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Conflicting stories in George Zimmerman shooting incident

By Danielle Haynes
George Zimmerman's lawyer said his client didn't wave a gun at a man who shot him. File photo by Joe Burbank/UPI
George Zimmerman's lawyer said his client didn't wave a gun at a man who shot him. File photo by Joe Burbank/UPI | License Photo

LAKE MARY, Fla., May 12 (UPI) -- A man accused of shooting at and injuring George Zimmerman in Florida did so in self defense, the man's lawyer said Tuesday.

Zimmerman sustained a minor injury Monday after Matthew Apperson allegedly shot at Zimmerman's vehicle in Lake Mary. Glass from the broken window hit Zimmerman in the face and he was treated at an area hospital. Police reports initially said Zimmerman was shot.

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Two handguns, including a .40-caliber Glock 22 and a .357 revolver with one expended shell casing in the cylinder, were recovered from Apperson's vehicle, and one Glock was recovered from Zimmerman's vehicle, police said.

Apperson and Zimmerman had been involved in an ongoing dispute stemming from a confrontation in September.

Kenneth Cornell, who worked at a business near the shooting incident, told WESH-TV in Orlando, Fla., Apperson used his phone to call 911. He said Apperson told him Zimmerman waved a gun at him.

Apperson's lawyer, Mark NeJame, said his client acted in self defense.

"The manner and motive in which he acted in self-defense, I'm not going to get into at this time," he said. "Why do you call the police if you're the aggressor?"

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Zimmerman's lawyer, though, had a different story.

"George denies absolutely displaying a gun, waving a gun or pointing a gun at Matthew Apperson," Don West said.

"I'm wondering if there is some kind of spillover from the Trayvon Martin incident," he added. "Whether he saw George Zimmerman and decided to be aggressive with him initially back last fall and maybe this is a spillover to this, I don't know."

In 2013, a jury found Zimmerman not guilty in the shooting death of unarmed 17-year-old Martin.

No charges had been filed in Monday's shooting incident as of Tuesday evening.

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