Sanford Police Chief Bill Lee Jr. said Thursday that he would temporarily step down from his position over how the Trayvon Martin shooting case was handled.
Police Capt. Scott O’Connor will run the department until an interim chief is appointed, City Manager Norton Bonaparte said.
Lee and his department have come under withering criticism from Martin’s family and their supporters, who have demanded the arrest of George Zimmerman in the Feb. 26 incident.
On Wednesday, the Sanford City Commission voted 3-2 that it had no confidence in Lee over how the case has been handled.
Velma Williams, the city’s only black commissioner, said she spent 15 years trying to bring together the black community and white community, and the Martin episode has taken an emotional toll. “And now this. It’s a national embarrassment,” she said.
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via U.S. News – Police chief steps down temporarily over handling of Trayvon Martin case.