A clarification: the officer was ATF. The charges were quickly dropped. According to Zimmerman:
"I was in an altercation with an undercover officer that was taking part in an ATF sting for underage drinking in UCF. He never told me he was an officer and assaulted me first. Shortly after that, in September 2005, the same unit was conducting a sting at UCF and an officer was killed by an OPD officer because he discharged his weapon and did not identify himself."
Very nice, informative and fact-filled post. So much better than those low-information FReepers pointing out that unjustified arrest as somehow being evidence of him being unstable or a demi-criminal.
He never told me he was an officer and assaulted me first.
The ATF agent said that he did identify himself. The charges were dropped because Zimmerman agreed to enroll in an anti-alcohol program.
Below is from this source.
In July of 2005, FANNIN, LENT, GILMORE, FLEISCHMAN, and their Captain, GERMAN G0RZ0NE, who has since been terminated, performed an undercover operation at a bar near the University of Central Florida known as Knight's Library. During the operation, an underage undercover operator went into the bar, attempted to purchase, and was sold alcoholic beverages. As a result, multiple bar employees were removed from the establishment and placed under arrest.
While the state law enforcement agents were processing the prisoners, GEORGE ZIMMERMAN approached one of the prisoners and asked the prisoner what was going on. FLEISCHMAN informed ZIMMERMAN that he was a state law enforcement agent, showed ZIMMERMAN his badge, and told him to wait off to the side and FLEISCHMAN would explain to him what was going on after the agents were finished with the prisoners. ZIMMERMAN had an angry demeanor and told FLEISCHMAN that he did not care who he was. FLEISCHMAN attempted to escort ZIMMERMAN away from the scene. ZIMMERMAN then shoved FLEISCHMAN, at which point all of the agents on the scene pushed ZIMMERMAN onto the hood of FANNIN's car and placed him under arrest for battery on a law enforcement officer
Are we to believe that all of these officers and multiple girlfriends (plus his wife) all have been making up stories about Zimmerman, since long before the Trayvon Martin case?