George Zimmerman after his arrest in an alleged domestic violence case in Sanford, Florida, on November 18, 2013/AFP
Don Eslinger, the sheriff in Florida’s Seminole County, said Zimmerman was detained after police were called to a “disturbance” at a residence near the town of Apopka.
“Mr. Zimmerman has been arrested and was being driven to the county jail in Sanford this afternoon,” Eslinger told reporters.
Local WESH television reported that Zimmerman was accused of an assault by a woman who is not his wife, from whom he is separated and is in the process of divorcing.
In September, his wife accused him of domestic violence but Zimmerman was not charged in that incident.
The 30-year-old admitted to shooting unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin in self-defense during a violent struggle.
In July, a jury found him not guilty on a charge of second-degree murder and he walked free.
The shooting happened when Zimmerman was following Martin on suspicion the 17-year-old, who had just bought a bottle of ice tea and candy, was involved in robberies in the neighborhood.
An initial decision by Florida investigators not to press charges set off widespread protests, with Martin’s supporters alleging racism and pointing to the fact that the teenager was unarmed and had no criminal record.
The incident was widely covered by the national media, and also ignited debate over the state’s controversial “Stand Your Ground” law, which allows the use of a gun in self-defense even when it is possible to flee.
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