Chief, prosecutor quit teen death case

SANFORD, Fla. -- The police chief and prosecutor bitterly criticized for not arresting a neighborhood watch volunteer in the shooting death of an unarmed black teenager both left the case yesterday, with the chief saying he is leaving his job temporarily to let passions cool.

Sanford Police Chief Bill Lee's decision came less than a day after city commissioners gave him a "no confidence" vote and after a couple of weeks of protests and uproar on social media websites. Lee has said evidence in the case supported George Zimmerman's claim that the Feb. 26 shooting of Trayvon Martin, 17, was self-defense.

About three hours later, Gov. Rick Scott announced that the local state attorney, Norman Wolfinger, had recused himself from the case. In a letter to Scott, Wolfinger said that while he thought he could oversee fairly any prosecution that develops in the case, his recusal was aimed at "toning down the rhetoric and preserving the integrity of the investigation."

Scott appointed Angela B. Corey, the state attorney for the Jacksonville area, to take over the case. He also appointed a task force led by Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll to conduct hearings on the case and to make recommendations for any changes to state law or procedures. Carroll is African-American.

Martin was returning from a trip to a convenience store when Zimmerman started following him, telling police dispatchers he looked suspicious. The two got into a fight and Zimmerman pulled out his gun. Zimmerman told police Martin attacked him after he had given up on chasing the teenager and was returning to his sport utility vehicle.

The shooting ignited resentment toward the police department in this Orlando suburb for not making an arrest. Civil rights groups have held rallies in Florida and New York, saying the shooting was unjustified.

The police chief continued yesterday to stand behind his agency's investigation.

Martin's parents said the police chief's departure wasn't enough and that Zimmerman should be taken into custody.

"We want an arrest, we want a conviction and we want him sentenced for the murder of my son," Martin's father, Tracy, said to a fiery crowd of about 1,000 supporters in downtown Sanford.