A Florida judge on Saturday ordered George Zimmerman, the man who was acquitted in the 2012 shooting death of the unarmed black teen Trayvon Martin, to surrender his firearms.

Zimmerman, 31, was arrested late Friday night, and charged with domestic aggravated assault with a weapon. Though the incident did not involve a firearm, judge John Galluzzo ordered Zimmerman to hand over all of his weapons as a precautionary measure, the Orlando Sentinel reported.

Zimmerman’s attorney, Don West, told the Sentinel his client was arrested after allegedly throwing a wine bottle “in the direction of” his girlfriend several days ago.



“No injuries, no contact, nothing that I’m aware of that led up to it. It’s just one of those things that somehow brought us here,” West told reporters.

West said he didn’t know who called police, but said he didn’t think the alleged victim placed the call.

Galluzzo also ordered Zimmerman to avoid contact with the alleged victim, who was not identified.

The judge set Zimmerman’s bond at $5,000 – on payment he was released on Saturday afternoon – and ordered the former neighbourhood watch volunteer to stay out of Volusia County, where the alleged victim lives. His next court appearance was scheduled for 17 February.

Requests for comment from the Seminole County sheriff’s office on Saturday were not immediately returned. In an official release, the sheriff’s office said Zimmerman was arrested at around 10pm on Friday night and held at the John E Polk correctional facility.

In 2013, a jury acquitted Zimmerman of second-degree murder and manslaughter charges after he killed Martin, 17, during a confrontation at a housing estate in the town in February 2012. The case set off a discussion about race relations in America and raised questions about so-called “stand-your-ground laws”, which enable residents of some states to use lethal force if they feel threatened.

Friday’s incident is the latest in a series of brushes with law enforcement that Zimmerman has had since his high-profile acquittal.

In 2013, he was arrested on charges of aggravated assault, battery and criminal mischief after a fight with his then-girlfriend, Samantha Scheibe, at their rented home. In a 911 call, Scheibe claimed her boyfriend was destroying her property and pointed a gun at her. However, she later decided not to co-operate with investigators and the case was dropped.

Zimmerman was also accused by his estranged wife, Shellie, of smashing her iPad and threatening her with a gun during a dispute at their Florida home. She later said he was unarmed. The argument occurred just days after she filed for divorce.

He has been pulled over three times for traffic violations. On one occasion he was stopped for speeding in Texas. He was reportedly travelling with a gun the glove compartment of his car.

Zimmerman has also become a minor celebrity. He has given television interviews, and in February 2014 plans were announced for him to box the rapper DMX, although the bout never happened. He also sold his paintings online.

In September 2013, a local Florida police chief, in reference to a December 2012 elementary school shooting in Connecticut in which 26 people were killed, said Zimmerman was “a Sandy Hook waiting to happen”.