New Profile Reveals Details About George Zimmerman That May Change the Public’s Perception of Him

There are new details today in the Trayvon Martin case that may challenge some of the assumptions being made about accused shooter George Zimmerman. A new Reuters profile paints Zimmerman as a concerned citizen trying to help his community rather than the media’s image of a reckless, and perhaps racist, vigilante.

Trace Gallagher reports that the investigation digs into Zimmerman’s background, revealing that he was raised in an inter-racial household, was a Catholic altar boy for 10 years, and started an insurance company with an African American friend.

While the report exposes details of his arrest for assaulting a police officer and accusations of domestic violence., it focuses more on his involvement at the Retreat at Twin Lakes, the housing community where he lived and where Trayvon Martin was shot. According to police reports, the complex had a rash of burglaries and witnesses say the suspects were young black males.

The residents of the community asked the association to begin a neighborhood watch program, of which George Zimmerman became the captain. Between August 2011 and February 2012, Zimmerman called the police dispatch 46 times.

The Reuters report also reveals that Zimmerman got a gun at the request of an animal patrol officer because Zimmerman said that some pit bulls were harassing him and his wife.