It has emerged that George Zimmerman had a previous run in with the law, prior to the shooting of Trayvon Martin. Accused spoke out about police behavior and how the beating of a homeless black man by the white son of an officer was covered up.

This new evidence could greatly help his defense. He currently stands accused of the second degree murder of Trayvon Martin, a 17-year-old black child, in Florida. His trial will go ahead on 8th August.

It’s likely that this new evidence will be of great use to Zimmerman’s defense lawyer, Mark O’Mara, who received 67 CDs of evidence on the case last week.  The Martin family and supporters contend the neighborhood watch volunteer singled Martin out because he was black

Zimmerman attended a public hearing as an outraged citizen in 2011 following a series of ride-alongs with the department. The self-appointed neighborhood watch officer was “disgusted” at the corruption and laziness he observed.

This hearing took play on 8th January 2011.  That was  just days after the video of the officer’s son went viral. Sanford Police Chief Brian Tooley was forced to retire.

The police were criticized for dragging their feet on arresting Justin Collison, the officer’s son. Zimmerman asked “I'd like to know what action the commission is taking in order to repeal Mr. Tooley's pension…I'm not asking you to repeal his pension; I believe he's already forfeited his pension by his illegal cover-up in corruption in what happened in his department.”

The police at the time did not know when, if ever, Zimmerman had been part of the program.
At the hearing Zimmerman said “The officer showed me his favorite hiding spots for taking naps.

He explained to me he doesn't carry a long gun in his vehicle because in his words, `Anything that requires a long gun requires a lot of paperwork and you're gonna find me as far away from it.’''
During his 90-second speech he said “I would just like to state that the law is written in black and white…It should not and cannot be enforced in the gray for those who are in the thin blue line.”

The hearing was initially reported by the Miami Herald.

Other footage obtained by the Herald shows Zimmerman wandering around the police station. Martin’s lawyer, Benjamin Crump, maintains that Zimmerman looks “cozy” and “comfortable” with the police which is the reason he was released quickly on the night of the teenager’s shooting.

Here’s the footage of Zimmerman in the station: