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Above, from left, Detectives Marc Cooper, Michael Oliver and Gescard Isnora
Update: Queens DA Dick Brown just held a press conference with his prosecution team to discuss Judge Cooperman's not guilty verdict in the Sean Bell shooting trial. While many fault the prosecution's case against the three cops as the reason for its outcome, Brown defended the work of everyone involved in the case, stressing the amount of time and effort put into preparing the best prosecution possible.
Most significantly, Brown defended the prosecution's decision to read the grand jury testimony of the accused into the court record, which allowed Judge Cooperman to hear the defendant's side of the story without subjecting them to cross examination, as "appropriate." Brown also said that the system worked in this case, as Cooperman's decision was based on all the facts available and the burdens of proof that prosecutors have to face. He stressed that Cooperman was one of the county's most experienced and fair jurists.
Lead prosecutor Charlie Testagrossa said that while not the longest, it was the most difficult case he's ever had to try. He said that he had a lot of respect for Judge Cooperman. While expressing no regrets over the way he tried the case, he also thought that it was not unwinable. DA Brown said that he's offered the full cooperation of his office to Ben Campbell, who is the US Attorney for the Eastern District if the feds plan on going ahead with a separate prosecution.
Update: Judge Cooperman found all three detectives not guilty of all charges. According to reports, there was a "stunned silence" and tears in the court. Cooperman said they were justified in the shooting--he found credibility issues with witnesses. One thing to note--the prosecution read the detectives' grand jury testimony in court, basically allowing them not to testify at all during this trial (see this Hamill story).
Per the Daily News, Cooperman said "did not view the victims or the NYPD as having been on trial here" and said, "The burden was on the people to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Each defendant was assumed to be innocent." Cooperman added, "Carelessness is not a crime." Here's the verdict sheet.
Police Commissioner Ray Kelly just had a press conference. He declined to comment about the verdict, because he'll have the final say in any departmental disciplinary action. He added that the US Attorney's office asked him not to start proceedings, because they are looking into the case.
Patrolmen's Benevolence Association president Pat Lynch said that he's grateful for the verdict but "there's no winners...there's no losers. There's a death that occurred...nonetheless, this sends a message to NYC police officers that when you are in that positions, when you are in front of a courthouse, when you are in front of that court bench, you will get fairness." Lynch repeated that this was a tragedy and that police officers have a difficult job.
The NAACP's Leroy Gatson said the court was bankrupt and justice was not served. He wants the feds to take over the case.
WNBC's Andrew Siff pointed out that Cooperman did not discuss the reckless endangerment charges at all--because the prosecution couldn't prove the "top half" (the manslaughter charges), Cooperman essentially wasn't going to discuss the other charges. And Cooperman felt testimony from Bell's friends, Joseph Guzman and Trent Benefield, undermined the prosecution, notably different stories of the evening's events. Siff added that Cooper said at the beginning of his remarks this morning that he would not factor in sympathy or emotion--"and he didn't."
Originally, a press conference from the Reverend Al Sharpton, Nicole Paultre-Bell, Joseph Guzman, Sean Bell family members and attorneys was scheduled for right after the verdict, but it seems they have left the courthouse. Sharpton has also scheduled a vent session at the National Action Network at 1 p.m.--during his radio show-- so it looks like his first comments will come then.
Relatively speaking, the procession outside of the courthouse was orderly (WNBC's Tim Minton compared it to Fifth Avenue, except with pissed off people). If anything, the scuffles looked like they were really between photographers and supporters of the Bell family.
Earlier: The verdict in the Sean Bell shooting trial, where three undercover police officers face charges including manslaughter, assault and reckless endangerment, is expected very soon. The defendants, Detectives Michael Oliver, Gescard Isnora and Marc Cooper, opted for a bench trial instead of a jury trial, will hear the decision by Judge Arthur Cooperman, as will friends, family and supporters of Bell who are gathered at the Queens courthouse.
Cooperman is the subject of a NY Post article, which finds him to be "no-nonsense" and says his decision "will be one of the most important bench-trial verdicts in the city's history today." But the Daily News' Denis Hamill thinks that the trial will be remembered for the strange prosecution.
Photograph of the street where Bell was killed by Casa De Darnoc on Flickr
The NY Times has a graphic explaining the various charges the three officers face. Oliver, who fired 31 of the 50 shots aimed at Bell and his two friends on November 25, 2006, could spend up to 25 years in jail if convicted of all charges; Isnora fired 11 times and Cooper 4 times (the cops who fired the other shots were not indicted).
And while Mayor Bloomberg has said he doesn't expect violence after a verdict, the police are on alert.
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Manslaughter = Not Guilty
Oh well
those 3 obviously hate people-of-color.
bunch of damn racists!
Not Guilty for everything
Breaking News 9:14 AM ET:
3 Detectives in Bell Shooting Found Not Guilty of All Charges
At the least, they should be guilty of manslaughter.
I am disgusted by the verdict. It sucks to be a black man in this country. Sucks even more to be a black woman. Sucks even more to be a black woman who is a lesbian. Sucks even more to be a black woman who is a blind lesbian. Um, life just sucks.
The crowd is pretty pissed. Now watch the members of the media go to the craziest, most pissed off members of the crowd to get their opinion on the verdicts. Hopefully they'll find someone particularly calm of mind to say something unbiased and relevant.
I hope there is violence after this verdict. Minorities in this city have exhausted all of their legal options. It's clear that no matter what they do, police brutality will go unpunished every time. Violence is their only option now. After all, it was the option the defendants used.
Justice served.
Way to go, prosecution.
"Justice served."
Um, no. That wasn't justice that was served.
HA HAA mass panic and potential violence.
I wonder if it was the officers that had been shot 50 times...
Disgusting.
@ Vanessa: Yes it was.
@Art Stewel: Tell me how. Regardless of credibility issues with some witnesses, here's the cold hard facts: 50 shots fired at three unarmed men. One is dead.
And the men that fired those shots got away with it. That's not justice. That's a disgrace.
The suckiness of the verdict is only exceeded by the suckiness of the prosecuting attorneys.
They'll get theirs in due time. Either from the Feds or the NYPD themselves. They won't get off scott free.
WOW! How very wrong. This is a great injustice to all New Yorkers of any race. The police are the new untouchables.
Criminal!!
Oh please.
Do you know how easy it is to fire off that many shots that quickly? Did you ever have to make a split second decision like these cops had to make?
Did you pay attention to the credibility of the witnesses? Or the criminals who the cops shot?
Who goes out and gets piss drunk the night before their wedding? At such a shady establishment?
The right, rational decision was made today.
The shooting was JUSTIFIED. That is the legal defense. There never should have been criminal culpability. However, there may be some administrative penalty merited out (be sure of it) and these cops will face civil liability. But the NEVER committed a crime!
I hope there is violence after this verdict
Yeah, that makes a lot of sense you fucking clown.
I guess you've never heard of Dr. Martin Luther King, who moved mountains through non-violent protest and action in cases not dissimilar to this one?
Your attitude is absolutely sickening and childish, but your anger is understood. Think about what you're really asking for. Violence against innocent people, as a response to violence?
Ha. Typical.
You can't have a civil society based on the rule of law when the law's enforcers routinely break it.
What a joke.
I await interviews w/ strippers showing pixilated titties..
This isn't "justice Served".
They never ID'ed themselves as the police.
They were apparently shooting out of control
It's a miracle no one else got killed and at the very least should be Manslaughter.
And Wesley Snipes gets three years.
This is a situation where there can be no good outcome. Sean Bell was shot and killed -- if you believe Bell's friends Guzman & Benefield, it was a result of a failure of Isnora to identify himself as a cop, Bell's understandable response, followed by an escalating series of misunderstandings and panicked police gunfire.
Isnora's credibility is key. Isnora claims he heard Guzman say "Get my gun." Isnora also claims that he followed them to Bell's car, showed his police badge and shouted, "Police! Don’t move!" after which Bell drove into Isnora's leg and the van driven by Oliver.
If Isnora is to believed, although some police response was justified, there's still a question as to whether the level of force used was justified.
A split the baby verdict is probably what will happen... if things went down as Isnora claims, significant jail time for the cops is probably unjust.
If Isnora did not identify himself as a cop, Bell's response to Isnora was reasonable, and Isnora is the person most responsible for what took place.
Although Oliver fired the most shots, he was operating on less perfect information than Isnora - shots were being fired by, and perhaps at Isnora, Bell drove into the police van ... under those circumstances, Oliver's response may have been appropriate, even if the number of shots he fired in retrospect seems excessive.
I don't envy the judge in trying to figure out what really happened here.
"Who goes out and gets piss drunk the night before their wedding? At such a shady establishment?"
How is this relevant? It certainly doesn't justify being murdered by the police.
See if he would have picked a classier titty bar none of this would have happened.
This has been a Public Service Announcement by your local support your strippers foundation reminding you to choose a nicer place, save up and go to the nicer place even if it is less often.
saw that coming.
Ignore my lengthly last post... i was writing before the verdict came in.
The judge believed the cops. If so, it can't have been easy (I hope it wasn't easy) for him to have come to the verdict, which he must have known would be ill-received by the public.
If he really believed the cops acted properly and Isnora was truthful, it is probably the right result, but it takes a lot of guts to make that call knowing it will be hugely unpopular with a large majority of interested observers.
Now I guess we are going to be faced with shock and outrage, and calls for federal prosecutions... just a bad situation no matter how you look at it.
This is injustice. A few of people on here are making jokes and I do not feel this is anything to take lightly. This young black man, that did not have a record and was not doing aything wrong was killed by some STUPID A** COPS, who think there title as COPS gives them the right to just take anybody out when they feel. They should feel like SH** because they killed a innocent man, and he suffered, being shot 50x. Come on now, "50x"!!! Was that necessary??? I have a son and I know that if this happen to him. I would fight to see those A** Holes in prison. Maybe they need to sit back and think about how they would feel if it was their son. My prays go out for Sean Bells family and friends.
"Who goes out and gets piss drunk the night before their wedding? At such a shady establishment?"
Vanessa, you obviously don't know the mind of a man.
Thank You Come Again.
*sigh*
whoops... directed at CKNY
Going out and getting drunk at that shady joint shows the character of the people involved.
Combined with their criminal records, you have to question the story they told and also question their actions that night.
Its sad that these people died but the cops were doing their jobs.
"Who goes out and gets piss drunk the night before their wedding?"
Um, on a hunch, your not married or had a Boring Bachelor "party"...
I am more amazed at the excessive amounts of bullests used. 50 shots includes at least 1 reload of at least one of the officers.
How does a cop shoot a full clip, reload, and then continue shooting against an UNARMED man?
This is a shame.
have you guys ever seen demolition man? the cops are equipped with these stunner sticks. Those might have come in handy in this situation.
Has any rioting been reported?
I'm getting married in September, I guarantee that I won't be out at Scores the night before.
None of my married friends went out the night before their weddings. Then again, none of them have criminal records either.
I'm not saying that A caused B but these weren't exactly choir boys that were shot.
Furthermore, if the black community reacted 10% as outraged at the daily violence committed by black people in their own communities as they do to a case where NYPD is involved, this city (and all others) would be much safer places for people of all colors.
justice served, but if people can't accept what the laws says.
any bets if there is riots? this would just be a excuse for people to go looting. plus 2 of the 3 officers is black unlike la.
we are all guilty of something.
the fascist security force's job is to apprehend the guilty (us) with extreme prejudice.
new york's finest(sic) were just, like the nazi guards, doing their job. their' heavily armed and going to shoot somebody...anybody.
by the way, innocent untill proven guilty is for pussies and faggotts.
forget about that americen constitution bs.
There was a time when the Dept of Justice would have stepped in and taken the case away from the local prosecutors with local concerns and different rules of evidence and tried the case on civil rights violations and, in all likelihood, got a conviction. Or at least a better version of the truth.
But that was when we had an active Civil Rights department at the DOJ.
As for the case, I'm very surprised it was this clean-cut for the defense. I thought at least Oliver would have gotten some time, since it seems pretty clear that he's a hot-head who overreacted.
But let's be honest, this whole thing was a clusterf*** from the start. One had only to listen to the lieutenant in charge to see that (he's a poor squad commander and an even worse liar), and it's no surprise that this club squad, who seemed (from the lieutenant's own testimony) to be going out on a whim, soon found itself in way over its head. So you have a lieutenant with bad judgement, a hot-head detective, and an inexperience lot around them.... it's a wonder more people weren't killed. So all the defense had to show was that it was a clusterf***, say they're sorry (which Detective Oliver still refuses to do, unlike the other two men on trial), and move on.
This is why this case screamed out for DOJ involvement. I don't recall too many cases where the clusterf*** defense worked in Federal court.
ONE
TWO
THREE
FOUR
FIVE
SIX
SEVEN
EIGHT
NINE
TEN
ELEVEN
TWELVE
THIRTEEN
FOURTEEN
FIFTEEN
SIXTEEN
SEVENTEEN
EIGHTEEN
NINETEEN
TWENTY
TWENTY ONE
TWENTY TWO
TWENTY THREE
TWENTY FOUR
TWENTY FIVE
TWENTY SIX
TWENTY SEVEN
TWENTY EIGHT
TWENTY NINE
THIRTY
THIRTY ONE
THIRTY TWO
THIRTY THREE
THIRTY FOUR
THIRTY FIVE
THIRTY SIX
THIRTY SEVEN
THIRTY EIGHT
THIRTY NINE
FORTY
FORTY ONE
FORTY TWO
FORTY THREE
FORTY FOUR
FORTY FIVE
FORTY SIX
FORTY SEVEN
FORTY EIGHT
FORTY NINE
FIFTY
In the amount of time it took you to read this, ask yourself this: Was there no time to think?
A few of people on here are making jokes and I do not feel this is anything to take lightly. This young black man, that did not have a record and was not doing aything wrong was killed by some STUPID A** COPS, who think there title as COPS gives them the right to just take anybody out when they feel.
I understand the feelings behind this post, especially about people making jokes. I also agree that some cops are just bullys with badges.
However, if Isnora was telling the truth - and the verdict suggests the judge believed he was - he identified himself as a cop, and Bell then drove into him and the van. Driving a car into a cop would be doing something wrong, could be deadly force, and justify the gunfire that followed.
However, knowing nothing other than what I've read in the papers, I agree with you.
No gun found, Bell out on his bachelor party -- on the limited information, Bell's decision to drive into Isnora, knowing he was a cop, is hard to understand. The situation seems a lot more understandable if we believe that Bell did NOT know Isnora was a cop (either because Isnora didn't ID himself or because Bell didn't hear or understand the ID). It's not clear, and probably none of us can know, if Bell was doing something wrong or not.
Either way, he's dead, and the number of shots fired still seems like an overreaction.
This isn't about race. This is cop vs. thug. These jerk-offs dress like thugs, act like thugs, talk like thugs, and then they're shocked when they get treated like thugs.
If these guys were hanging out in the lower east side drinking PBRs and wearing skinny jeans - they might be mocked but not shot.
Bell and his friends put themselves in this jackpot. Fuckem.
FemiredWood--
Are you that ignorant to think that 3 guys firing all those shots would take anywhere nearly as long as it takes to read all that?
In all seriousness, this is why police cars with dash cameras basically work out in everyones favor. Like in many other places you have audio video proof of what happened, no truth like sight.
A not guilty verdict means that the prosecution didn't prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt. It doesn't necessarily mean that the jury - or here, the judge - believed that the defendants did nothing wrong. It's a narrow distinction, but it exists.
#47, what's the matter with you? You don't know what you're talking about. (For future reference, it's "on" the Lower East Side, not "in.")
Jen, you are striking out today with the typos/grammatical errors. Do you guys need some more help on the editorial staff?
There won't be any violence. What was once anger is now just apathy and resignation.
sorry, teh race war will come if not today, then one day when the masses get tired of this type of social injustice...
lets see how many white cokehead stockbrokers get their limo's fired up outside the hustler club...not gonna happen even if they send an email to ray kelly himself about going to get a gun...
@UnrepentantFenian: This isn't about race. This is cop vs. thug. These jerk-offs dress like thugs, act like thugs, talk like thugs, and then they're shocked when they get treated like thugs.
So, you're saying they were treated based on how they looked. Of course! That's nothing like racism.
UnrepentantFenian, you are an asshole. How the fuck does what a person wears, justife them getting shot at 50 times.
Anyone who drinks PBR should be shot by the way
femiredwood
Ever shot a Glock before????
I have.
In the time for you to read that I've emptied a clip.
Despite all the hypberbole about cops declaring open season on black men...a black man has much much more to fear from another (civilian) black man than the cops. That be keepin' it real.
Absolutely take to the streets to protest about voilence in the hood, but directing it at cops is missing the target (bad pun intended).
NYC isn't safe for white new yorkers now. When will the riots and payback murders start? It happened in LA, it will happen in NYC.
http://bp2.blogger.com/_Yawiu9y1v5M/RjZIkOkKiSI/AAAAAAAAAFY/ZSGePfFzmTM/s1600-h/LA+Riots3.jpg
"This isn't about race. This is cop vs. thug. These jerk-offs dress like thugs, act like thugs, talk like thugs, and then they're shocked when they get treated like thugs."
Riiiiggghhht....
Look, When someone (Who DID not identify himself as a cop) jumps right in front of a car with a gun drawn, you try to get away.
It has nothing to do with your race baiting nonsense.
Eh, it is what it is. This wasn't some black and white Amadou Diallo or Abner Louima case. I don't see how either side can vehemently argue that justice was or was not served. It's a sad and tragic case, and the judge had a very difficult decision to make. It's been made, and I think people should respect it.
the cops might have been responding based on prejudice.
But Isnora, who was the key to everything that happened, and fired the first shots, is black. Cooper is also black.
That, of course, does not mean Isnora and Cooper aren't racist or suggest that they weren't responding differently to Bell, Guzman & Benefield as three black men as opposed to three white men.
However, because Isnora and Cooper are black, they can rebut the presumption they are racist. White cops, on the other hand, at least in the minds of some, have an irrebuttable presumption of being racist.
SD, I agree that if Isnora did not identify himself as a cop, Bell's response was understandable and justified.
But Isnora said that he did identify himself, and the judge found him credible. You might believe differently, but I don't see how you can say that Isnora did NOT identify himself as if it is a fact. You don't know that for a fact, you just suspect it to be so.
This discussion is stupid. Unless any of you were at the trial and heard all the testimony, you simply aren't qualified to comment on whether justice was served.
NJ State troopers shot three unarmed black and Hispanic men after stopping their van on the New Jersey Turnpike...oh right...they where thugs or just college athletes, the only weapons and contraband found in the van were bibles...
right the van rolled down a ditch, the trooper thought his life was in danger and fired,,,
you people watch too many movies, shooting a car full of people does nothing to stop a moving car, it does not blow up like in the movies
i would probably duck down and try to run your ass over if you were shooting at me. but you sheeple think that these cops can just fire one round and plug a driver in the head and the car stops, then they surround the car with guns
drawn pop the doors open and ak47's and kilos of heroin fall out and the cops give each other high fives, cut to the ceremony where the squad commander pins medals and calls them heros for saving the community and they pose for pictures shaking the mayor's hand, this is bullshit, this does not happen,
I can't wait for the movie to come out. I love feel good films.
midtown - statistically speaking, perhaps. Unfortunately, the violence that occurs in black-on-black situations is more than likely easier to read/anticipate. Further, I'd expect that such b-on-b violence is concentrated amongst people affiliated with or surrounded by criminal elements. On the other hand, it seems relatively clear that simple misunderstandings between law-abiding citizens and police officers can quickly spiral out of control when you're black.
I cannot speak to the Bell situation without having analyzed all of the available facts, but I can speak from the fearful experience of having been pulled over by State Trooper with friends and having them threaten to search our car with police dogs because they suspected us of running drugs. In fact, we (4 of us, all in suits) were on our way back from a meeting with several state legislators and were riding in a friend's car with out-of-state tags and a John Glenn for Congress bumper sticker.
My experience with other blacks who might perpetrate violence on others is that they don't mess with you as long as you mind your own business. I've been confronted by more whites than blacks over time.
When someone (Who DID not identify himself as a cop)
You know this as fact, how?
As someone who has shot guns on occasion
shooting a full clip is quick, not only that, once you start shooting, you cant stop cus its so fun.
This young black man, that did not have a record and was not doing aything wrong
Getting arrested twice for dealing crack and once for firearms possession doesn't count, huh?
Cochran and legal cohorts from New York appeared at a press conference with the wounded young men and disclosed that victims had no drugs in the rental van, but did have a Bible. Filled with "hoop dreams,'' the young men were headed to a basketball clinic at a North Carolina college.
Thankfully Pb is still cheap.
This discussion is stupid. Unless any of you were at the trial and heard all the testimony, you simply aren't qualified to comment on whether justice was served.
Agree to the extent comments suggest the person has better knowledge on what took place than the finder of fact. However, this is a trial that will inevitably have spillover effect in the days to come, most of the response is emotional, and to the extent it can be discussed rationally, it should be.
A bunch of people outside the courthouse chanting KKK doesn't make much sense. The outrage which is felt by some in response to this verdict, who perceive this as the cops getting away with murder of an unarmed man, 50 shots, etc... well, that perspective exists, is understandable under these muddy factual circumstances, and discussion is warranted and healthy.
COUGH! Richard Brown COUGH!!!
Out-of-control cops hurts the city in lives lost, money spent (you and I pay for this lengthy mess of a trial) and leaves (what little is left of) the NYPD's reputation in tatters.
On the night of April 23, 1999, troopers James Kenna and John Hogan opened fire on a van they had stopped for speeding on the New Jersey Turnpike near interchange 7A in Mercer County. The officers said they fired, wounding three of the four young minority men inside, when the van lurched back toward them. Cochran and legal cohorts from New York appeared at a press conference with the wounded young men and disclosed that victims had no drugs in the rental van, but did have a Bible. Filled with "hoop dreams,'' the young men were headed to a basketball clinic at a North Carolina college.
no former crackdealers, weapons possesions, or rapper thug dreams on the nj turnpike that day!!!
the one thing that is not in tatters is the NYPD's reputation— to be so blunt, it's more like vice versa...
hey eyecantspell still think the pope did not actively attempt to protect pedophiles?
When A Candy Bar Or Hairbrush Leads To Gunfire
NEW YORK (AP) ― A candy bar, a wallet, a pair of baggy pants, and now a hairbrush.
The killing of a hairbrush-brandishing Brooklyn teenager last week was the latest in a line of police shootings around the country where officers were confronted with what they thought was a deadly weapon, but turned out to be something much more innocuous.
The shooting has revived criticism of deadly police shootings of unarmed suspects and renewed, once again, the debate over the use of force, perceptions of threats, and police training
The NYPD says that the officers who unleashed a torrent of 20 bullets on 18-year-old Khiel Coppin on Nov. 12 were justified in their use of force.
The mentally ill teenager approached officers outside his mother's home with a black object in his hand—the hairbrush—and repeatedly ignored orders to stop.
Andre Burgess was walking down a New York street in 1997 when an undercover federal agent shot him in the thigh, saying he thought the foil-wrapped Three Musketeers candy bar in his hand was a gun.
Critics of police shootings have said racial stereotypes factor into officers' perceptions of threats. Some studies, for example, have shown that police use less force on white suspects than on nonwhite suspects. Thomas, Bell, Diallo, Burgess and Coppin were black.
NYPD instructors say recruits are repeatedly cautioned to be aware of their surroundings and to try to take cover and assess a situation before opening fire
everydaydreamer -
since you use an anecdotal experience to try to refute what I am saying, I will respond in kind.
you stated:
"I'd expect that such b-on-b violence is concentrated amongst people affiliated with or surrounded by criminal elements."
Tell that to the corrections officer murdered the other day by thugs trying to steal his motorbike...or the college kids in the playground in Newark. Were they not "innocent" victims?
I would just like everyone to notice, and laugh at the fact that there is an idiot with an IRA picture, defending the cops.
Of course, Sean Bell's family still has the option of a civil trial.
Such a sad case for both sides. (It's not like these cops get to go back to their old lives in peace.) I'm afraid the upcoming choreographed outpouring of "grief and rage," however, will make me want to barf. If my husband, the night before our wedding, had been hanging around a strip club with gun-toting, altercation-prone buddies, and if in addition to that, he had a drug-related criminal record, I would still be heartbroken if he died in a hail of police bullets. But I would not be shocked. The best way for young men of any color to reduce their chances of being victims of police misjudgment or misconduct is to scrupulously avoid criminal behavior, criminal hangouts, and criminal friends--i.e., the entire "thug lifestyle," even its appearances and its fringes. There are lots of other things they can do to fill up their time: become good fathers, work hard, stay in school, build up their communities through volunteer work and advocacy. In other words, all the things that the law-abiding majority of young black men do. (And it is still a majority, despite the racial disproportion in crime stats.) Then, after one short generation, we will see a big difference in how police and young black men perceive one another.
The shooting occurred on the night of April 23, 1998, as Keyshon Moore of the Bronx drove three friends to a basketball camp in North Carolina and the two troopers stopped his van near Exit 7A in Cranbury. Within a minute, the troopers fired 11 times, seriously wounding three of the men. The officers said later that they had stopped the van for speeding and fired because it began to move backward and they feared it might run over Trooper Kenna.
Because the van's occupants were unarmed, the shooting led to an outcry from black and Hispanic drivers, who had complained for years that they were routinely pulled over solely because of their skin color.
State Police officials denied that there was any evidence of profiling, despite a Gloucester County judge's 1996 ruling that found compelling evidence of widespread profiling. Governor Whitman defended the department until February 1999, when she ordered an investigation, and two months later became the first New Jersey official to acknowledge that troopers engaged in racial profiling.
Poor Nicole and Sharpton. Yeah, right.
Glad the cops weren't found guilty.
okay ihateallbrokers, there's a site already designed to aggregate news stories [http://www.digg.com/].
Why not post all those there, because your input isn't really driving the conversation anywhere.
"Carelessness is not a crime."
It is when you have a gun and are shooting at people.
im just having fun while waiting for the riots to begin, hopesully some hipsters and gentrifiers and sva skanks paying high rents on mommie's money will be scared out of nyc for years,
I think the White Cop was guilty of shooting the Black guy. But the Other 2 Black Cops were justified in shooting the Black Guy cause they are black.
Am I the only one that expects to get shot when trying to run over a cop?
midtown, my attempt was not to refute your point but rather, to offer one reason why some blacks might feel more threatened by the potential for reckless police to harm them by the likelihood for statistical patterns to result in injury or death. There are many other reasons, some anecdotal and others can be supported by sociological studies that have shown the influence of race on law enforcement officials in assessing (and acting upon) a threat.
All three cases - Bell, the NJ teens (a Peruvian man was charged there, I believe), and the corrections officer were tragic to be sure. The problem of crime in poorer communities and specifically, the high levels of violent crime prevalent in primarily poor black communities is well-documented. Of course, this is why neighborhoods with high crime rates are considered "dangerous." This is certainly a problem that needs as much attention as the other problem. Unfortunately, there isn't enough expressed public interest to give those problems sufficient attention.
Regardless, this story is about a different issue, which is potential abuse of authority. One should not have to expect any interaction with a law enforcement official simply because one is black or any other race. I'm not one of those types to make inflammatory statements about "open season" on blacks. At the same time, I will suggest that a situation like the Bell case brings out all of the fears and concerns that many blacks - poor or otherwise have expressed about "the police."
"FemiredWood--
Are you that ignorant to think that 3 guys firing all those shots would take anywhere nearly as long as it takes to read all that?"
actually, it's femi redwood. not FemiredWood. and if it takes you that long to read that, then you are the ignorant one my dear. instead of reading gothamist, practice reading on a level more advanced than eighth grade.
Patrolmen's Benevolence Association president Pat Lynch said that he's grateful for the verdict but "there's no winners...there's no losers. There's a death that occurred
NO LOSERS????
OCCURRED???????
Yeah, saw this coming from March 3, 1991.
okay Femi Redwood, not only was that last point a bit rude and off-topic, it also didn't really prove your point (there's no indication of where words break in your user id).
Sorry, I just don't think this topic should veer off into name-calling and grammar policing. It's too important for that.
That's not to say that the comment to which you're responding wasn't also rude.
bxbrian you are totally right.
what i should have said is the length of time it takes to read my post was irrelevant. the point is that it's really sad that we live in a society where more value is placed on money than life.
Wesley Snipes got 3 years for not paying taxes and the men who killed Sean Bell go home. It's sad.
And it's not just this case, it's the society we live in. Authorities put bad check writers in jail but let child molesters out. We kill innocent Iraqi overseas under the thin veil of freedom.
It's just sad.
But I will get off my soap box now.
Am I the only one who finds the "Front Sight Firearms Training Institute" banner at the top of the page somewhat amusing?
That was totally reckless behavior that should not have been dismissed because 'oh well whoops we made a mistake.' To have them all walk unscathed is a disgrace to the justice system and humanity.
Wesley Snipes got 3 years because he broke the law, the cops were doing their job.
i'm sorry but as i pointed out in the 2nd post, this is not about racism. the black cop identified himself cause "king kong ain't got nothin on him" & these thugs thought they could run & slammed on the gas. they have criminal minds & that's how they reacted. they should have watched chris rocks video on what to do.
seriously, i've been stopped by the po-po many times (yes, i'm a minority) & i shut my f-ing mouth & say "sir" as sincere as possible because i know they will shoot me if i sneeze. & they will shoot because everybody hates them & they know if they don't shoot, they'll get shot.
Sorry if I was harsh Femi--you have a very well-said point. Don't leave the soap-box because of me.
I don't know where I stand on this. No matter what your opinion is, whether the shootings are justified or reprehensible, it's just sad that there's a kid out there without a father. Even if he had such a checkered past, or was at a strip joint, it's got to be tough to be his daughter from now on. It's sad when anyone loses anybody from a shooting--from a cop, to a civilian, to a soldier on either side of the skirmish. Just sucks.
One of those jackass cops said that he thought he was being shot at - which he was - it was the other idiot cop he was in the line of fire of. Imagining the scene that night reminds me of a SNL skit. 3 knuckleheads all in the line of fire of eachother, eyes close, screaming, "Their shooting at us, their shooting at us!!!"
On a serious note - offering $25,000/yr. will only perpetuate the hiring of mental midgets who shoot wildly, RELOADING THEIR GUN TWICE, firing into train stations blocks away, peoples homes - people who should be considered not intelligent enough to be responsible to carry a weapon and more importantly, assess the seriousness of the situations they will inevitably find themselves in.
Must add - please do not call these cops racist - 2 of them were black so that pretty much eliminates that accusation.
Once again, the so-called justice system has proven that the life of a Black man has no value. First it was Amadou Diallo, an unarmed Black man, killed in a hail of 41 bullets.
Now, the three police officers who fired more than 50 shots and killed Sean Bell, 23, on the morning he was to be married in November 2006 have been acquitted of all charges.
Bell, on the day he was to be married to Nicole Paultre, was unarmed and was inside his car, attempting to get away from three armed men who approached him, wearing civilian attire, without badges displayed and without identifying themselves as police officers, by most accounts. They must have appeared as menacing thugs to Bell.
Anyone in his right mind would try to drive and get away from men approaching in such a manner early in the morning, at 4 AM, after a night of partying at Club Kalua to celebrate an impending wedding.
How can the judge who ruled on the case justify the firing of more than 50 shots into a vehicle? One of the officers admitted that he did not even realize he had emptied his magazine and loaded another clip and continued to fire into the vehicle. This means the officers did not even know what they were firing at--which also means they could not have known whether they were in danger or not. Bell’s friends Joseph Guzman and Trent Benefield were both wounded in the shooting, with Guzman taking in 16 bullets.
The three officers most likely were drunk, and additionally possibly high on drugs, having spent all night at the club drinking while staking out the club. They supposedly went looking to prevent trouble; instead they committed the ultimate transgression--they murdered an innocent and unarmed man, likely because they were drunk, frightened and unprofessional.
Ironically, the Black Star News columnist Donald Winkfield predicted that this would be the outcome of this “trial” in his article two days ago.
Like the assassins of Amadou Diallo, these three killer cops, “detective” Michael Oliver, who reloaded his weapon and fired a total of 31 times, and “detective” Gescard Isnora walk away from charges of manslaughter, assault and reckless endangerment; “detective” Marc Cooper also laughs all the way home, having been acquitted of reckless endangerment. “Detective” Isnora fired 11 times, and “detective” Cooper, four times.
Justice Arthur Cooperman claims he found problems with the Queen’s County DA’s case, and that some prosecution witnesses contradicted themselves; he also reportedly cited prior convictions and incarcerations of witnesses.
Question to “Justice” Cooperman: What’s the relevance to the critical facts of the case? The officers fired with reckless abandon into Sean Bell’s car without even knowing whom they were firing at considering there were three people, all unarmed, inside the vehicle. Once the first officer started firing, the others, all presumably drunk, also opened up.
So this is standard police operation now.
We doubt that “Justice” Cooperman will have the last say on this matter.
Bell is survived by fiancée, Nicole Paultre, and daughters, ages five and one.
BLACK STAR PRESS
There will always be those who want to become cops. We all know the kid who stated he wants to be a cop when he grows up. and there are those who became cops due to the bad economy. they put in their twenty, work on a degree and when he's done has another career to move in to.
No drama, no malarky, no drinking, no cop politics, just a guy and a very nice guy, too. and, most importantly, STAYS OFF of NYPD RANT.
"please do not call these cops racist - 2 of them were black so that pretty much eliminates that accusation."
Not Necessarily. You don't think black cops don't have preconceived notions about what other black people are doing in situations like these? Think again
But I agree that low pay attracts the bottom of the barrel. I'm surprised no one else got killed with the way they were shooting.
Also - doesn't the comment that acquitted these boneheads, "Let's go get my gun,"connote that at the time they DIDN'T have a gun?
Did anyone just watch the Detectives' Union's press conference? I have never seen such an immature public statement in my life.
They had an opportunity to gain some respect in the community after getting off scot-free for what they did. Instead, they used their press conference as a way to attack Al Sharpton, the prosecutors, and Sean Bell's family.
FYI: from peoplesjustice.org
--------------------------------------
JUSTICE FOR SEAN BELL AND ALL VICTIMS OF POLICE VIOLENCE!!
Friday, April 25, 2008
5:30pm - 8:00pm
Location:
Queens District Attorney's Office
125-01 Queens Blvd. (between Hoover Ave & 82nd Ave.)
Jamaica, NY
[E or F train to Kew Gardens-Union Tpke stop & walk 4 short blocks SE, in direction of train]
Is it just me or did Rev Al Sharpton basically just give the Judge on this case a death sentence? They're going to protest at his house? Ugh, this will not end well.
I find it impossible to really say anything regarding this case because I wasn't presented the all facts. On the one hand, I think that 50 shots screams excessive force but calling out the judge seems really f'ed up. Does Sharpton just want someone to blame? And if it's the case, is the judge the one who should be held accountable? I dunno if that's going to solve anything. I worry for his well being. If I were his wife or kids, I'd be getting the hell out of dodge right about now.
I hope there are peaceful protests. Any act of violence is going to cause a lot more harm than good.
Ahhhh - that's it. The Lord likes the cops more than the Bell family and friends.
You know - I just give up. I don't know the actual statistics but I believe from experience it is about 95% of everyone inhabiting this planet are working below the intellectual "mendoza" line.
Here's is how the cops got off:
there were absolutely no credible witnesses.
The justice system worked, as usual.
Evidiot: Yes, I saw that. They came off as arrogant. It was very difficult to watch. This whole situation sucks.
Several facts:
1) two of the cops were black--the third cop, Michael Oliver, was hispanic, not white as some commenters have stated.
2) it was Michael Oliver who fired 31 of the 50 shots.
This is not like the Diallo case where an obviously innocent and decent civilian was gunned down. Those guys with Bell had prior records. Did the cops overreact? Yes. However, they knew they were going into a very volatile situation. That club had a reputation for drugs, prostitution and violence.
The morale: if you want to stay out of trouble, don't go to a place known for it.
The verdict gives a message that racism is acceptible.
Between this and the fact that Barack Obama can't make a clean sweep is indication that the nation still has serious issues about race relations.
There's a cottage industry in bashing the Great Reverend Al Sharpton.
This country has a long way to go in regards to race. A LONG WAY.
Make a statement....
http://www.cafepress.com/maqshop
[i]The verdict gives a message that racism is acceptible. [/i]
I'm still lost on how this is racist. Two of the cops were black. The cop who shouted "gun" was black. His actions prompted the other officers to believe that they were in danger and to open fire.
I'm sorry the guy is dead and that his friends were injured. But the cops actions were not criminal, as a matter of law.
Fat Al Sharpton is a jackass and his followers are even more so.
How is this a civil rights issue?
http://satiricalmilk.blogspot.com/
The black community should be more consider about cleaing up their lifestyle and stop the violence and drugs.
Why doesn't Sharpton take a stand on those issues?
The black community should be more concern about cleaning up their lifestyle and stop the violence and drugs.
Why doesn't Sharpton take a stand on those issues?
*The verdict gives a message that racism is acceptible.*
How is that exactly? you racist douche bag.
4 white cokehead stockbrokers parked in a limo outside the hustler club would not have been shot even if they sent ray kelly himself an email stating they would go get a rocket launcher and attached their arrest records in PDF format.
"I'm still lost on how this is racist."
People probably thing that because the cop who wasn't black put 31 high-velocity holes in Sean Bell. Thirty-one!
And for all of those 'macho' types who enjoy letting all of us know just how quickly 31 bullets can leave a Glock, think on this: The human brain works by electrical impulses. Electricity moves close to the speed of light. That's so fast, that most of us cannot comprehend how rapid that is. If you truly believe that he did not have the time to react to this situation in the manner that he should have, you should really be questioning why a mentally retarded person was given a badge and a gun.
Hey guys---
I hate labels---but I'm black...trust me...blacks are still racist. Ask any black person and they will tell you, blacks can be racist. Racism has noting to do with the color of your skin. It has to do with what you see on the news, what you see in video games, and what your watch in movies.
Trust me, minorities are racist.
This country has a long way to go and unfortunately we will never get there until history books are rewritten and there is a candid conversation on RACISM, SEXISM, AND HOMOPHOBIA.
Racists? One cop was black, the other two hispanic and of middle eastern descent.
At first glance you'd think the prosecution has a slam dunk. 50 shots, three unarmed victims, etc.
Then when you read how all the star witnesses contradicted previous grand jury testimony, even tape recordings of what they said earlier, the prosecution just plain screwed up.
Given what the prosecution presented justice was served. You can't hand a sentence based on your gut or hunch that these cops did wrong, you have to go by the facts presented in court. When the prosecution's witnesses can't get their facts straight, fabricate, change or flat out lie, how can anyone present a strong case against the defendants.
I believe they didn't act out of racism. That's just a way Al Sharpton makes a living. If he really cared about the welfare of black folk he'd could start with all the hustlers and drug dealers that kill more blacks in month than the entire history of the NYPD. But that's another story and it doesn't raise money for his "charity". The guy needs racism like a vampire needs blood. But in this case it's like a vampire sucking on a grapefruit.
Whether the cops were right or wrong, the DA dropped the ball in presenting credible evidence and witnesses. When your witnesses aren't on the same page, one claims he heard last words from Bell (despite his severed vocal chord) and the other claimed to have changed his testimony because he was instructed to for his 50 million dollar lawsuit and several other botched testimonies, how can any jury or judge convict these cops.
Amen...
I feel like we never make any progress because we're always afraid of being viewed as bigoted toward whatever group we aren't a part of. We can't just cut the shit and be honest with ourselves. I'll always be a white oppressor as long as someone thinks I view blacks as thugs, and vice versa. I don't know how we can fix it, but I don't know how we'll survive without trying.
sorry MichaelAQ, i couldn't have been him, because i'm not a criminal, my friends aren't criminals & i don't hang out at criminal stripjoints.
i also wouldn't slam on the gas, if some dude points a gun at me. i would give him my wallet & car keys & ask him not to shoot me, especially if i'm getting married the next day.
i wouldn't try to be all gangsta by saying something stupid like "get my gun." i also wouldn't be dressed like a thug.
so i'm not going to buy your t-shirt.
Clearly what should have happened and will no doubt be entered into use of deadly force guidelines next academy class is what will be called the "Russel Timoshenko Rule."
Wait until you or your partner is shot in the head and then return fire.
This not only saves you hassle; but also shows the world you are not a racist.
This also saves the city hundreds of thousands of dollars in court fees, and in overtime pay for fellow officers having to work extra in case of riots following a verdict.
DISCLAIMER
I mean no desrepect to Police Officer Herman Yan or Detective Russel Timoshenko's family in above's Reductio ad Absurdum.
re: BLACK STAR PRESS
QUOTE:
"The three officers most likely were drunk, and additionally possibly high on drugs, having spent all night at the club drinking while staking out the club. They supposedly went looking to prevent trouble; instead they committed the ultimate transgression--they murdered an innocent and unarmed man, likely because they were drunk, frightened and unprofessional......Once the first officer started firing, the others, all presumably drunk, also opened up."
END QUOTE:
Where do you get off on calling yourself press? Presumeably drunk, most likely drunk? Where in the record indicates any of that? If that were true that would change the case completely giving much ammunition to the recklessness charges. But it's not. If you're a reporter, you need your badge srtipped, making assertions with no back up. Show me the evidence that backs it up - otherwise you advocating locking someone up based on rumor. You'd be better off as a reporter for the Salem Witch Trials.
And now look at the facts: Cops credibly believed a man was going to get his "gat" after a heated dispute, one pulled his weapon and announced "police"; he was rammed by the car once; it rammed the van; a man bends over; a cop yells gun; the others fire. Nothing the "reliable" witnessses said in court contradicted this. To say this is racist or homicidal behavior is hyperbole at best. Guaranteed if you were a cop in that situation, you would've unloaded too.
Sad day. Sad day.
In my mind this case was more complicated than Diallo, and MUCH more complicated than Rodney King. It seems like nobody exactly knew what was going on in that nightclub. But I think the cops need to be punished. It was gross misconduct AT THE VERY LEAST.
This goes past simple one-dimensional concepts of "racism". In fact simple, 1950's, Jim Crow-style racism is much less of a problem now. This doesn't mean there are no problems left. What we have left is a pernicious intermingling of race and class structuring society in a way that people like Sean Bell can find themselves in a position where they can shot 50 times by cops (of his own race no less) on their wedding night, and have those policemen get off scott-free. This is not justice.
This is where people like Al Sharpton fail blacks and all minorities. They are still stuck ideologically and rhetorically in the past. Their arguments no longer resonate with reality. Stark "I hate black people" racism is less of an issue now. How police conduct themselves in poor communities is the issue here. How the state doles out justice is the issue here. This trial is more about class than race. But people will always hold on to the race issue b/c it is easier and doesn't challenge us to look at deeper, structural problems that have more to do w/political economy.
People should be angry. But I hope people stay peaceful. I think they will.
QUOTE:
4 white cokehead stockbrokers parked in a limo outside the hustler club would not have been shot even if they sent ray kelly himself an email stating they would go get a rocket launcher and attached their arrest records in PDF format.
END QUOTE:
2 Crooked NYPD Cops recently got convicted for multiple murders while working for the Mafia. Yeah, it must have been a racist white hating jury. Don't you think. Where's the justice.
**People probably thing that because the cop who wasn't black put 31 high-velocity holes in Sean Bell. Thirty-one! **
Okay, he did not put 31 holes in Sean Bell. Fifty shots were fired. Fifty shots did not hit Sean Bell. Five cops fired 50 times in approximately 25 seconds. Yes, that's a lot of shots. According to the ME, two shots are the ones that killed Sean Bell. Two. If those cops shot 2 times, we'd have the same sad outcome.
Now cops know why their Union Dues are so high.
4 white kids screaming "yo go get my gat" will never incur the penalty of even one bullet
This shooting had nothing to do with racism. You patrol a low life bar with a rep for violence, prostitution and drug dealing, it doesn't make a difference. You'd be on your guard if it were a Russian Mobster Bar in Brighton Beach or a Irish Westies joint in the 80's or a KKK hangout down south.
They didn't shoot them because they were black. They shot them because they credibly thought they were armed low lifes trying to run them down. They got half of it right.
I heard a loud noise just a minute ago but I can't tell if it was Charles Barron taking a nuclear shit in his pants or just another crane collapse.
This was a lose-lose situation, especially when a certain race baiter (who should be ignored given his track record) got his megalomania in the mix.
"What we saw in court today was not a miscarriage of justice," the Rev. Al Sharpton said on his radio program.
"Justice didn't miscarry," he said. "This was an abortion of justice. Justice was aborted."
1. Cops were drinking, impaired judgement.
2. Recklessly fired into (at) a vehicle not establishing who had a gun, who did not.
3. UNDERCOVER VAN, UNDERCOVER COPS (at night)..reasonably difficult for the victims to know these were officers
one day there will be blood on the streets,
landlords, cops, real esate brokers,
used car salesmen, catholic preist pedophiles,
telemarketers, cell phone store personell,,
hmmm who else do i hate, those red hook ballfield vendors gave me the runs once, add them to the list...
oh yeah yuppies, gentrifiers, hipsters, and celebrity bloggers...i update my list as i think of more
oh yeah, the cast of the hills, (laguna beach cast got a repreieve)
those nyc desperate housewives,
that annoying tim gunn, cheff collicio from top chef, damm hes annoying, does he have his own personsal head wax machine?
mmm...add obey giant and jake dobbin to the list,
Michael Oliver is kinda hot, too bad he's a cold blooded killer.
Amazing.
And after one of you gets mugged, who are you going to call?
Certainly not Ghostbusters.
QUOTE
1. Cops were drinking, impaired judgement.
2. Recklessly fired into (at) a vehicle not establishing who had a gun, who did not.
3. UNDERCOVER VAN, UNDERCOVER COPS (at night)..reasonably difficult for the victims to know these were officers
END QUOTE
1. Where in the record was it proven they were impaired? Never. It is on the record that Bell's party had several drinks each. Hell yes. Guzman testified to having three long islands and being intoxicated. Sean Bell had several drinks. Banefield was drunk and high. What makes you think automatically undercovers are going to be getting toasted on the job? And if they did, without any evidence, that just doesn't exist in court.
2. Reckless? Bell backed into Isnora then rammed the cop's Van. After hearing Guzman say he was going to get a gun (corroborated by even the Prosecution's witnesses), they had probable cause to believe the driver/passengers were dangerous and possibly armed, especially after seeing his party fly off the handle in the bar. They were dealing with hotheads.
3. Isnora ID'd himself with badge prior to getting rammed in the leg.
The main issue is did they ID themselves as cops and did they have reason to believe they were in lethal danger. On both counts they did - or so they say.
So now it becomes what did witnesses see or didn't and in the case of the prosecution witnesses, their stories changed so much that their credibility was shot- case blown.
You see a group of men in a heated argument, both alluding to guns or getting guns, you follow them out to their car, you say "police, out of your car", driver throws it in reverse and hits your partner, then throws it in drive and hits your van. You then see someone reach below the dash (was Guzman bluffing?). You're going to tell me to yell "he's got a gun" isn't beyond reason? Your're going to tell me after that, when someone says, he's got a gun you're not going to open fire.
Please.
Quote:
4 white kids screaming "yo go get my gat" will never incur the penalty of even one bullet
End Quote:
Sure in Greenwich Ct, they woudln't incur so much as a BB gun - people would laugh at them. Now if these were four white Irish guys in black leather jackets in Hell's Kitchen in the mid 80's, that would be taken seriously. Or four white Russians in little Odessa, sure, people would run.
Four black kids in Bel Air, doubtful.
Again, stop looking at race. If it were race, you'd have the black cop and hispanic cop saying amongst themselves, "let's go the parking lot and bag ourselves some Niggras, what ya'll say?" Instead, they were thinking let's follow these possible thug hustlers and stop something from blowing up.
its not racism, its social injustice,
black cops get their paychecks doing the same crap white cops do...abuse of police power
as for the cops intoxication level, theres no evidence because they were not tested get it! police protect their own.
i never been mugged sorry, im not the muggable type, you keep believing the cops are here to protect you...i dont believe it,
its on!
DROP A ROCK ON A COP DAY, SAT 4/26
So what are you gonna do when you realize that black folks kill thousands of black folks every year? Far more injustice is done by blacks upon blacks. Following your twisted logic you should have drop a rock on a blackman man day?
Guess what no one in Sean Bell's car were submitted to a breathalyzer. They admitted to being intoxicated before a grand jury.
Cops in NY protect. Hell yes. Lot more than the hustler low lifes on my block. In the last ten years we've had several shootings and three homicides on my block. Black folk killing black folk. When the neighborhood got the police involved - yes snitched. Half the dealers left or got locked up. Where was Sharpton and his clowns? It was work a day cops that cleaned up the hood and many like it.
There's over 30,000 police. Most do a damn good job. Spend some time in some 3rd world shithole then you'll know how good our police force is and how corrupt the rest can be. You don't know how good you got it. You get free education; you have cops that you don't have to bribe to show up and we're one of the only nations where poor folk have running water and can afford to be obese as a house. Stop the blame game and look in the mirror.
If you're a black man in New york, buy a Glock and shoot back!
CKNY -- I attended a wedding last weekend, and we were all piss drunk the night before. Just because you and your friends don't do it, doesn't mean it's not the norm.
I can't bring myself to read the rest of the comments. This is a travesty. The Judge is obviously covering for the NYPD so as not to undermine the organization.
Listen to the Daily New's Errol Louis on last nights reporter's round table on NY1. He covered the trial from the beginning. Hear what he says about the Judge and the decision.
don't listen to the call in shows.
Sean Bell didnt' have a record? HAHAHAHAHAHAH. Arrested twice for drugs and once for firearms possession. Nice try.
The 2nd biggest tragedy here is that the world's 2nd most profitable racists, Al Sharpton, is using this tragedy to further his career,( the 1st most profitable rascist is jesse jackson).