George Zimmerman used racial slur before being removed from bar, deputies say

Zimmerman involved in incident at Corona Cigar Company

SANFORD, Fla. – George Zimmerman yelled at a female employee, used racial slurs and was "belligerent" toward a deputy before being he was removed from a bar in Sanford, according to the Seminole County Sheriff's Office. 

A deputy was originally called to Corona Cigar Company Wednesday night for a possible incident of battery involving a woman in Zimmerman's group, but while the deputy was in the back reviewing surveillance video with the manager, a disturbance erupted at the front of the bar. 

The deputy found Zimmerman yelling at a waitress, according to the offense report. Zimmerman's friends were attempting to calm him down. 

The female employee told the deputy that she was trying to collect the group's bill, but Zimmerman snatched the credit card from her hand and began to yell at her, deputies said. 

The manager told the deputy that the incident was one of several in which Zimmerman had been involved at the bar and he wanted to have him trespassed, according to the offense report. 

Before Zimmerman left the bar, he told the manager, "I didn't know you were a (racial expletive) lover," deputies said. There were also reports of Zimmerman's friends using racial slurs toward other customers throughout the night. 

After informing Zimmerman that he had been trespassed, the deputy offered to investigate his earlier battery claim. Zimmerman demanded the deputy's business card, but then refused to accept it, walked away and called 911 a few minutes later.

Zimmerman told the operator his name was "John Doe" and that he needed to speak with a supervisor. A sergeant responded to the scene and spoke with Zimmerman.

The deputy once again offered to look into Zimmerman's battery claim. This time Zimmerman told him that another patron approached him and said "Zimmerman, what are you doing here?," the report said.

Zimmerman said he told the man to leave him alone, and Zimmerman said the man hit him twice on the shoulder, according to deputies.

Witness statements and surveillance video showed a different version of events, according to the report.

The man approached Zimmerman with an extended hand "as if he is greeting Zimmerman, and attempting to shake his hand." Zimmerman ignored the gesture. When the man tapped Zimmerman on the arm, Zimmerman told the man not to touch him. The man replied "I will do whatever I want," the report said.

The man had no ill will and there was no probable cause to press charges, the deputy wrote in his report. 

After reviewing surveillance video and witness statements, the deputy tried to get Zimmerman to fill out a sworn voluntary statement form, but Zimmerman "became belligerent" and refused to accept it, the report said. 

A friend stepped in to calm down Zimmerman. The deputy told Zimmerman's friend how to fill out the form so he could relay the information to Zimmerman.

Zimmerman wrote his narrative on the wrong portion of the form, so the deputy asked him to fill it out again in the correct portion.

He wrote: "I want to press charges. The narrative on the front is true and correct. Officer Nickell is an incompetent officer under qualified to flip burgers," according to the report. 

Zimmerman told the officer he would remember him and that he planned to sue the Seminole County Sheriff's Office.

Zimmerman was acquitted of murder in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, an unarmed teenager. His trial and acquittal sparked protests across the nation. He has been involved in several incidents since then. 


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