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Yesterday morning, Mayor Bloomberg met with the family of Sean Bell, who was fatally shot when the police fired 50 times at a car carrying him and two of his friends hours before his wedding over the weekend. The Mayor also met with black religious figures, community leaders and politicians before a press conference where he said:
It sounds to me like excessive force was used. I can tell you that it is to me unacceptable or inexplicable how you can have 50-odd shots fired...The Mayor did emphasize that an investigation was taking place and that people not jump to conclusions. But it was quite a photo opportunity, to have the Reverend Al Sharpton by his side during the press conference. Apparently Sharpton was deciding until the last minute whether to appear next to Bloomberg. When asked by reporters if he wanted Police Commissioner Ray Kelly to resign, Sharpton didn't answer....The community is outraged, and I am, to put it mildly, deeply disturbed
Bell, Joseph Guzman and Trent Benefield had been at the Kalua Cabaret in Jamaica, Queens when somehow they got caught in the midst of a undercover police operation, with the police fearing one of the men had a gun. When the men got into their car, an undercover police officer opened fire on them after the car hit him and then crashed into a minivan carrying other undercover officers. WNBC 4 had an animated re-creation of the shooting, from the NBC News broadcast (watch the video), and the NY Times has an interactive graphic of the shooting showing the approximate location of the police and cars involved.
At the press conference, Kelly did say the circumstances were "unusual." From the NY Sun:
The undercover detective who was investigating possible illegal activity at the Kalua Cabaret did not carry a gun or badge when he entered the club because a bouncer was patting down bar-goers, but retrieved them later and later confronted a group of men who he suspected were going to use a gun in a dispute.Kelly also said, "We stress, when officers go to the range, that they fire no more than three rounds. And, then, they look." Which raises many questions, since 50 rounds were fired, 31 from one officer. And after the conference, when asked if he thought excessive force was used, Kelly responded that Bloomberg was "entitled to his opinion."By confronting the men himself, the detective apparently violated police protocol which usually calls for an undercover officer to let back-up officers in uniform arrive. Instead, the detective made first contact, which Mr. Kelly said was "unusual." Police experts said the policy of having uniformed police make arrests insures that suspects know that they are dealing with police.
Mr. Kelly said that when an undercover detective suspects a gun may be involved, the detective can take the initiative.
Bell's fiancee, Nicole Paultrie, called Power 105's Egypt & Ashy show to say that Bell was murdered. From the Post:
"First, I would start by not referring to them as officers. They are murderers. They are not officers," she told Power 105.1's "Egypt and Ashy in the Morning."
Breaking her silence for the first time since Bell's death, Paultre added:
"No one gives anybody the right to kill somebody, to take someone's life. They don't know what they've done, what pain they've caused this family, my kids."
The pretty mom then broke down in sobs for several moments before mumbling "sorry" and adding:
"They barricaded him in, and they executed him."
... "They didn't tell me what happened, just to come, come to the hospital. And that was it," she said.
"When I showed up . . . they still wouldn't tell me anything," she said of authorities. "Everything was completely messed up. I waited over an hour in the emergency-room waiting area just to find out what happened, what condition he was in."
Paultrie's statement was unique; City Councilman James Sanders said that family and friends would not be making many statements because they didn't want to bias people in hopes of keeping the trial in Queens. Many of the black leaders, including Representative Charles Rangel and City Comptroller William Thompson, invited to the press conference did feel Bloomberg's response was much better than previous administrations. That said, there are still concerns about the poor state of relations between the police and blacks.
Other police groups felt the mayor was speaking too quickly and that the officers were justified in the shooting. The NY Times reports, "In a move that suggests the officers feel their actions were justified, the lawyer representing the men said he had contacted [Queens District Attorney Richard] Brown’s office and offered to have the officers speak to prosecutors and appear before a grand jury voluntarily without immunity."
An editorial from the NY Times says, "The officers must be held accountable for what has happened. But the Police Department must also confront the fact that a disaster that everyone swore to prevent seven years ago has repeated itself in Queens."
One from the Daily News notes "...Bloomberg and Kelly have made the right moves in releasing them as they've become known, incomplete and unpleasant as they are, as well as in keeping political, religious and community leaders abreast of developments. Overwhelmingly, those leaders have responded with anger tempered by reason. Generally speaking, there is wise recognition of what this incident does and does not represent."
This morning, Mayor Bloomberg will be meeting with Sean Bell's family.
Photographs of Mayor Bloomberg and others during the press conference (top), Commissioner Kelly (middle), and Representative Rangel (bottom) by Kathy Willens/AP
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Channel 2 news at noon will show the cop who fired off the 31 shots.
Kelly is backing away from the Mayor's statements. OOPs, I see you had that part.
I told you patrons of the club would be patted down. Some people just don't know anything about strip clubs. why would this club jeopardize more police presence by allowing in patrons with guns?
It should be noted that Sharpton left right after the photo op and before the news conference started. I know WNBC mentioned it last night.
Also, WNBC's graphic recreation of the story was done for NBC Nightly News and reused.
If you've seen the press conference, the Mayor stated some people cannot stay for the conference due to prior engagements. Not just Al Sharpton.
Al sharpton is a black leader? no wonder the blacks are stuck in the mire. You can't get anybody good like Denzel?
Yeah Sharpton had to leave the press conference so he could go collect money from rubes who donate to him.
Gasoline to pour on racial fires ain't cheap ya know.
Chris Rock should be the leader of the black community, at least he is intelligent and has common sense.
Al Sharpton is a self proclaimed black leader.
He doesn’t lead me.
But as asinine and as hypocritical he is, he attracts attention to the issues and problems that should be addressed. This is his only usefulness.
Rev. Al Sharpton must be doing something right to get four posters riled over nothing. By nothing, I don't mean this incident.
Rev, you're come a long way from sitting on the subway tracks to being on Fox news.
Al sharpton is a black leader? no wonder the blacks are stuck in the mire. You can't get anybody good like Denzel?
[4] Posted by: jojo | November 28, 2006 12:00 PM
________________________________
You are an ignorant. As if you are qaulified to say who is capable of leadership. Where are your credentials. What have you done for people lately.
Carry on!
Shut up. You are a part of the problem.
As far as a leader of the black community, I'll take George Bush. He'll do.
Oh but you forget Bill Clinton was the first 'Black' President.
Therefore he is more qualified to be a black leader then Sharpton is!
Back in 1991 Sharpton collected $200,000 from New York City in a case against NYPD for not protecting him from stabbing. He does all this not for the black community, but for his own prejudice against police officers for not protecting him in 1991.
Kojak : stop deluding yourself. there have been not been any black presidents. if there had been, black men wouldn't be getting shot up 51 times. there have only been advocates for black people. i don't recall a hole hell of a lot Bill Clinton did for black people. unless you are talking about Vernon Jordan who's reputation does not need Bill Clinton to get him a job.
The idiot Sean Bell would probably still be alive today if he and his friends had not tried to run over one of the cops. Why are black males so stupid? Is it genetics or all that malt liquor that they drink?
50 shots? last time it only took 41; sloppy police work if you ask me.
EXTRA, EXTRA
Black Hispanic men with extensive criminal records are shot by Black and Hispanic police officers, after trying to run an officer over with their vehicle.
The wounded men claim they were the victims of discrimination, which has been corraborated BECAUSE IN NYC WE DO INDEED DISCRIMINATE AGAINST LOW-LIFES AND CRIMINAL ASSHOLES.
Nuff said.
Case closed.
BTW, now that we're on the topic of "racism"; why are blacks getting all worked up over Kramer's remarks at the Hollywood Comedy Club or over this TOTALLY JUSTIFIED SHOOTING, yet they fail to make the same stink over THE OUTRAGEOUS WAY THEIR COMMUNITY WAS TREATED AFTER KATRINA?.
Maybe it's because blacks are their own worst enemies!.
Surprise, Surprise, Surprise.
The cop who fired off 31 shots was white. And, he didn't recall how many shots he fire. Guess he got one of them extended 31 rnd mags. the one's that stick out 4 inches below the grip.
When was the last time a cop shot a White person like this and didn't remember if he shot him that much.
The idiot Sean Bell would probably still be alive today if he and his friends had not tried to run over one of the cops. Why are black males so stupid? Is it genetics or all that malt liquor that they drink?
[13] Posted by: Ahrimahn | November 28, 2006 5:33 PM
____________________________________________
The cops intended to inflick harm before the men started the car. Why didn't they acost the guys as they walked out of the club? The cops were looking for an opportunity with no witnesses.
BTW, now that we're on the topic of "racism"; why are blacks getting all worked up over Kramer's remarks at the Hollywood Comedy Club or over this TOTALLY JUSTIFIED SHOOTING, yet they fail to make the same stink over THE OUTRAGEOUS WAY THEIR COMMUNITY WAS TREATED AFTER KATRINA?.
Maybe it's because blacks are their own worst enemies!.
[16] Posted by: Ben Dover | November 28, 2006 6:13 PM
______________________________
You should take a trip to New Orleans and check out what blacks are doing to get New Orleans back on its' feet. You are very naive.
With the big mouth stand up comedian and this incident with 51 shots, it may motivate another revolution. It would happen tomorrow, but in time. This time it won't be just blacks. It would be White woman, Jews, Blacks, Hispanics, and Asians, every minority that you can think of.
You don't want a divided country. You don't want a revolution either. A racial division would set the country back 100 years. You wouldn't want that.
Maybe it's due time for a multi diversity revolution.
I know I would get my kicks in to some Asians. And, I'm Asian myself. I'm an old School Mao Tse tung Asian, not your Orange county republican gun owning chang kai shek Asian.
Wait, Am I Asian? Who am I?
"You should take a trip to New Orleans and check out what blacks are doing to get New Orleans back on its' feet. You are very naive."
I KNOW what Blacks are doing.
The point is; What are WHITES doing?. Specifically the white-assed MOFO's who currently ocuppy the White House and dictate this second-class citizen policy?. The point is, 'what are they doing NOW and what did they do BEFORE Katrina' ? (hint: like you're IQ, it's ZILCH)
I may be naive, but that beats STUPID anyday.
"Wait, Am I Asian? Who am I?"
You?. You're an ass-ian.
ha ha,
viva la revolution, my friend.
viva la revolution.
Let me start by saying I am a black man who lives in Jamaica Queens and was raised in Flatbush Brooklyn. I have been listing and reading the comments posted on the Blog and I felt I needed to comment. In regards to the shooting it is a tragedy. A family lost a father, a son and a husband to be. There is no bringing him back. Do I feel this was because of racism? No. Right now it looks like a fatal misunderstanding. The males in the car felt in fear for there life and there reactions caused the cops to fear for there life. What need to be looked at is the tactics used.
In retrospect this type of incident has happened twice in seven years. Both incidents have gotten tons of media and political attention. Activists are coming out the woodwork, each one trying to get camera time. Where is all this attention when young black men are getting shot down everyday by other young black men? Where are all the rallies where was the rallies when that man was shot in the back on his way home from work or the male who was shot and killed after he left the ATM. We need these activist and political leaders out there on the streets of minority neighborhoods fighting to stop the violence within not just there for the camera time.
And to conclude my statement, if we don’t wasn’t the cops being so proactive in our communities we need to start. Ger rid of this “STOP SNITCHING” mentality. We are the worse when it comes to following through. We don’t show up in court and we never see anything. This is why criminal thrive in are communities. We have to stop protecting them. If the cops stopped there pro-active police work in our communities it would become a killing ground. Maybe then we will have a rally or a mass funeral.
Tony
It took Tony's post (#24) -- in the third of thus far three Gothamist main entries on this topic -- to make such points, and he's right. In the long run, it would have to be much more helpful for the activists and leaders to try to defeat the culture and attitude of violence at its roots, rather than to grab hi-viz "camera time" when something comes to a head after people have died.
a very unfortunate situation. but, before we label these cops racists or trigger happy, let's find out where that 4th friend went, and let's also understand that the 3 guys in the car were crashing their car into the cops's vehicle. Also, Bell had been arrested three times in the past: twice for drugs and one on a gun rap in a case that was sealed. Guzman has been busted nine times, including for armed robbery. He spent two stretches in state prison in the '90s. Benefield has a sealed record as a juvenile for gun possession and robbery.
how is this a racist shooting, the first officer to shoot was black.
Lets get real. If someone drives a car & runs my friend over then proceeds to ram the car I am in 2 TIMES & I have a legal firearm do you think I will shot it & empty it?
I THINK SO dont you?
So lets stop the B.S. the COPS PROTECTED THEMSELVES, THAT SIMPLE. Who the HELL do these guys think they are that they can attack police & not be shot at. This is not about Black & White its about the GOOD GUYS & the BAD GUYS that simple.
You attack a police officer you attack ALL OF SOCIETY & everything it stands for.
It is sad that the police of this state will be FORCED into a BLACKMAILED HEARING forced by CHILDREN WHO WANT WHAT THEY WANT not caring if these cops where right or wrong.
Sad that the STATE of NY has not the GUTS to stand up to a MOP!!!!