The Florida man who claimed he shot at George Zimmerman in self-defense was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Monday after being found guilty of attempted second-degree murder last month.
Matthew Apperson fired a single bullet at Zimmerman as the two were driving along Lake Mary Boulevard in Seminole County, Fla., in May of last year.
The bullet missed Zimmerman’s head by inches. He sustained minor injuries from shattered glass.
{mosads}Apperson was convicted of attempted second-degree murder, armed aggravated assault and shooting into a vehicle. Apperson had maintained that he was acting in self-defense after Zimmerman pointed a gun at him.
Zimmerman denied pointing a gun at Apperson, with whom he reportedly had an ongoing feud, but was found to be in possession of two firearms at the time.
Florida Assistant State Attorney Stewart Stone told jurors that Apperson didn’t meet the standard for self-defense, because he failed to act in a “reasonable, prudent or cautious manner” before shooting at Zimmerman.
Circuit Judge Debra S. Nelson ultimately sentenced Apperson to 20 years behind bars — the state’s mandatory minimum sentence for his crime.
Zimmerman was famously acquitted for the shooting death of unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin in 2012.
He similarly alleged he was acting in self-defense.