SANFORD, Fla. (AP) _ The growing national attention and outcry over the case of an unarmed black teen in Florida who was fatally shot by a neighborhood watch captain has culminated with the federal government saying it will launch
an investigation.
The announcement late Monday by the Justice Department followed a day of protests calling for the arrest of 28-year-old George Zimmerman, who claims he shot 17-year-old Trayvon Martin last month in self-defense during a confrontation in a gated community in Sanford, Fla.
Police have described Zimmerman as white; his family says he is Hispanic and not racist.
The federal agency says it’s sending its community relations service this week to Sanford to meet with authorities, community officials and civil rights leaders “to address tension in the community.”
