Three years ago, on February 26, 2012, George Zimmerman killed unarmed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Florida.
The shooting and, later, the trial became a flashpoint for frustrations around racial profiling and stereotypes. Martin, who was black, was walking to his father's home in a gated community after dark when Zimmerman, a self-styled neighborhood watchman, became suspicious of the teen, followed him, and, after a physical confrontation, shot him to death.
During the trial, the defense and supporters of Zimmerman, who is white and Hispanic, painted Martin as a troublemaker and thug. "They killed my son," his mother, Sybrina Fulton, said at the time, "and now they're trying to kill his reputation."
Zimmerman was acquitted of criminal charges in 2013 after his attorneys argued he shot the teen in self-defense, and the Justice Department announced on Tuesday that it closed its civil rights investigation into the shooting without plans to file charges.
Zimmerman's become no stranger to the law
Zimmerman has not faded from public view since his trial. He has had no fewer than seven other run-ins with the law since he killed Martin, none of which have resulted in a conviction.
The string of encounters reveal a more complex view of Zimmerman than we got during a trial that seemed to focus much more on Martin's behavior than his:
- In July 2013, police in Forney, Texas, pulled over Zimmerman for speeding. Zimmerman told the officer he had a legal firearm in the glove compartment, and the cop let Zimmerman go with a warning.
- In August 2013, a Florida Highway Patrol trooper pulled over Zimmerman and warned him that his windows were too darkly tinted and his tag covers were illegal.
- In September 2013, police in Lake Mary, Florida, stopped Zimmerman for speeding for going 60 miles-per-hour in a 45 miles-per-hour zone. This time, Zimmerman received a $256 ticket.
- In September 2013, Shellie, Zimmerman's estranged wife, called police during an argument with him. She said Zimmerman had smashed an iPad, threatened her with a gun, and attacked her father. She later recanted parts of her story, and no charges were filed.
- In November 2013, police in Seminole County, Florida, arrested Zimmerman after his then-girlfriend accused him of pointing a shotgun at her, smashing a coffee table, and locking her outside. She eventually recanted and told police she didn't want Zimmerman charged with aggravated assault, battery, and criminal mischief.
- In September 2014, Zimmerman allegedly threatened to kill an unidentified man in a road rage incident, and later showed up at the man's workplace, prompting a 911 call. No charges were filed for the incidents.
- In January 2015, police in Lake Mary arrested Zimmerman for alleged aggravated assault after another ex-girlfriend said he threw a wine bottle at her. The charges were later dropped after his ex stopped cooperating.
Some people who feel Zimmerman should have been convicted for Martin's death might look upon these these legal scrapes with satisfaction, as proof of his capacity to commit a terrible crime. But no number of arrests will correct what Martin's mother and so many others see as a devastating miscarriage of justice. "He took a life, carelessly and recklessly," Fulton told the Associated Press on Wednesday, "and he shouldn't deserve to have his entire life walking around on the street free."