EXCLUSIVE: Sanford City Commissioner Concerned George Zimmerman Will Flee Country

ORLANDO, FL — Sanford City Commissioner Velma Williams is concerned that George Zimmerman, the man who killed Trayvon Martin last month but has not been arrested or charged with any crime, may try to leave the country. In an interview with ThinkProgress, Williams said that Zimmerman’s checkered history make his actions unpredictable. Speaking about the possibility that Zimmerman could leave the country to avoid arrest, Williams said “he might do that.”

Williams met several times with former Sanford City Police Chief Bill Lee, who “temporarily” stepped down yesterday, to discuss her concerns about the investigation. But these meetings left her unsatisfied. As an elected official, she says she has not been properly apprised of the conduct of the investigation, even as more problems came to light. Williams said she received no indication from Lee that the police knew of Zimmerman’s whereabouts or that any that any steps had been taken to prevent him from fleeing to avoid arrest.

There are “mothers and grandmothers” throughout Sanford who are concerned their children “are in danger” with Zimmerman still a free man, according to Williams. They tell her “when my son goes out, I’m worried he might not come back.” Williams added that she was personally concerned for the safety of her 11-year old grandson.

These concerns extend beyond Sanford. The president-elect of the National Bar Association, John E. Page, wrote in a letter sent to Attorney General Eric Holder today: “We join the call for the immediate arrest of Mr. Zimmerman to avoid additional harm to the public.”

Today, Sanford City Manager Norton Bonaparte Jr. announced that two police captains, including one who led the Trayvon Martin investigation, would act as interim co-chiefs. Williams said she advised Bonaparte to replace Lee a week after Trayvon’s death, but her advice was “not embraced.”