Police Chief in Trayvon Martin Case Fired
- Posted on June 21, 2012 at 8:28am by
Jonathon M. Seidl
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SANFORD, Fla. (AP) — Saying he’s lost the trust of officials, a city manager fired a central Florida police chief who was criticized for his agency‘s initial investigation of Trayvon Martin’s shooting death at the hands of a neighborhood watch volunteer.
Sanford City Manager Norton Bonaparte said in a Wednesday statement that he relieved Chief Bill Lee of duty because 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,” Bonaparte said. “I have come to this decision in light of the escalating divisiveness that has taken hold of the city.”
The initial lack of an arrest following the death of Martin, an unarmed black teenager, by neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman in February led to protests across the nation and spurred a debate about race and the laws of self-defense. 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-defense and has pleaded not guilty.
Lee took a leave of absence in March and offered his resignation in April. The city council rejected Lee’s resignation by a 3-2 vote. Several council members indicated they wanted to let a Department of Justice review of the police investigation play out before making a final decision.
Bill Lee
In a statement, Benjamin Crump, an attorney for Martin’s parents, said the parents respected the city manager’s decision.
In May, Rick Myers took over as Sanford’s interim police chief, saying he wanted to heal the emotional wounds caused by Martin’s death. He has said he would reach out to people in Sanford who feel they’ve been ignored by the police.
Bonaparte said he had been in contact with the Police Executive Research Forum about the search for a successor to Lee.
“I believe that there are many law enforcement officials who will find accepting the opportunity to serve as Sanford’s Police Chief a welcome challenge for their careers”, the city manager said. “I expect the search for a new chief to take several months.”
Lee will get three months of severance and one week’s salary, in addition to any earned time off, under his contract.
“I wish Chief Lee all the best in his future endeavors,” Bonaparte said.
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Associated Press writer Errin Haines contributed to this report from New Orleans.
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Comments (83)
hauschild
Posted on June 21, 2012 at 9:39amAnd, people wonder why there are few leaders in this country. Since when has lynch mob justice overtaken the American common rule of law???
I mean, this is getting comical. You have a prosecution fishing in a dry pond. Now, you have the city trying everything it can do to quell the bottom-feeding uprising. What’s next on the Sharpton list of retribution???
Report Post »barber2
Posted on June 21, 2012 at 9:55amAnd how about the release of the Zimmerman phone tapes ? I always thought I had heard “ we can not make a comment ” blah..blah..during pending cases. Won’t this prejudice a jury ? Or is this EXACTLY what our Lefties are intending : they know they have no case, so they want to smear as much as possible and then be able to skate out on a technicality . Blame “ the technicality ” instead of their phony case. After, of course, inflaming their racist base AND putting Zimmerman through hell like the police chief ! All before the ELECTION . Where are the legal experts to stop this media circus ?
Report Post »doomytram
Posted on June 21, 2012 at 10:23amI understand that this was an non-political chief and he tried to resign. But the race baiting Leftist PC Hacks that are getting their marching orders from Holder Justice cried and wouldn’t accept his resignation a couple of months ago.
The country is chock full of American Hating Obamunist. The New Black Panthers are running a TV spread on PBS next week by the way… I guess you can’t let your kids watch PBS anymore, because they will have your kids hating YOU the parents and dating a Panther with there despicable brain wash.
Report Post »barber2
Posted on June 21, 2012 at 10:46amDOOMY: and don’t forget that PBS, like lefty NPR , gets to use your tax bucks to defame and smear you duped American tax payer while inflaming the Left’s racist base before the election ! Crafty, isn’t the Left ? This is getting more than disgusting ….
Report Post »gramma b
Posted on June 21, 2012 at 12:28pmNorton Bonaparte fired Lee for the color of his skin . . . . period. The police recommended charging Zimmerman. It was the DA that decided not to. The police did nothing wrong. Norton Bonaparte is just appeasing his brothas.
mikem1969
Posted on June 21, 2012 at 1:37pmAnd once again the racism of the left strikes and causes a man to get fired for doing his job. What has this country come to to cower to criminals instead of fighting for justice.
Report Post »JRook
Posted on June 21, 2012 at 3:21pm“common rule of law” Your kidding right. The police chief firing is one of the clearer and more justified actions in this ideological circus. The RULE OF LAW means he should have been immediately arrested, the case taken to a grand jury for determination and then to a jury for a judgement. The stand your ground law is perhaps the farthest aspect of this in terms of the rule of law. A KID was followed, confronted shot and killed and due process should be followed. Innocence should be demonstrated in a court room to a jury.
Report Post »Amarath01
Posted on June 22, 2012 at 9:34pmJuno is that you bent over by the tv pundit? What your blind folds off.. oh you had to take it off to see the color of their skin they told you.. well good luck with that. When we are done with we can just kill her and bury her along side the the corpses of other countries integrity and dedication to justice.
Report Post »65Mustang
Posted on June 21, 2012 at 9:37amBill Lee got shafted because he was doing his job, Zimmermann is innocent and Trayvon was a teenage thug. The city officials in Sanford, Florida are cowards for not standing up to the NAACP and their liberal co-harts.
Report Post »COLKURTZ
Posted on June 21, 2012 at 9:25amMost police chiefs, seem to lean to the left .And we all know Zimmerman was socially aware.I guess you are only safe in America if you are black.
Report Post »Thighmaster
Posted on June 21, 2012 at 9:24amI’ve lost trust in our government, can I fire them ? Before November ?
Report Post »RamonPreston
Posted on June 21, 2012 at 11:04amWhat have you been smoking? I‘ll bet it’s not legal.
Report Post »TWO BITS
Posted on June 21, 2012 at 9:24amBonaparte is an optimist if he believes there will numerous applicants who “welcome a challenge for their carreers.” Chief Bill Lee offered his resignation early on, but was strung along until the politics of the case leaned one way or another. Special Prosecutor Angels Corey reportedly went on a forty minute rant demanding that Alan Dershowitz be fired for commenting on this case. Officials involved in this ongoing investigation denounce public comments, but continue press releases of their own.
Report Post »doomytram
Posted on June 21, 2012 at 9:09amJust like a batch of Obamabots these Obamunist‘s wouldn’t accept his resignation. These PC Leftist Partisan Hacks had to fire him…. The MSM thinks we have already forgotten that the Police tried to resign. What a pathetic Race Campaign this is.
Report Post »BlazeGlory
Posted on June 21, 2012 at 9:09amHeadline: Bill Lee Unwillingly Falls On Sword. Today Sanford Police Chief fell on the sword (was stabbed in the back) for his role in the Trayvon Martin case.
Report Post »JUSTANOTHEROPINION
Posted on June 21, 2012 at 9:03amThis has nothing to do with right or wrong and has everything to do with city perception. The chief tried to resign and they turn it down not to make a moral point but just waiting to see the outcome. Hipocracy at its best. They only took the coarse they have to create an appearance the they (the city council) are outraged at this, when infact if it turned out differently leagally they would have taken no action. Couldn’t be no more transparent than it is.
Report Post »USPATRIOT101
Posted on June 21, 2012 at 9:14amIf a criminal dies and the black community doesnt like how you handle it, your career is over. Meanwhile, Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton live on
Report Post »barber2
Posted on June 21, 2012 at 10:02amVan Jones and others have created groups dedicated to “ overseeing” police actions.. translation: use the Race Card to slam the police and win big bucks for the innocent criminals ! This is how the Far Left operates : Deflate tax reserves , weaken authority, and rile up your angry, racist base and ” destroy/ change” American capitalism. Pretty transparent as we watch the Lefty Obama Show. This is NOT your old American Democrat Party ! This is the New International Anti-American Capitalism Democrat Party !
Report Post »RJJinGadsden
Posted on June 21, 2012 at 9:01amThe media and race baiters have been thrown a bone. Little do they realize, the city of Sanford will continue to be vilified.
Report Post »T-2
Posted on June 21, 2012 at 9:01amI’m suprise it took this long
Report Post »Legal Immigrant
Posted on June 21, 2012 at 9:00amSue them Bill. Make sure to name the racebaiters in it.
Don’t look back.
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on June 21, 2012 at 8:59amKANGAROO Justice… imposed by Liberals!
Report Post »Jenny Lind
Posted on June 21, 2012 at 8:57amThey wouldn’t let him resign, they wanted to twist the knife to appease the ones who are making noise- (I really had to work to make that sound OK from what I really wanted to say). Disgusting. And they will look like idiots if he is aquited.
Report Post »407west
Posted on June 21, 2012 at 8:50amDid you hear the newly released phone call from the dad. If Treyvon left the house at 7:30 pm and didn’t know anyone in the area why did it take the dad till the next morning to call the police? Was this a pattern for this kid? There’s so much more of this story that needs to come out…………………….
Report Post »RJJinGadsden
Posted on June 21, 2012 at 9:04amI heard that yesterday afternoon, and all the while I kept wondering that with all of the sirens, and hullabaloo in general going on in that neighborhood immediately after the shooting, the father had no curiosity knowing that his son was out there somewhere, to step outside to see what was happening. Apparently, something else inside had his full attention.
Report Post »barber2
Posted on June 21, 2012 at 9:09amBUT…will it ? Remember we are dealing with the same group which is still able to hide Obama’s school records AND their Media Lap Dogs are in complete cahoots…
Report Post »JosephLupoli
Posted on June 21, 2012 at 8:48amShow some multicultural spine, Sanford. Hire a Swedish guy.
Report Post »tinknocker
Posted on June 21, 2012 at 8:45amA good police chief is replaces for a bad reason. Now if they can only stack the jury against Zimmerman, they might have a slight chance to avoid massive riots.
Report Post »tradexpertbuysell
Posted on June 21, 2012 at 8:54amZimerman is to the Progressives as the Salem Witch trials were to us Christians.
That’s my prediction to add to the Duke LaCrose fiasco.
Report Post »RepubliCorp
Posted on June 21, 2012 at 9:03amI wonder what would of happened if he were black? Isn’t it racist to fire someone just because they are white? A smart lawyer might pick up on this fact and the Chief will have a nice payday.
Report Post »sWampy
Posted on June 21, 2012 at 9:09amThe Salem witch trials weren’t Christians, they were liberals, abusing the power of the church to get rid of strong women who arguing against them. It’s like the black churches that preach social justice today, to promote communism with a sprinkling of the bible, has nothing to do with Christianity. Just as when Jesus threw the money changers out of the church, there will always be those that use the church as an engine for evil and corruption.
Report Post »barber2
Posted on June 21, 2012 at 8:44amI know a public school bus which could use this guy. Oops. Forgot. He would probably be accused of racism if he singled out “ certain” students …..never mind….
Report Post »HKS
Posted on June 21, 2012 at 8:44amLooks like a segregation move to me. More left wing double standards.
Report Post »SREGN
Posted on June 21, 2012 at 8:43amBecause of all the abuses we’ve suffered at the hands of morons, I propose that we make white male taxpayers a protected group.
Report Post »barber2
Posted on June 21, 2012 at 8:41amMessage to police : always side with the guy wearing a hoodie. DISGUSTING.
Report Post »bluesdog
Posted on June 21, 2012 at 8:40amMaybe they can hire an unbiased person from the New Black Panthers.
Report Post »PaulHausser
Posted on June 21, 2012 at 8:37amAny bets that the new one is Black or Latino? Ah Affirmative Action. Got to love it.
When will the Republicans start talking about ending Affirmative Action
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on June 21, 2012 at 8:43amI’m sure they will just pick the best man for the job and not consider the race of the candidates…and unicorns will dance on rainbows in downtown Sanford while candy rains from ths sky!
Report Post »ryanpattifamily
Posted on June 21, 2012 at 8:44amHe couldn’t be Latino…. Zimmerman is Latino…. oh wait the MSM doesn’t want to talk about that — shhhhh
Report Post »barber2
Posted on June 21, 2012 at 8:52amRYAN: Not quite….remember Zimmerman is a WHITE Hispanic…not the regular kind of Hispanic.. ( can you believe the racist garbage that these NBPP and the Sharptons are getting away with ?? )
Report Post »Wolf
Posted on June 21, 2012 at 9:00am“…When will the Republicans start talking about ending Affirmative Action?…”
Report Post »Never- there isn’t one ounce of balls in the whole group.
SREGN
Posted on June 21, 2012 at 9:06amBarber2 – Then is Obama a WHITE black?
Report Post »barber2
Posted on June 21, 2012 at 9:11amSREGN: Yes. Obama is a “ white ” Black but shhhhhh…….the media is keeping that a secret….like his school records….shhhhhhhh……..
Report Post »biohazard23
Posted on June 21, 2012 at 8:35amScore one for the race baiters.
Report Post »progressiveslayer
Posted on June 21, 2012 at 8:34amThe idiocy of PC is shining brightly in Florida.
Report Post »biohazard23
Posted on June 21, 2012 at 8:56amThat‘s because we’ve been overrun by idiot liberals from up north.
Report Post »barber2
Posted on June 21, 2012 at 9:06amBIO: The NBPP and those other “carpet baggers ” from up North ! Who ever said that history doesn’t repeat itself.
Report Post »biohazard23
Posted on June 21, 2012 at 9:42amBarber, good point!
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on June 21, 2012 at 8:33amGosh, I wonder what color the new chief of police will be? Any guesses?
Report Post »copatriots
Posted on June 21, 2012 at 9:16amYour assumption is likely correct. One thing for sure is that the new chief will be liberal which means he will have a yellow streak.
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