The press conference just started and the city manager turned it over to the Police Chief. He said he was "temporarily stepping down"? What?!
Link here: http://www.clickorlando.com/...
How does one temporarily step down, make a two or three sentence statement and then walk away without explanation?
It's developing pretty quickly, but here is a link to the Miami Herald news story:
http://www.miamiherald.com/...
I had not seen this information before (from the story):
The family had to file a lawsuit for the release of 911 tapes, but they felt the department was often willing to release information that was favorable to Zimmerman.
• As evidence that the incident was not a case of racial profiling, Lee told The Miami Herald that when the police dispatch operator asked Zimmerman the race of the suspicious person he saw, the Hispanic neighborhood watch captain did not know. Yet when the recording of that conversation was made public, Zimmerman clearly says, “he looks black.”
• Initial police reports never mentioned that Zimmerman had a bloody nose or a wet shirt that showed evidence of a struggle. Attorneys for the dead teen’s family believe the information was added in a second report to justify the lack of an arrest.
• Police said witness statements supported Zimmerman’s account. But several of the witnesses expressed surprise, telling The Herald that they reported hearing someone crying for help just before a shot ended the cries. The 911 tapes of witness calls bolstered their claims.
• One of the witnesses who heard the crying said she called a detective repeatedly, but said he was not interested because her account differed from Zimmerman’s.
Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/...
The actual statement from Chief Lee:
"
My role as the leader of this agency has become a distraction from the investigation," Lee said in a brief statement. "It is apparent that my involvement in this matter is overshadowing the process.
"Therefore, I have come to the decision that I must temporarily relieve myself from the position as police chief for the city of Sanford. I do this in the hopes of restoring some semblance of calm to a city which has been in turmoil for several weeks."
I took a look around the Sanford Police Department web site at:
http://www.sanfordfl.gov/...
The more I look at it, the less I am surprised that this happened in Sanford. This is from their section on the Police Volunteers:
WHO ARE WE?
The Sanford Police Volunteers are a team of highly trained citizens who enhance vital crime preventions services and community awareness through proactive law enforcement principles.
Members do not take enforcement action or make arrest.
All suspicious activity is reported to the Sanford Police Department.
WHY BECOME A SANFORD POLICE VOLUNTEER?
* Contribute to positive communications between the community and law enforcement
* To assist in controlling, reducing and preventing crime in Sanford
* To offer your area of professional expertise
* To gain valuable work experience
Seriously? To gain work experience? I read that the parents are meeting with the US Justice Department tonight before the rally. I think the US DOJ should not just stop with this case, but needs to really look at this entire department.
With a hat tip and thank you to Diogenes2008, here is the video: