George Zimmerman , charged in the shooting death of a 17-year-old Florida boy , is suing NBC Universal for using `` the oldest form of yellow journalism '' by editing an audio tape of his 911 call to make him sound racist , the lawsuit says . Zimmerman is seeking `` damages in excess of the jurisdictional limit '' in Seminole County Circuit Court in Florida , where the lawsuit was filed Thursday . Zimmerman , who is Hispanic and is charged with second-degree murder , is accused of fatally shooting Trayvon Martin , who was African-American . The February incident has provoked national controversy . Zimmerman says he shot Martin in self-defense . Attorneys for Martin 's family say the teen was shot and killed `` in cold blood . '' Read more : George Zimmerman defense releases new photo . `` NBC saw the death of Trayvon Martin not as a tragedy but as an opportunity to increase ratings , and so set about to create the myth that George Zimmerman was a racist and predatory villain , '' the lawsuit says . `` Because of NBC 's deceptive and exploitative manipulations , the public wrongly believes that Zimmerman 'use ( d ) a racial epithet ' while describing Martin during the call to the dispatcher on that fateful night , '' the suit says . NBC Universal disputed the accusations Friday . `` There was no intent to portray Mr. Zimmerman unfairly , '' the company said in a prepared statement . `` We intend to vigorously defend our position in court . '' The defamation lawsuit accuses the network of sensationalizing and manipulating a potential `` racial powder keg that would result in months , if not years , of topics for their failing news program , particularly the plummeting ratings for their ailing Today Show . '' The edited recordings included multiple deletions , removed intervening dialogue between Zimmerman and the dispatcher , and juxtaposed unrelated content `` to make it appear that Zimmerman was a racist , and that he was racially profiling Trayvon Martin , '' the lawsuit says . NBC aired various edited versions of the 911 call on March 19 , 20 , 22 and 27 , the suit says . The suit accuses the network of malice , highlighting correspondent Ron Allen 's segment on `` The Today Show '' on March 27 . Timeline of events in case . `` Allen 's broadcast removed a critical aspect of the dialogue between Zimmerman and the dispatcher , bringing the 'up to no good ' and 'he looks black ' statements even closer together , to further the false and defamatory implication that Zimmerman had said he believed Martin was 'up to no good ' because 'he looks black , ' '' the suit says . The lawsuit accuses NBC of falsely claiming that Zimmerman said `` f -- -- -- coons '' on the February 26 call . `` The truth , as known to the defendants , was that Zimmerman said ' f -- -- -- punks ' and there was no evidence , or reason to believe , that Zimmerman uttered a racial epithet during the call , '' the suit says . Zimmerman mentioned Martin 's race only when prompted by the dispatcher , the suit says . NBC never aired an `` earnest '' retraction and never apologized to Zimmerman , who has since experienced death threats , a bounty on his head and a genuine fear for his life , the suit says . He now lives in hiding , court documents say . NBC News President Steve Capus `` made a bogus non-apology that claimed the doctoring was merely a 'mistake , ' '' the suit says . Because of the death threats , Zimmerman wears a bulletproof vest and was even dismissed from his college because it felt fellow students could be endangered , the lawsuit says . At the time of the incident with Martin , Zimmerman was living in a community known as The Retreat at Twin Lakes in Sanford , Florida , court papers say . `` Due to the defendants ' journalistic crimes , Zimmerman has been transformed into one of the most hated men in America , '' the suit says . Zimmerman 's attorney , Mark O'Mara , told `` In Session 's '' Jean Casarez that NBC tried `` to get ahead of the curve coverage thinking that they had themselves a person who was a racist , and they were wrong . '' The suit also names as defendants Lilia Rodriguez Luciano of Dade County , Florida , who was reporting directly from Sanford . Her employment was terminated by NBC as a result of her reporting , the suit says . Also named as a defendant is Jeffrey Burnside of Dade County , another journalist who was reporting from Sanford to his station , NBC-owned WTVJ in Miami , the suit says . Burnside was also fired by NBC , the suit said . Zimmerman attorney : We wo n't take plea deal .
There was ` ` no attempt to portray Mr. Zimmerman unfairly , '' the suit says . " Zimmerman accuses NBC Universal of ' the oldest form of yellow journalism ' that made him ' one of the most hated people in America , ' the suit says . Zimmerman is charged in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin , 17 .