Monday Brings New Police Chief and Commission Meeting Rally in Trayvon Martin Case
Monday, March 26, 2012
By: Nicole Creston

WMFE | Mar 26, 2012 - More rallies, community meetings, and investigations are taking place Monday as the shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin continues to command nationwide attention.

A rally last Thursday hosted by Reverend Al Sharpton at a Sanford park drew nearly 10,000 people. Sharpton is also holding the rally and march Monday at 4:00 pm, beginning in downtown Sanford and ending at the city’s convention center for a 5:00 pm Sanford City Commission meeting.

Another big crowd is expected, along with speeches from Sharpton, Reverend Jesse Jackson, comedian Sinbad, several high-profile athletes, and other civil rights leaders. Trayvon Martin’s parents will also attend. The group will deliver to the commission a petition with two million signatures asking for 28-year-old George Zimmerman’s arrest. It is unclear whether the commission meeting will yield any changes to the case.

One month ago Monday, Trayvon Martin was walking back to his father’s fiancé’s home in a Sanford gated community when he was spotted by neighborhood watch volunteer Zimmerman. Zimmerman called police to report Martin as a suspicious person, then left his SUV and followed Martin against police advice. Before police arrived, reports say, Zimmerman and Martin scuffled, and Zimmerman shot Martin dead, claiming self-defense. Martin was unarmed, carrying a bag of candy, a can of iced tea and some money after his walk to a nearby convenience store.

Also Monday, Sanford’s new acting police chief spoke out for the first time. Darren Scott was appointed after former police chief Bill Lee temporarily stepped down last Thursday, saying he was a "distraction" in the case. Scott urged concerned citizens to allow the investigation to take its course. He said his department is working toward that goal as it moves forward.

“I want to assure everyone while we await the outcome of these pending investigations, myself and the men and women of the Sanford Police Department will continue to perform the daily operational responsibilities to those who have entrusted their lives in the performance of our duties,” he said. 

Scott spoke during one of the new daily briefings conducted by Sanford City Manager Norton Bonaparte, Jr. Bonaparte says he’s holding the briefings to provide more transparency to the community.