Sean Bell Shooting Trial: Week 5 Ends

Yesterday, a NYPD trajectory expert testified about the fatal 2006 shooting of unarmed man on his wedding day. Crime scene detective Michael Cunningham, only called to examine the evidence seven months after the incident, testified he was unable to determine some trajectories because measurements supplied by the crime scene unit team were inaccurate.

Detectives Michael Oliver and Gescard Isnora are on trial for manslaughter, while Detective Marc Cooper is charged with reckless endangerment. Prosecutors used Cunningham's testimony to emphasize the defendents' reckless killing of Sean Bell, but during cross examination, he admitted some bullets could have ricocheted. Advocacy group 100 Blacks in Law Enforcement Who Care said while Cunningham was proficient, if called too late to examine the seen, the NYPD crime scene unit was incompetent.

On Thursday, an optometrist who saw Bell months before the shooting he old was legally blind in his right eye, suggesting Bell might not have realized the plainclothes men confronting him were undercover cops. Bell did not purchase prescriptive lenses (his overall sight was still good enough for driving) and the medical examiner did not check whether he was wearing any.

WNBC's Andrew Siff tallied up some stats: By Thursday, 46 witnesses testified (including 6 of Bell's friends) in the 19 days, with the prosecution is expected to end on April 6.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in News on March 29, 2008 9:20 AM

Comments [rss]

iralarry

Better than a wheel chair quarterback. Cops scare me more than would be criminals, (at least with the NYPD) and with bad guys you know where you stand.

I wonder if cops made what they deserve, about 75k per year out of training, if there would be so much stress on the job, so many knee-jerk reactions to perceived threats resulting in so many trials and public condemnation.

And I do not feel that my statement is absurd. People who become cops knowing the danger-as rare as it is: see below, cops do not even make the top ten most dangerous professions, do so not for the money certainly but for the power. I am afraid of what I would do if I had all the discretionary power and as you can plainly see by picking up any paper, cops abuse the hell out of it.

Timber cutters 117.8

Fishers 71.1

Pilots and navigators 69.8

Structural metal workers 58.2

Drivers-sales workers 37.9

Roofers 37

Electrical power installers 32.5

Farm occupations 28

Construction laborers 27.7

Truck drivers 25

PER 100,00 deaths.

The Edge

Gotta love armchair quarterbacks.

GordonTaylor

These cops were over zealous, at the least and should be punished. I have many friends that are cops, in NY and elsewhere. This was clearly a case of frenzy fire, and they murdered this kid.

FrankMartin

ira larry

A cop can't defend his life. Panic or not I don't know and that is why there is a trial. But that statment is absurd.

As for you soldier analogy, you don't think cops feel the same way? That at any moment they might encounter a life and death situation? Ever talk to a cop about traffic stops or see the video of those aux cops being gunned down? The reason cops are such often short and unfreindly is because they are always worried. Stress reeks havoc.

Mindset is all about training and when it comes to firearms training the NYPD needs far better and more regular training. How many events like this does it take.

iralarry

Is there anybody here who can deny that the intention of firing off 50 rounds was not to kill? The forensics about ricochet bullets is meaningless. 50 rounds and three people in an Altima and only one died? Obviously a panic shooting in fear of ones life. All nonsense. These cops panicked and let loose a fusillade to save themselves. I am really sorry but if you become a police officer, it is in defense of the people you serve, not in defense of your life. This is why I declined to become one. I am not of the mind to react that way. I feared I would panic and kill the wrong people. Soldiers

go into battle fully knowing they may suffer injury or death. Cops must maintain the same mindset to be effective cops. If you can not think beyond our own backside, then do not become a cop.