Sanford Top Cop Says Politics Ruled; George Zimmerman Trial
BLITZER: We're keeping a close eye on the George Zimmerman murder trial. Right now we're going to bring you live coverage in a few minutes once the trial resumes. They're in a brief recess right now. But first, some politics, and not police work, that's what's been driving the George Zimmerman case according to the man who initially led the investigation in its early stages. Bill Lee says it was politics that ultimately cost him his job as Sanford, Florida's police chief. He sat down for an exclusive interview with CNN's George Howell.</s>GEORGE HOWELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You're saying this was the result of political pressure that you lost your job?</s>BILL LEE, FORMER SANFORD POLICE CHIEF: I believe it was political pressure and the fact that I upheld my oath.</s>HOWELL (voice-over): Sanford, Florida, a town caught in a decisive, racially charged death investigation. Neighborhood watch captain George Zimmerman admitted to shooting and killing unarmed teenager, 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. And at the time, Bill Lee was the police chief.</s>LEE: We were investigating the death of Trayvon Martin, which was a tragedy. You know, we wanted to find out what truly happened and seek justice.</s>HOWELL: Lee says the investigation started that night. They took George Zimmerman into custody for questioning but he claimed self- defense and the Sanford Police Department let him go.</s>HOWELL (on camera): Your lead investigator, Chris Serino, suggested manslaughter on that initial police report. Why is it that, you know, for 40 plus days George Zimmerman walked a free man?</s>LEE: The laws of the state of Florida, and the constitution, require you to have probable cause to arrest someone. The evidence and the testimony that we had didn't get us to probable cause. You know, if we had people that were witnesses, that could tell us that the self- defense claim or the way George Zimmerman said things happened that contradicted that, then we certainly may have probable cause.</s>HOWELL (voice-over): Martin's parents hired Benjamin Crump, a skilled civil rights lawyer, and his persistent demands that George Zimmerman be arrested lit the fire of a national uproar. People traveled to Sanford to march.</s>CROWD (chanting): Justice for Trayvon.</s>HOWELL (on camera): Talk to me just a bit about that outside influence, because at the time you remember there were a lot of civil rights leaders who came to town. There were a lot of protests and, you know, people see this situation differently, but there is a segment of people who said from the beginning of -- at this case that, you know, had George Zimmerman been black, he would have been arrested, he would have been behind bars. What do you say about that suggestion from people?</s>LEE: The Sanford Police Department conducted an unbiased and professional investigation. Race did not come into play for the Sanford Police Department.</s>HOWELL (voice-over): But the calls for an arrest grew louder and Lee says city officials and the city manager, his then boss, felt the heat.</s>HOWELL (on camera): When you look back at what happened, was there a lot of pressure on you to make an arrest?</s>LEE: There was pressure applied. You know, the city manager asked several times during the process, well, can an arrest be made now? And I think that was just from not understanding the criminal justice process. It was related to me that they just wanted an arrest. They didn't care if he got dismissed later. And you don't do that.</s>HOWELL (voice-over): In a statement, city manager Norton Bonaparte tells CNN, quote, "Lee told me he took an oath of office and could not make an arrest. Once he told me, I don't recall ever asking him about arresting him."</s>HOWELL (on camera): Is it fair to say that the investigative process, in a way, got hijacked?</s>LEE: Yes, in a number of ways.</s>HOWELL: After Lee announced he wouldn't bringing charges against Zimmerman, police passed the case on to the state attorney's office. The governor then assigned the case to Special Prosecutor Angela Corey, who charged George Zimmerman with second degree murder.</s>LEE: That investigation was taken away from us. We weren't able to complete it. And it was transferred to another district or a different state attorney. So, you know, and that outside influence changed the course of the way the criminal justice process should work.</s>HOWELL: After only 10 months on the job, Lee was temporarily suspended and later fired by the city manager.</s>HOWELL (on camera): There was political pressure on one hand, would you agree?</s>LEE: Sure.</s>HOWELL: There were outside influences on the other?</s>LEE: Yes.</s>HOWELL: Did you get a fair shake?</s>LEE: I don't think so. I upheld my oath. You know, I upheld, you know, my oath to abide by the laws of the state of Florida and the constitution and I'm happy that at the end of the day I can walk away with my integrity.</s>HOWELL: One of our legal analysts today said, you know, Bill Lee, Chief Bill Lee really got thrown under the bus. Would you agree?</s>LEE: Yes.</s>BLITZER: And George is with us. Good interview, George. You know, his decision at this critical moment to speak out to you, explain a little bit more about why he decided this is the time he wants to explain his version of what happened.</s>HOWELL: Wolf, absolutely. If you look at what happened just the other day, you saw people on the stand, and we've seen several people on the stand so far, let's go back and look. The lead investigator, we've seen Chris Serino. We've seen Doris Singleton, the other investigator. We've seen Norton Bonaparte, the city manager here of Sanford, talking about that 911 tape the day the city decided to take what Bill Lee says was police evidence, release it to the public, but also hold a meeting so that Trayvon Martin's family could hear that audiotape at city hall in the mayor's office. That's something that Lee says that he never would have allowed. In fact, he suggested, he advised against it. That's why he's talking out now. It seems like given what's come out in court, where you heard Norton Bonaparte talking about the decision that was made to play that audiotape, and also talking about whether or not he received instruction from his police chief about whether it's a good idea to play that tape, now is the time, he says, to come out and talk about his side of the story, his version of events and why he decided, you know, playing that audiotape was a bad idea, but also about that investigative process. He wanted to make the point that when you look at everything that's come out through the court, his investigators did their job. He did his job. But, again, the difference is he lost his job.</s>BLITZER: Because, he says, of politics, which interfered in that investigation. And he makes that point in the interview with you. George, don't go away because we're keeping a close eye on the latest developments in the George Zimmerman murder trial. Prosecution and defense attorneys, they are getting ready, in a few minutes, to argue over whether or not the jury will be allowed to consider lesser charges, lesser than the second degree murder charge, including manslaughter and aggravated assault. Something the prosecution wants, the defense does not want that. You're going to hear some intense arguing before the judge. In the end, Judge Debra Nelson will make that ruling whether or not lesser charges will be considered by the jury or now. We'll take a quick break. We'll get back into the courtroom when we come back.