?
I'm wondering why NBC hasn't settled with Zimmerman for their outrageously illegal and intentional actions? You'd think they would want to sweep it under the rug and settle 10 or 20 million.
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