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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Sanford police initially sought warrant to arrest Zimmerman

Frances Robles McClatchy

SANFORD, Fla. – Despite public claims that there wasn’t enough probable cause to make a criminal case in the Trayvon Martin killing, early in the investigation the Sanford Police Department requested an arrest warrant from the Seminole County State Attorney’s office, the special prosecutor in the case told McClatchy Newspapers on Tuesday.

A Sanford police incident report shows the case was categorized as “homicide/negligent manslaughter.”

The state attorney’s office held off pending further review, McClatchy Newspapers has learned.

The high school junior was killed Feb. 26 by George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer. The 28-year-old insurance underwriter and college student was never charged, triggering a nationwide crusade on the dead teen’s behalf.

Asked to confirm that the police recommended a manslaughter charge, special prosecutor Angela Corey said: “I don’t know about that, but as far as the process I can tell you that the police went to the state attorney with a capias request, meaning: ‘We’re through with our investigation and here it is for you.’ The state attorney impaneled a grand jury, but before anything else could be done, the governor stepped in and asked us to pick it up in midstream.”

A capias is a request for charges to be filed.

The Seminole County State Attorney’s Office declined to comment on whether its prosecutors ever recommended against filing charges.