Prosecutors have decided not to charge George Zimmerman after he was arrested earlier this month on suspicion of throwing a wine bottle at his then-girlfriend, the Orlando Sentinel reported on Friday.
State Attorney Phil Archer said he couldn’t prosecute Zimmerman because the victim had recanted her statement.
“While it is clear that the officers had probable cause to arrest Mr. Zimmerman which was affirmed by the circuit court judge at initial appearances, the subsequent recantation by the victim of her initial statement along with new documents provided by the victim and her attorney precludes my office from proceeding further,” Archer said, according to the Sentinel.
Zimmerman was arrested on Jan. 9 on suspicion of aggravated-assault after the fight with his girlfriend which reportedly occurred on Jan. 5 at Zimmerman’s Lake Mary, Fla. home.
Zimmerman’s girlfriend hadn’t called the police after the incident but had told police during a routine traffic stop that she’d been involved in a domestic violence altercation, the Sentinel reported.
Since his acquittal of the murder of unarmed black teen Trayvon Martin, Zimmerman has had multiple run-ins with the law. However, as in this instance, former girlfriends have recanted or decided not to press charges.
