Bill Lee, the Sanford, Florida police chief criticized for not arresting a neighborhood watch volunteer after the shooting of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, has temporarily stepped down, MSNBC is reporting. Lee and his department received criticism for not apprehending volunteer George Zimmerman after the February 26 incident, after which Martin died. Following the Sanford City Commission voting 3-2 that it didn’t have confidence in how Lee handled the case, Police Capt. Scott O’Connor has stepped up to run the department until an interim chief is appointed.

Commissioners Patty Mahany and Randy Jones are supporting Lee, who took the job of police chief last May. Jones said he wouldn’t “want to see someone tried in the court of public opinion without all the facts.” While Mayor Jeff Triplett also supports the chief, he voted against Lee. “We only have a very small piece of the puzzle right now,” Triplett said.

The commissioners can’t fire Lee, so he is reporting to City Manager Norton Bonaparte, Jr. However, Velma Williams, the city’s only black commissioner, said that if Bonaparte doesn’t fire Lee, she would review his contract the next time it’s up for renewal. But the city manager said he wants to wait for the Department of Justice and the Brevard-Seminole State Attorney’s Office to finish their investigation before he makes any decisions.

Written by: Karen Benardello