George Zimmerman’s brother called for Lake Mary police chief Steve Bracknell to recuse himself from an investigation into a domestic disturbance involving the infamous neighborhood watchman after Bracknell agreed Zimmerman could trigger a Sandy Hook-like incident.
“Even a so-called private email to a resident could be viewed as an endorsement of violence toward George or his family,” said Robert Zimmerman Jr., George Zimmerman’s older brother, to The Daily Caller News Foundation.
Bracknell’s comments were in response to an email from a California man who laid out a laundry list of complaints about Zimmerman.
“Zimmerman is a Sandy Hook, Aurora waiting to happen. Your job is to protect the communities you serve and you are failing big time,” the correspondent wrote Bracknell.
“Your reference to Sandy Hook……………………….. I agree,” replied Bracknell. Several local news outlets verified that the responses came from Bracknell.
On Sept. 9, Lake Mary police were called to the scene of an altercation between Zimmerman, his estranged wife Shellie and her father.
Mrs. Zimmerman had reported that her husband had punched her father in the nose and was threatening them with a gun as the couple were moving out of a house they had shared during Zimmerman’s trial.
Shellie Zimmerman filed for divorce weeks after her husband was acquitted of second-degree murder for the shooting death of Trayvon Martin.
“I don’t know what he’s capable of. I’m really scared,” Mrs. Zimmerman told a Lake Mary dispatcher.
Police later said a gun was not involved in the incident, though a Zimmerman companion told authorities that his truck contained guns. Shellie Zimmerman maintains that her husband was reaching into his shirt where he was known to holster his 9 mm.
None of the three involved in the altercation chose to press charges.
Police have the ultimate say in whether charges will be issued. They are attempting to uncover video from the incident from Mrs. Zimmerman’s iPad, which Zimmerman destroyed during the heated argument.
Another email written by Bracknell’s correspondent pleaded, “do not give up on this investigation so quickly because sooner or later another mother and father is going to be on CNN lashing out against the system due to this man snapping.”
Bracknell responded: “As for your final thoughts, again, on a personal note … I agree.”
Bracknell continued, “REST ASSURED, the last thing on planet earth I want is ANY relationship with the Zimmermans. PERIOD.”
The day after the incident, Bracknell told a Los Angeles Times reporter, “Man, it would be fantastic if you would have an apartment out there for [George Zimmerman] him. This guy is killing me.”
Robert Zimmerman Jr. told TheDCNF those statements worry him.
“Public officials, particularly those in command of law enforcement agencies, should be mindful of whose delusions they might be encouraging,” he said. “It appears a person’s surname is now the means by which a law enforcement agency determines if a family will or will not be afforded equal protection under law.”
Lake Mary spokesman Zach Hudson told TheDCNF that Bracknell would not be commenting on the story.
On Thursday, Orlando-based television station WESH reported that Lake Mary police were turning over Shellie Zimmerman’s iPad to the Secret Service. Hudson told TheDCNF that Bracknell had not decided who would try to retrieve the video from the iPad.
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