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One of two friends in Sean Bell's car on November 25, 2006 testified in a Queens court room yesterday about the night where undercover police fatally shot Bell. Trent Benefield, who had been celebrating Bell's bachelor party at a Queens strip club, said he wounded, laying on the sidewalk, when he begged a man standing over him, "Please don’t shoot me. I don’t got nothing to do with nothing.’" The man turned out to be an undercover cop.
Benefield testified he didn't hear anyone mention a gun (defendants claim they heard some patrons talking about one, hence their use of force) but did admit, upon cross-examination, another club patron's posture suggested he was armed. The defense further grilled him about his drug use and drinking--he admitted smoking marijuana everyday for six years and being drunk on the night of the shooting. And from the Daily News:
[The defense] played a tape of a police interview done shortly after the shooting in which a groggy-sounding Benefield appeared to be giving testimony that was at odds with some of his statements on the stand.They pointed out that Benefield initially told prosecutors that he saw a fight between Bell and Coicou and then told the grand jury a different story.
"You don't want to say anything, do you, that is going to stand in the way of that lawsuit," defense lawyer Anthony Ricco said.
"Yes," Benefield admitted.
Benefield, the car's other passenger Joseph Guzman (shot 19 times) and Bell's fiancee Nicole Paultre Bell are suing the city for damages. The News' Dennis Hamill notes Benefield 's testimony yesterday contradicted the ones he gave to the police, doctors, DA's office and grand jury.
Benefield. was shot in both ankles (he said the pain of being shot was a "15" on a scale of 1 to 10) and has a metal rod in his left leg, has not been able to return to work. He has received a $10,000 loan from Reverend Al Sharpton's National Action Network. Guzman is expected to testify today.
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"Has not been able to return to work."
Which means he can't outrun the cops when he is getting busted for selling drugs?
He's a believable witness. Yeh sure.
How does one qualify for a loan from Reverend Al Sharpton's National Action Network? Are credit checks involved? Or do you just have to be black and preferably shot by the NYPD?
'Nothing to do with nothing'= something to do with something. Oh, sorry, he was speaking Ebonics, have to use a different decoder book.
Seriously: Not a credible witness.
If he's not credible, then he's not credible. That means the statement "another club patron's posture suggested he was armed" is also not credible.
Also, the article says he works at a tire store.
An admission against interest gained on cross doesn't make statements made on direct more credible.
Still, the fact that he's a flawed witness doesn't make him a liar. Those determinations are probably best made by the trier of fact, not people reading selected quotes in the paper or on Gothamist.
The racist comments are really out of control on this otherwise good site. You guys should try a medium more suited to your level of intelligence, like perhaps talk radio or books with lots of pictures.
I think it's interesting Benefield's testimony differed between yesterday and the grand jury. I understand testimony taken after being shot a few times may be different. And I could understand, given that it's been a year and a half, a person's recollection might be different. But I'm surprised at the prosecution for not providing an explanation of why the testimonies may have been different.
"But I'm surprised at the prosecution for not providing an explanation of why the testimonies may have been different."
My guess is because it doesn't help their case to dwell on the inconsistent testimonies of one of their witnesses.
Would you buy a set of tires from a dude dressed and looking like that? Maybe in a dark alley if you were armed.
I am still floored by the whole "shot 19 times" and "still alive" thing.
Seriously.... copious man points.
Nice suit.
Folks, C'MON!
He clearly said "I've got nothing to do with nothing," which is a double negative, meaning he didn't have anything to do with nothing, he had something to do with..SOMETHING (which was breaking the law)." The cops were right to shoot him.
Due to fiscal cutbacks the city doesn't provide a firing range for cops. It's a shame.
Im sick of this news!!!
They should walk, or there has been a miscarriage. Yeah, those cops screwed up, but this whole trial is a circus show to placate certain elements that are self interested in lining their pockets at the expense of decency and honesty.
Calling that a 'suit' is as ridiculous as saying Trent got a 'loan.'