SANFORD, FL (RNN) - Sanford, FL, Police Chief Bill Lee Jr. announced he will resign temporarily in the wake of the outrage over the shooting death of a black teenager by a self-appointed neighborhood watch captain.
"I'm aware that my role as the leader of this agency has become a distraction," Lee said in a news conference Thursday.
The teenager, Trayvon Martin, 17, was killed Feb. 26 by George Zimmerman in a gated community outside Orlando, FL. Martin was walking back to his father's fiancee's home from a convenience store when some type of confrontation resulted in Martin's shooting death by Zimmerman.
Zimmerman has claimed self-defense, and has been apparently shielded by Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law. The law allows a person who fears for his safety to kill another without first attempting to retreat.
One witness to the aftermath of the shooting, neighbor Mary Cutcher, said she saw Zimmerman "on Trayvon's back." And a lawyer for Martin's family has said he took the deposition of Martin's girlfriend, who was on the phone with Martin as he was being chased by Zimmerman.
The girlfriend says Martin was afraid and thought he had evaded Zimmerman when he appeared again, and the call went dead.
Lee and the police department are being criticized for their handling of the case. Zimmerman was not detained or arrested on the night of the shooting.
The case has incensed the community and others throughout the U.S. A rally was held Wednesday night, and another is planned for Thursday night. About 1,700 Miami high school students staged a walk-out from their classes on Thursday.
Lee said he hoped his temporary removal would restore "some semblance of calm to the city, which has been in turmoil for several weeks."
"It is my hope the process would move swiftly and thoroughly through the justice system," Lee said.
Martin's mother, Sabrina Fulton, was not satisfied with Lee's stepping aside.
"Since the chief has stepped down, it's a temporary relief. What we want is permanent relief," she said.
Sanford City Manager Norton Bonaparte said after Lee spoke that another officer will assume temporary leadership of the department while the city looks for an interim police chief.
Neither Bonaparte nor Lee indicated how long Lee would remain off the job. With a 3-2 vote, the town council issued a No Confidence vote to Lee on Wednesday night.
Trayvon Martin's family attorney, Benjamin Crump, called for more immediate action.
"What we want is the arrest of George Zimmerman today!" he shouted at a rally in Sanford after Lee's announcement.
The U.S. Justice Department (DOJ) has become involved in the investigation of Martin's death.
"We extended and continue to extend to the family our deepest condolences for their loss," said a statement issued by the DOJ. "The investigation remains open."
The Florida Grand Jury will convene on April 10 to determine whether charges should be filed against Zimmerman.
Copyright 2012 Raycom News Network. All rights reserved.
George ZImmerman is shown in this photo working as a security guard at a 2005 party. (Source: CNN)
Trayvon Martin, 17, was on the phone with his girlfriend when he was shot. (Source: CBS/WFOR)
