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George Zimmerman Pulled Over With Gun in Texas

By Brett Snider, Esq. on July 31, 2013 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

George Zimmerman was pulled over for allegedly speeding on a North Texas highway over the weekend, just two weeks after being acquitted of the murder of Trayvon Martin.

A police officer in Forney, Texas, stopped Zimmerman in a gray Honda pickup early Sunday afternoon on westbound U.S. 80, Dallas/Fort Worth's KTVT-TV reports. When the officer approached, Zimmerman informed him that he was armed.

While reports of this incident are just coming to light, it appears that Zimmerman was let go with only a warning.

Allegedly Speeding Through Texas

Zimmerman was pulled over for allegedly speeding -- though a Forney police report tweeted by a KTVT reporter seems to state only that it was a "traffic stop." For such a traffic stop to be valid, the officer must have had reasonable suspicion to pull Zimmerman over.

TMZ joins other sources in stating that the officer suspected that Zimmerman was "speeding," and reports that when Zimmerman was asked where he was going, he told the officer "nowhere in particular."

The officer's dashcam video, obtained by KTVT, shows the officer informing Zimmerman that he was pulled over for speeding, but then lets him off with a warning. You can see the video here:

Armed and Driving

In the dashcam video, the officer appears to discuss Zimmerman's firearm, telling him to put it inside his glove compartment and not to play with it.

In general, it is legal to have a gun in your car while driving, as long as you conform to state laws and have the proper license to carry a firearm.

According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas honors concealed handgun licenses legally issued in the state of Florida. Texas law also allows the carrying of licensed handguns in motor vehicles as long as the gun is not "in plain view."

It is unclear whether Zimmerman had the gun inside his glove compartment while driving, but if Zimmerman had a legal Florida handgun license, he could have legally carried it in his pickup's glove compartment.

Zimmerman was let go with a warning after "five minutes" and told to "take it easy," The Dallas Morning News reports.

This is the second time George Zimmerman has made headlines since the end of his trial. He and another passerby helped rescue a family from an overturned SUV in Florida just days after his July 13 acquittal, The Associated Press reports.

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