(CN) - Prosecutors in Florida dropped an assault case against George Zimmerman after his ex-girlfriend recanted her story.
In a written statement, State Attorney Phil Archer said he wouldn't pursue charges as there were no other witnesses to the incident in which Zimmerman was alleged to have thrown a wine bottle at Brittany Brunelle before smashing her cellphone.
"While it is clear that the officers had probable cause to arrest Mr. Zimmerman, which was affirmed by the circuit court judge in initial appearances, the subsequent recantation by the victim of her initial statement along with new documents provided by the victim and her attorney precludes my office from proceeding further," Archer said.
The district attorney did not elaborate on the nature of those documents.
Zimmerman was arrested in early January. But Brunelle proved to be a reluctant witness, refusing to the attend her first scheduled meeting with the state attorney's office. Archer eventually had her served with a subpoena to compel her appearance, but Brunelle surprised prosecutors by saying she did not want to proceed with the case.
"The victim denied that Mr. Zimmerman threw a bottle at her and stated that she was never in fear of the Defendant," Archer said.
Zimmerman was acquitted in 2012 of the second-degree murder of Trayvon Martin, an unarmed black teen he fatally shot while on patrol as a neighborhood watch volunteer in Sanford, Fla.
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