After the shooting death of Florida teenager Trayvon Martin , by George Zimmerman in Sanford , Florida , in 2012 , Perez was brought in by Representative Alcee Hastings and Sanford Mayor Jeff Triplet to investigate the police department 's handling of the case . A full-scale investigation was later launched by the Civil Rights Division , where Perez led an inquiry on the shooting investigation . After a thorough investigation was promised by Attorney General Eric Holder , Perez went to Florida , meeting with U.S. Attorney Robert O'Neil , family members of Trayvon Martin , and local officials to investigate whether the shooting was a racially motivated hate crime . The Justice Department launched a probe into Sanford police chief Bill Lee , who was fired two months after the beginning of the investigation
shooting death
Shooting of Trayvon Martin
Tom Perez