According to police, the stop lasted five minutes.On Wednesday, the office of Mark O’Mara, Zimmerman’s attorney, tweeted an apparent response to inquiries about the traffic stop from @GZlegalCase.
For his safety, we won’t make any comments about #Zimmerman’s whereabouts, and we will work to protect his privacy.— Zimmerman Legal Case (@GZlegalCase) July 31, 2013
Texas state law allows a person to carry a gun in a vehicle as long as it is not in plain view. Brian Brooks, city manager of Forney, told Reuters that it is routine for police to ask drivers if a gun is in the car."It's a pretty routine stop except for the fact that it was George Zimmerman," Brooks said.Legal experts have said Zimmerman, since he has no felony convictions, is free to own a weapon.The Keltec 9mm handgun used to kill Martin on Feb. 26, 2012, could even be returned to him, according to a spokesman for his attorney.But that gun, and other evidence from the trial remain on hold at the request of the U.S. Justice Department, which has acknowledged it is investigating potential civil rights charges against the 29-year-old former block watch volunteer.Note: George Zimmerman has sued NBC Universal for defamation. The company strongly denies the allegation.This story was originally published on NBCNews.com.