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The Justice Department said Tuesday that it was closing its investigation into the shooting death three years ago of Florida teenager Trayvon Martin without filing criminal charges against former neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman.

Justice Department officials said it was impossible to prove that Zimmerman willfully violated the black 17-year-olds civil rights when he pulled the trigger during a struggle in February 2012.

The announcement ends the high-profile federal investigation into a shooting death that set off a national debate about race, guns, so-called stand-your-ground laws and self-defense.

The death of Trayvon Martin was a devastating tragedy, Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr. said in a statement. It shook an entire community, drew the attention of millions across the nation, and sparked a painful but necessary dialogue throughout the country. Though a comprehensive investigation found that the high standard for a federal hate-crime prosecution cannot be met under the circumstances here, this young mans premature death necessitates that we continue the dialogue and be unafraid of confronting the issues and tensions his passing brought to the surface.

Martin was visiting his father and his fathers girlfriend at a gated community in Sanford, Fla., when he went to a convenience store in the rain. Wearing a hoodie, he was on his way home when Zimmerman confronted him.

His death prompted angry demonstrations and renewed racial tensions in America. President Obama said at the time, If I had a son, hed look like Trayvon.

The decision not to prosecute Zimmerman was widely expected and illustrated the legal challenges federal officials often face in bringing such civil rights cases.

As Holder begins to wrap up his tenure as the nations top law enforcement officer, he is expected to announce shortly the results of another high-profile federal investigation into the shooting of another unarmed African American, Michael Brown, by a white policeman in Ferguson, Mo., in August.

Like Zimmerman, Officer Darren Wilson is expected to avoid federal prosecution, although a concurrent investigation of possible civil rights violations by the Ferguson Police Department is likely to result either in an agreement with the city to reform its practices or a federal lawsuit.

The Justice Department is also investigating the July death of Eric Garner, who was put into an apparent chokehold while New York police officers tried to arrest him on suspicion of illegally selling cigarettes on Staten Island.

Link:
No federal charges for George Zimmerman in killing of Trayvon Martin