The attorney representing Trayvon Martin’s family alleges that a clandestine meeting between Sanford Police Chief Bill Lee and State Attorney Norm Wolfinger took place hours after the teen’s shooting death — and that the two decided together not to pursue charges against George Zimmerman, the Miami Herald reported. Benjamin Crump, who has served as legal counsel for Trayvon’s parents, Tracy Martin and Sybrina Fulton, sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Justice, which has already started its own investigation of the case. The letter stated that when the two men met, they came to the agreement despite the recommendation of lead homicide investigator Chris Serino.
Zimmerman was not charged after the shooting. Police said there was not enough evidence that he did not act in self defense.
Crump said that Wolfinger and Lee “disregarded the lead homicide investigator’s recommendation to arrest George Zimmerman for manslaughter.” But Wolfinger angrily fired back, saying that the meeting never happened and the letter Crump wrote contained “outright lies.”
“I have been encouraging those spreading the irresponsible rhetoric to stop,” Wolfinger said in a statement. But Crump told CNN that he would remain persistent. “We’re going to keep writing letters; this family deserves answers.”
Meanwhile, ABC News released a digitally enhanced version of a police surveillance video the network displayed last week which shows Zimmerman being escorted into a police station. The unenhanced video shows no apparent injury to Zimmerman despite his claim of being in a nasty fight with Trayvon. But the new version does apparently show blood coming from the back of his head. The 28-year-old neighborhood watch volunteer has said Trayvon broke his nose and bashed his head against the pavement, causing gashes.
But Dr. Vidor Friedman, president of the Florida College of Emergency Physicians, said that he is still not convinced. “If somebody had been beating his head against concrete I’d think we’d see more obvious scrapes,” he told ABC, also saying that he would expect that bandages would be present after he was given first aid. Dispatchers reportedly canceled an ambulance that was to be sent for Zimmerman, citing that he did not need further treatment.
Zimmerman’s lawyer, Craig Sooner, speaking to TIME on Sunday, maintains that Zimmerman was defending himself against Trayvon, and said that he is preparing in case there is an arrest. “Every time I take a case I prepare as though I am going to trial.”
However he did say that if prosecutors decide to charge his client, then he would turn himself in. “However it goes, he’s not hiding from the authorities. If he is asked, he will turn himself in. There’s not going to be a manhunt or anything like that,” he told Reuters.
