Police Chief in Trayvon Martin Case Resigns 'Temporarily'

Sanford, Fla., Police Chief Bill Lee is stepping down "temporarily" amid accusations that his department bungled its investigation into the shooting death of an unarmed teen, Trayvon Martin.

"It is apparent that my involvement in this matter is overshadowing the process," Lee told reporters, adding that it had become "a distraction from the investigation."

As he temporarily withdrew from running the department and from the investigation into the 17-year-old Martin's death, Lee said he stood by the investigation and the officers involved.

The FBI is now examining 911 tapes, which include a possible racial slur muttered by Martin's killer, George Zimmerman, 28. Martin was black, Zimmerman is not.

Zimmerman, a neighborhood crime watch volunteer, reportedly has admitted to pursuing Martin, confronting him and, after a scuffle, shooting him dead. Zimmerman has claimed the shooting was in self defense.

City Manager Norton Bonaparte acknowledged that the race issue continues to dominate local discourse.

"The actual killing of Martin is tragic and what it hit a chord on in America is the ongoing systemic problems between law enforcement and the black community," he said.

Thousands of people are expected to attend a rally organized by the Rev. Al Sharpton to demand Zimmerman's arrest. Because of current racial tensions, security is expected to be intense.

"It's an opportunity to say in America we are going to change the face of racism," said Bonaparte. "This is terrible, but let's see what we can learn from this…"

He added, "What the city of Sanford wants more than anything else for the family of Trayvon Martin is justice."

The resignation follows a heated special meeting of Sanford city commissioners Wednesday night, at which the body voted "no confidence" in Chief Lee.

Three of five commissioners voted against the chief. One commissioner demanded that Lee resign.

"The unknown in a tragedy will make the heart do crazy things, and we haven't done a good job of getting out in front of that," said Sanford Mayor Jeff Triplett after the vote. "I have confidence in him in a lot of ways, and don't have confidence in him in some ways."

The vote of "no confidence" came after Triplett fielded some tough questions from neighborhood residents and the media during an NAACP meeting aimed at addressing allegations of police misconduct in the community.

"If there were mistakes made, we are going to act accordingly," Triplett said in response to a question from ABC News about the investigation into Martin's death.

Some believe local authorities botched the investigation from the start.

Martin was carrying only a bag of Skittles, iced tea and his cell phone when Zimmerman allegedly killed him on Feb. 26. While Martin's family has repeatedly called for his arrest, Sanford police accepted and stood by Zimmerman's claim of self defense.

But it's not just the mayor, or the conduct of the police officers, that is being questioned.

Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law gives enormous leeway to people like Zimmerman to use deadly force if they feel threatened. Since the law was enacted seven years ago, justified homicides in Florida have jumped threefold, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

Twenty states have similar laws, but Florida's is widely viewed as having the broadest application. Courts across the state have been trying to figure out how to grapple with the legislation, and the Martin killing is one of several examples that have stirred controversy.

In another ongoing trial, lawyers for Trevor Dooley are using the law to defend him in the death of his neighbor, David James. In 2010, Dooley shot James in front of his 8-year-old daughter after witnesses say the two men got into an altercation on a basketball court in Valrico, Fla., when James tried to prevent Dooley from shooing away a teenage skateboarder using the court to practice tricks.

Dooley's attorneys argue that he is protected by Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law and that he shot James in self defense.

Cases like that one and Martin's have led Florida State Rep. Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala, one of the original sponsors of the law, to say that it has been misused.

"There was nothing in this statute ever intended to protect somebody who was pursuing or confronting other people," said Baxley.