Zimmerman helps rescue 4 in crash

Associated Press

ORLANDO, Fla.

George Zimmerman helped rescue four people from an overturned vehicle in central Florida last week, just days after he was cleared of all charges in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, officials said Monday.

Seminole County Sheriff’s spokeswoman Kim Cannaday said in a statement that deputies responding last Wednesday afternoon to the wreck in Sanford — the Orlando suburb where Martin was shot — found Zimmerman and another man already had helped a couple and their two children out of a flipped SUV off the road near Interstate 4. They were not hurt.

Zimmerman spoke with a deputy at the scene and then left, the sheriff’s office statement said. He did not see the crash happen.

This is believed to be the first time Zimmerman, 29, has been seen publicly since his acquittal on a second-degree murder charge in the 17-year-old Martin’s death in February 2012. Zimmerman’s parents and his attorneys have said in interviews since the verdict that they fear for his safety because of those who may not agree with it.

A message left at the office of Zimmerman attorney Mark O’Mara was not immediately returned Monday.

Robert Zimmerman Jr. on Monday posted on his Twitter account about his brother’s actions: “George saw a need, he acted. Our parents taught us to help, never to boast. Humility is George’s finest trait.”

Martin’s shooting death spurred debate across the U.S. over racial profiling, self-defense and equal justice. Protesters nationwide lashed out against police in Sanford because it took 44 days for Zimmerman, a neighborhood-watch volunteer, to be arrested last year. Many, including Martin’s parents, said Zimmerman had racially profiled the unarmed black teen. Zimmerman, who identifies himself as Hispanic, said he acted in self-defense during a fight with Martin.