NBC News apologizes for airing edited version of 911 call placed by George Zimmerman

George Zimmerman claims he acted in self-defense when he shot Trayvon Martin to death.

NBC News apologized Tuesday for airing an edited version of a 911 call placed by Florida neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman, who shot Trayvon Martin to death in February.

The misleading version of the 911 call, played on the "Today" show on March 27, led viewers to believe that Zimmerman volunteered to the operator that Martin was black.

The full audio from the phone call reveals that Zimmerman mentioned Martin's race only when the 911 operator asked him, "Is he white, black or Hispanic?"

"During our investigation it became evident that there was an error made in the production process that we deeply regret," NBC News said in Tuesday's statement.

"We will be taking the necessary steps to prevent this from happening in the future and apologize to our viewers."

The 17-year-old Martin was killed during a confrontation with Zimmerman on Feb. 26 in Sanford, Fla., sparking a national firestorm. Zimmerman claims the shooting was in self-defense, but many believe it was racially motivated.