On Thursday, Sanford, Florida Police Chief Billy Lee announced that he is “temporarily” stepping down as head of the department, after he was heavily criticized for his handling of the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin last month by a neighborhood watch volunteer. In his statement to reporters, Lee said, “I am aware that my role as a leader of this agency has become a distraction from the investigation. It is apparent that my involvement in this matter is overshadowing the process. Therefore, I have come to the decision that I must temporarily remove myself from the position. I do this in the hopes of restoring some semblance of calm to the city, which has been in turmoil for several weeks.”
The gesture by the police chief did not pacify Martin’s parents. “I feel that we need an arrest,” Martin’s mother, Sybrina Fulton, told reporters. At the rally on Thursday, Tracy Martin, Trayvon’s father, said, “The temporary step-down of Bill Lee is nothing. We want an arrest, we want a conviction, and we want a sentence for the murder of our son.” The Reverend Al Sharpton was more vociferous when he said, “We did not come here for a temporary leave of absence. We came for permanent justice — arrest Zimmerman now!” Lee’s decision to “temporarily” step down came a day after the city commission voted 3-2 in favor of “no confidence” in the police chief.
