Former Police Chief Bill Lee Jr. announces to the media March 22 that he will temporarily step down as police chief of the Sanford Police Department.
Although the shooting received little press in the days following the Feb. 26 incident, records show that Seminole County NAACP President Turner Clayton Jr. emailed Lee only three days later to set up a meeting with the chief. He wrote, “I would like to set up a meeting with you in reference to the shooting death of Trayvon Martin which took place at the Retreat and Twin Lakes.”
It is unclear if the meeting took place.
Shortly thereafter correspondence with CBS News Producer Chris St. Peter is seen in the records. CBS News aired the first national story on the death of Martin on March 8.
According to the records, Lee received more than 35 emails throughout that day from around the country from citizens outraged about the lack of arrest and news reporters requesting interviews.
The following day, March 9, Lee received more than 100 emails. In the days to come those writing to demand the arrest of Zimmerman would increase and by March 11 Lee was receiving automated emails by those signing a petition on SignOn.org for the arrest of Zimmerman.
While the majority of the emails slam the department for its actions some show how the shooting of Martin moved a nation.
A librarian from Miami-Dade County wrote to Lee, stating she knew Martin casually as a patron of the library where she worked.
“Trayvon came to my library and was a quiet kid who never presented a problem,” she wrote. “He was a nice, quiet kid who was decidedly not a trouble maker – a special quality in the rough and tumble environment of Miami-Dade County.”
The woman requests Lee to “do what is right because your integrity commands you to do nothing else.”
Some also show support for the chief, and for the integrity of the investigation. Among those emails of support are several from of police chiefs including the City of Orlando, Lake Mary and the University of Central Florida.
UCF Chief Richard Beary wrote, “You’re doing the right things… Trial by fire makes for good chiefs.”
Lake Mary Chief Steve Bracknell email was titled, “Keep the faith brother.”
Ultimately, however, Lee would end up stepping down from his position amidst public pressure on March 22 – the same day a rally was held in Martin’s honor in Fort Mellon Park.
City Manager Norton Bonaparte Jr. released him from the position for good in mid-June, following a 3-2 vote of no confidence made by the city commission.
Other evidence released Wednesday in the case shows DNA collections from the gun Zimmerman used in the shooting. The results from multiple swab tests show there was no DNA from Martin on the gun.
Although this evidence had been released before the discovery is more telling now after hearing Zimmerman’s re-enactment of the incident where he told Sanford Police Martin had reached for his gun.
However, Zimmerman never said Martin actually touched the gun in his account to police.
A call Martin’s father, Tracy Martin, made to police Feb. 30 to report his son missing was also included in the evidence as well as an interview with a 7-Eleven clerk who was working the night Martin purchased Skittles and iced-tea before being shot by Zimmerman.
During the interview n Florida Department of Law Enforcement agent asks the young man, “Did you have any idea you were the 7-Eleven clerk that sold him the famous Skittles?”
The clerk said he did not remember who Martin was or recognize the photographs of him.