Man Convicted of Attempting to Kill George Zimmerman

It happened during a road rage incident
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Sep 16, 2016 6:05 PM CDT
Man Convicted of Attempting to Kill George Zimmerman
Matthew Apperson enters a Seminole County courtroom before the start of his trial on Friday in Florida.   (Red Huber/Orlando Sentinel via AP, Pool)

A Florida man who fired a gun at George Zimmerman's truck during a road-rage confrontation was convicted of attempted second-degree murder Friday, the AP reports. Jurors also found 37-year-old Matthew Apperson guilty of shooting into a vehicle and aggravated assault with a firearm. He faces sentencing Oct. 17.

Apperson testified that he acted in self-defense last year. He said he fired at Zimmerman because Zimmerman flashed a gun. But prosecutor Stewart Stone told jurors that Zimmerman's vehicle had tinted windows, which were rolled up during the confrontation. Apperson's attorney, Michael LaFay, attacked Zimmerman's credibility, calling him a liar. Zimmerman was acquitted three years ago in the fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin, an unarmed black 17-year-old. That case sparked protests and a national debate about race relations. (More George Zimmerman stories.)

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