By Easton L
Sanford City Manager Norton Bonaparte finally develop the guts to fire his controversial police chief.
In a written statement from the city, Bonaparte said:
“After much thoughtful discussion and deep consideration for the issues facing
the city of Sanford, I have 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.”
This decision came months after Lee previously took leave as chief and later offered to resign. Now, he is “permanently relieved of duty,” according to the written statement.
Chief Lee, who initially oversaw the controversial investigation into a white-Hispanic neighborhood watch captain’s fatal shooting of a black 17-year-old, Trayvon Martin.
The initial lack of an arrest drove widespread protests and propelled the case into national headlines.
Sanford police initially cited Florida’s “stand your ground” law, which allows killings in self defense, in declining to arrest the neighborhood watch captain, George Zimmerman.
Zimmerman claimed he was defending himself, adding that after a late-night confrontation Martin was getting the better of him in a scuffle prior to the fatal shot.
