George Zimmerman, who was acquitted this summer of murdering teenager Trayvon Martin, has been arrested in Florida and charged with aggravated assault, battery domestic violence and criminal mischief.
Police identified the alleged victim as Samantha Scheibe and said the incident occurred at a home they shared.
Zimmerman, 30, was arrested by the Seminole County Sheriff's Office at about 1 p.m. today, authorities said. He was booked into the John E. Polk Correctional Facility.
"When we arrived, the victim indicated that she and George Zimmerman were having a verbal dispute and at that time she alleged that he had broken a table and pointed a long-barrel shotgun at her," Seminole County Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Dennis Lemma said at a news conference.
She managed to work her way to the front door of the residence and call 911 on her cell phone.
"At that time, he actually pushed her out of the front of the residence and barricaded the door with some furniture," Lemma said.
When authorities arrived, the girlfriend gave officers a key to the home and they were able to open the door, push away the furniture and confront Zimmerman.
He was unarmed when police got to him and "rather passive," Lemma said. He offered no resistance and was taken into custody.
Zimmerman is being held without bond, which Lemma said was customary for the charges he faces, and is scheduled to appear in court at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
In addition to normal sanctions, Lemma said authorities have requested that Zimmerman be outfitted with an electronic monitoring device if he is released. The deputy said this is an extra step requested in all domestic violence cases in the county.
Given his high-profile nature, Zimmerman is being held in a single person cell and is being checked on hourly, Lemma said.
Police have requested a search warrant of his home and have not yet recovered the weapon or weapons. The deputy denied reports that Zimmerman's girlfriend is pregnant.
Lemma said the dispute over "some type of separation in the relationship."
The sheriff's office said they will be releasing the arrest report and 911 call as soon as they are available.
A spokesman for lawyer Mark O'Mara, who represented Zimmerman in the murder trial, said, "Mark O'Mara is not representing George Zimmerman in today's matter or any new matters, and as such it is not appropriate for him to make any comments."
Today's incident is Zimmerman's latest run in with the law.
In September, he was released without charges after his wife called 911 to say Zimmerman punched his father-in-law in the nose and threatened to shoot him and his wife.
Zimmerman claimed that he was acting in a "defensive manner" during the incident, according to police, who later added that they never found a gun on Zimmerman.
He has also been pulled over for speeding, once in July and once in September. During the July incident, he alerted the officer that he had a gun in his glove compartment.
On July 18, the Seminole County Sherriff's Office said Zimmerman was one of two men who came to the aid of a family who became trapped inside their Ford Explorer after it rolled over on the side of the highway.
According to the sheriff's office by the time police arrived, two people – including Zimmerman – helped the family get out of the overturned car.
Zimmerman became a controversial figure when he shot and killed unarmed black teen Trayvon Martin.. He was acquitted in July.
Zimmerman conceded he shot and killed Martin in Sanford Feb. 26, 2012, but maintained he fired in self-defense. His acquittal caused widespread anger.
Although Zimmerman's defense did not invoke the stand your ground law, the case sparked a national debate about race and "stand your ground" laws, which exist in at least 22 states. Martin's mother, Sybrina Fulton, testified on Capitol Hill in October that "stand your ground" laws must be reviewed and amended.
Zimmerman has a concealed carry permit in Florida that was re-instated after the trial, making him legally entitled to transport and possess a weapon in most states.
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