Gun death man questioned over domestic violence claims in US

Shellie Zimmerman called police saying George Zimmerman, who was controversially cleared of committing a crime by shooting the 17-year-old after claiming self-defence, punched her father on the nose, grabbed an iPad from her hand and smashed it and then threatened them both with a gun.

Mrs Zimmerman, who has filed for divorce, initially told an emergency dispatcher that her husband had his hand on his gun as he sat in his car outside the home.

She said she was scared because she was not sure what Mr Zimmerman was capable of. But hours later she changed her story and said she never saw a firearm.

For the time being, “domestic violence can’t be invoked because she has changed her story and says she didn’t see a firearm,” said Police Chief Steve Bracknell.

“We didn’t find a gun,” Lake Mary police spokesman Zach Hudson said. “We didn’t find anything that indicated he had a gun on his person.”

Mr Hudson said Mr Zimmerman was released from detention at around 6.30pm and “he just walked back into the house”.

He was not arrested, Mr Bracknell said. He said the estranged husband and wife blamed each other for starting the fight but Shellie Zimmerman would not press charges. Her father also declined to press charges.

Mrs Zimmerman left the house in Lake Mary, Florida, which is owned by her parents, after being questioned by police. Mr Zimmerman remained there until the early evening and his lawyer, Mark O’Mara, denied any wrongdoing by his client.

Mr O’Mara said his client never threatened his estranged wife and her father with a gun or punched his father-in-law. Shellie Zimmerman had returned unexpectedly yesterday to gather her belongings. Emotions got out of control, but neither side was filing charges against the other, Mr O’Mara said.

Mrs Zimmerman said in a divorce petition filed last week that she and her husband separated a month after Mr Zimmerman was acquitted of any crime for shooting dead 17-year-old Trayvon Martin last July. The acquittal led to protests nationwide.

Last month Mrs Zimmerman, 26, pleaded guilty to perjury for lying about the couple’s finances during a bail hearing following her husband’s arrest after Trayvon’s shooting and was sentenced to a year’s probation and 100 hours of community service.