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Trayvon Martin case: Sandford police Chief Bill Lee fired
Former Sanford Police Chief Bill Lee speaks to the the media during a news conference as city manager Norton Bonaparte Jr. listens at left. PHOTO/Julie Fletcher/AP
The central Florida police chief who was strongly criticized for his agency’s initial investigation of Trayvon Martin’s slaying was fired Wednesday, city officials said.
City Manager Norton Bonaparte said in a statement that he relieved Chief Bill Lee of duty because the manager said he “determined the Police Chief needs to have the trust and respect of the elected officials and the confidence of the entire community.”
“We need to move forward with a police chief that all the citizens of Sanford can support. I have come to this decision in light of the escalating divisiveness that has taken hold of the city,” Bonaparte said.
Sara Brady, a spokeswoman for the former chief, said Lee and Bonaparte met Wednesday morning to discuss his termination.
“They had a discussion this morning, but the details were not worked out, and that is how it was left,” Brady said.
The initial lack of an arrest following the fatal shooting of Martin, an unarmed black teenager, by neighbourhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman in February led to protests across the nation and spurred a debate about race and the laws of self-defence. Zimmerman’s father is white and his mother is from Peru.
The local prosecutor recused himself from the case, prompting Gov. Rick Scott to appoint special prosecutor Angela Corey, who charged Zimmerman in April with second-degree murder. The 17-year-old Martin was fatally shot following a Feb. 26 altercation with Zimmerman, who claims self-defence and has pleaded not guilty.
