SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — An attempted murder trial in Seminole County took an unexpected turn Wednesday when witness George Zimmerman testified that members of the Black Lives Matter movement are “terrorist cowards.”
Zimmerman is well known for his arrest and ultimate acquittal in the shooting death of 17-year-old African-American teen Trayvon Martin in 2012.
He was in court Wednesday testifying for the second day in the attempted murder trial of Matthew Apperson, who Zimmerman claims shot at him during a 2015 road-rage incident.
The issue was brought up by Apperson’s attorney in reference to Zimmerman referring to the defendant as a “Black Lives Matter sympathizer.”
“You associated Mr. Apperson with the Black Lives Matter movement, is that correct?” defense attorney Michael LaFay asked.
“No, sir,” Zimmerman replied.
“The Black Lives Matter movement started with your very own case with Trayvon Martin, correct?” LeFay asked.
“First of all, they’re terrorists, not a movement, as you have said now,” Zimmerman replied calmly. “I see them as terrorists, if you would like to address them correctly.”
LaFay tried to reiterate his question about the Martin case, but was interrupted by Zimmerman.
“I don’t believe the Black Lives Matter is a movement, sir, they’re terrorist cowards,” he said.
During the road rage shooting, the defense claims Zimmerman was upset because Apperson was a supporter of that nation-wide movement.
But the majority of the cross examination focused on 13 seconds. That was the amount of time it took Zimmerman to make a U-Turn before Apperson was accused of firing a gun.
Apperson’s attorney claims Zimmerman took that time to pull out his gun.
Just in: Day one of #Apperson trial has wrapped up. It's expected to begin tomorrow morning at 8:30. #WFTV
— Cuthbert Langley (@CLangleyWFTV) September 13, 2016
In court Monday and Tuesday, Apperson’s attorney and prosecutors discussed the tense relationship between Apperson and Zimmerman that dates back to September 2014.
Testimony revealed that the two men had a history of conflict, centering on the Martin case.
Apperson claims that Zimmerman threatened to shoot him outside an office building in 2014.
Zimmerman said that was the catalyst for the crime that landed the men in court.
PREVIOUS STORY: Jury selection underway for Seminole County man accused of shooting at George Zimmerman
Zimmerman testified that Apperson was driving aggressively, which led up to their altercation.
“I felt scared. I felt concerned, worried,” Zimmerman told jurors, claiming that Apperson threatened him with a gun. “A car came up behind me quickly, honked its horn and flashed its high beams.”
When the defense cross-examined Zimmerman on Wednesday, Apperson’s attorneys focused on 13 seconds of the 2015 shooting.
That amount of time is how long it took for Zimmerman to make a U-turn on the day he says Apperson shot at him.
Defense attorneys argued that he was waiting to argue with Apperson and pulled out a gun, a contention that Zimmerman denied, saying that he was waiting for traffic to clear.
When LeFay asked Zimmerman why he didn’t give police a statement immediately after the shooting, the witness lashed back, prompting a warning from the judge.
“I can’t keep up with your lies, sir,” Zimmerman told LeFay.
“Your honor, I’m going to have to ask for the witness to be admonished,” the attorney said.
“Would you please keep your commentary to yourself and answer the questions that are being asked?” Judge Debra Nelson said. “If you don’t understand the question, it’s OK for you to ask for clarification.”
Zimmerman wrapped up his testimony at about 11 a.m. Wednesday.
Closing arguments are expected Friday.
Nelson ordered Zimmerman to be back in the courtroom by 11 a.m. Thursday.
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