Students end boot camp sit-in

ANDREA FANTA

Associated Press

TALLAHASSEE - A group of student protesters ended a two-day sit-in inside Gov. Jeb Bush's office Thursday after the parents of a teenage boy who died a day after an encounter with guards at a Panama City boot camp met with the governor.

Gina Jones and Robert Anderson, the parents of 14-year-old Martin Lee Anderson, said they finally felt satisfied that they were able to talk with Bush about their grief over their son's death in January. He died a day after being kicked and kneed by guards at the Bay County juvenile boot camp during a half-hour altercation caught on security videotape.

"I was shocked he wanted to talk to me, after four months," Jones said of her hour-long meeting with Bush.

Jones and Robert Anderson have criticized the governor and state officials for what they say is a cover-up of the events leading to their son's death.

"It was very hard for Miss Gina and Mr. Robert because they told him personally how their lives have been, and they made it clear to him that every day that passes is like a year, and holidays are the worst," said Benjamin Crump, the family's attorney, who also attended the meeting with Bush.

"He listened, and he told her that he is calling the special prosecutor every day to say 'When are we going to get these autopsy findings out, when are we going to get this investigation concluded?' So that was positive," Crump said.

After the meeting, Jones thanked the 71 students protesting how the investigation into Anderson's death was handled.

"Hopefully justice will be served soon," Jones said.

Before they left Bush's office, the students pledged to meet Friday morning for protests at Florida State University, Florida A&M University and Tallahassee Community College that will end in a march to the Capitol. The Rev. Al Sharpton's office said he and the Rev. Jesse Jackson would participate.

Crump added that the family still has concerns about the ongoing investigation, including getting results from a second autopsy. Those results have not been completed.

In the first autopsy, Dr. Charles Siebert ruled Anderson died of complications surrounding sickle cell trait, a usually benign blood disorder. Anderson's parents, the student protesters and the Legislature's black caucus have all called on Bush to revoke Siebert's license because they do not agree with his finding.

Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Guy Tunnell, who had faced criticism for the handling of the investigation into Anderson's death, resigned without explanation Thursday.

Bush also sent a letter asking to State Attorney Mark Ober, who is investigating the case, to look into deleted e-mails belonging to State Attorney Steve Meadows. Meadows had first jurisdiction over the case, but recused himself because of personal ties and to avoid any conflict of interest. He has said his deletion of e-mails from January and February was unintentional and was not an effort to hide information in Anderson's death.

Bush's representative said the governor had planned to meet with Anderson's parents and had sent the letter to Ober just a day after returning from a week-long trip to the Middle East.

Bush returned from that trip Wednesday morning to find the second group of protesters to gather in his office during his administration. Six years ago, two black legislators staged a sit-in to protest his elimination of affirmative action in university admissions and state contracts.