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Trayvon Martin: civil rights leaders call for Florida police chief to resign
Source: The Guardian
Trayvon Martin: civil rights leaders call for Florida police chief to resign
Karen McVeigh in New York
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 21 March 2012 17.38 GMT
The Florida police chief investigating the death of Trayvon Martin, the unarmed black teenager fatally shot by a self-appointed neighbourhood watch volunteer, is facing calls by civil rights leaders for his resignation.
Police chief Bill Lee, of Sanford police, has insisted he carried out a "fair and thorough" investigation of the killing and that he cannot arrest George Zimmerman because he has told police he shot the teenager in self-defence and there was no evidence to contradict his account.
Criticism of the police investigation is focused on the failure to arrest Zimmerman, but also on the failure to test him for drugs or alcohol, a common practice in homicide investigations, in particular because they tested the teenager after his death.
Police are also facing questions over their failure to reach Martin's girlfriend in Miami, who was talking to him on his cellphone as he was being followed by Zimmerman in the minutes before his death. She said his last words were "What are you following me for?"
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Karen McVeigh in New York
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 21 March 2012 17.38 GMT
The Florida police chief investigating the death of Trayvon Martin, the unarmed black teenager fatally shot by a self-appointed neighbourhood watch volunteer, is facing calls by civil rights leaders for his resignation.
Police chief Bill Lee, of Sanford police, has insisted he carried out a "fair and thorough" investigation of the killing and that he cannot arrest George Zimmerman because he has told police he shot the teenager in self-defence and there was no evidence to contradict his account.
Criticism of the police investigation is focused on the failure to arrest Zimmerman, but also on the failure to test him for drugs or alcohol, a common practice in homicide investigations, in particular because they tested the teenager after his death.
Police are also facing questions over their failure to reach Martin's girlfriend in Miami, who was talking to him on his cellphone as he was being followed by Zimmerman in the minutes before his death. She said his last words were "What are you following me for?"
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Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/mar/21/trayvon-martin-civil-rights-police-chief-resignation
