The Sanford, Florida city commission, in a 3-2 vote, signaled their lack if confidence in police chief Bill Lee Jr. over the handling of the Trayvon Martin shooting investigation. What that vote means, though, is unclear. “The commissioners cannot fire the police chief, Bill Lee Jr., who reports to the city manager. Norton Bonaparte, the city manager, said he would take the no-confidence vote under advisement,” nytimes.com reports. The Seminole county state’s attorney and the US Department of Justice have also opened investigations in the February 26 incident. Commissioner Velma Williams, who voted against the chief, was quoted as saying, “Ray Charles or Stevie Wonder can see through all of this.”
UPDATE: Chief Bill Lee has announced that he will step down temporarily “in hopes of restoring some semblance of calm to this city.” City manager Norton Bonaparte has begun a search for an interim chief.