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Early Addition
Photograph of Detectives Marc Cooper, Gescard Isnora and Michael Oliver by Dima Gavrysh/AP
Detectives Michael Oliver, Gescard Isnora and Marc Cooper, who were acquitted of all charges in the Sean Bell shooting trial, spoke at a press conference this afternoon. Detectives Oliver and Isnora thanked Judge Cooperman for his "fair" decision (Isnora also, per City Room, "thanked God, his family, his lawyers"). Detective Cooper, who was only charged with reckless endangerment, said, "I'd like to say sorry to the Bell family for the tragedy." None of the detectives testified during the trial, as their grand jury testimony had been read aloud by the prosecution.
However, the verdict was denounced by the Reverend Al Sharpton, who said, "This verdict is one round down, but the fight is far from over. What we saw in court today was not a miscarriage of justice. Justice didn't miscarry. This was an abortion of justice."
Mayor Bloomberg said, "There are no winners in a trial like this. An innocent man lost his life, a bride lost her groom, two daughters lost their father, and a mother and a father lost their son. No verdict could ever end the grief that those who knew and loved Sean Bell suffer. Judge Cooperman’s responsibility, however, was to decide the case based on the evidence presented in the courtroom. America is a nation of laws, and though not everyone will agree with the verdicts and opinions issued by the courts, we accept their authority." You can read the full text of Cooperman's remarks here.
Here are some other reactions:
- "Today's verdict should be bitterly disappointing to every New Yorker of goodwill. Justice Arthur Cooperman s decision clearly points the finger at the lackluster case presented by the Queens district attorney s office and it is also an indictment of New York City Police Department procedure, with respect to training and management." - City Councilman Leroy Comrie
- "An ugly pattern is emerging in New York. This was a massacre, this was not a shootout. And the U.S. attorney general must give America the assurance that we all have equal protection under the law. This is a travesty of justice today, but it is a pattern that deserves attention." - The Reverend Jesse Jackson
- "We ask people to be calm as they protest, if that's what they choose to do.... On the same token, though, we ask police to be calm as people protest.... We have not heard what these men did that caused police to act as though they were America's most wanted, yet still we hear a verdict of not guilty. We will go to the next level, whatever that might be, to seek justice." - Leroy Gadsden, president of NAACP's Jamaica, Queens branch
- "I am disappointed and absolutely stunned by today's verdict. This incident clearly involved an excessive use of force by the police. All New Yorkers should be similarly disappointed by today's decision." - City Comptroller William Thompson
- "We’re a nation of laws, so we respect the verdict that came down." - Barack Obama
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"We're a nation of laws"
If only a certain group of people would understand what that really means.
If only a certain group of people would understand what that really means.
politicians?
Nice and balanced selection of quotes there Jen. Just another 500 posts like this and you will balance your role as trendy NY bleeding heart and corporate goon.
equivocators?
Apparently Al Sharpton didn't wink hard enough to the cameras, because no one got his hint to start rioting. Whew! Maybe next time.
Touché.
It’s the ultimate mantra-fication of the common words “law” and “authoritiy” which used to have an important , meaningful denotation, but are now repeatedly used in parlance to bludgeon the peons into lockstep.
The irony here is that both what Bloomberg and Obama utter is the truth, but not in the context of the positive law of which they speak of.
Sharpton meant to say "miscarriage of justice" which has nothing to do with actual child birth.
idiot.
However I agree with him in principal.
Bloomberg:
We accept their authority? Has Mike become the Pope or the Queen of England? Bloomberg spouts sensitivity language and public relations strategies but it's the same rotten NYC court system he's upholding and the same racist NYPD who's shit he's informing us it's our patriotic duty to swallow.
50 shots = 50 dead cops
you fools dont see what is obviously a very very close promiximity shooting at a car that was not moving or moving very very slow, or possible lurching out of a parked position, no way can 4 guys dump 50 shots on what they are calling a moving vehicle or lethal weapon
oh got this car bumped my leg, time to empty the clip!
this is an exact same repeat of the nj turnpike shooting except the characters and context are different, why would a lurching car, or a van full of basketballers & bibles be considered a weapon,
easy MOVE OUT OF THE WAY, why would shooting all the passengers have any effect on the situation, what if sean bell as the driver survived and his three friends killed,
at worst if that was me id say yeah dam right i tried to run over the pig but i didnt think they would execute my three homeboys!!!
sheeple...your all sheeple,
why do you all think that a moving car can be stopped by bullets, you can kill everyone inside the car but that doesnt stop the car, the car stops when someone hits the brake or when the foot is taken off the gas pedal and it stops later, not instantly, idiots, cars do not blow up when bullets hit it, cars do not stop when bullets hit it, only thing that stops when bullets hit it is people, this was an execution, and one day things will either change or they will get worse, its up to you to not let that happen, until then ill be very happy when a cop is killed, ill send a thank you card to who ever did the deed
i was once arrested while trying after going to the rpecint and saying ' i respectfully request to excercize my right to file a civilian complaint against a police officer'
the statements in the arrest record was something out of a karate movie and terminator.
as soon as i got to the courtm, they looked at it, looked at me, and dismissed it as the BS it was,
COPS LIE, DO NOT BELIEVE THEIR SIDE OF THE STORY,
THEIR SIDE OF THE STORY IS NOT A FREE FORM OPEN MIKE KIND OF THING, IT IS A VERY WELL THOUGHT OUT PROCESS DESIGNED TO GIVE A STATEMENT AND COVER ALL BASES MADE IN CONSULATION WITH OTHER COPS, THERE IS NO PROOF OF THEIR INTOXICATION, BECASUE THERE WAS NEVER ANY TESTS FOR ALCHOHOL LEVEL, THEY PROTECT THEIR OWN, THEY ARE ALSO NOT REQUIRED TO GIVE A STATEMENT AFTER A SHOOTING UNTIL 48 HOURS LATER, WHAT YOU HEARD AS COURTROOM TESTIMONY IS bs, JUST LIKE THE GUY WHO GOT AWAY? WHICH WAS NEVER BROUGHT UP IN COURT,
ITS ALL LIES, REMEMBER AMADOU DIALLO, HOW HAPPILY THE COPS LAWYERS SAID HE HAD GAY SEX BEFORE HE WAS ARRESTED, WITH WHO KING KONG?
STOP BEING SHEEPLE, POLICE ARE NOT YOUR FRIENDS
It's not that AL sharpton couldn't start a riot. It's that their aren't any poor ass blacks in the city. They've all been gentrified out of the rich neighborhoods. They all live in east Queens. You think a bunch of poor ass blacks from east queens is gonna take the subway to manhattan to riot? No. The Middle class blacks who have jobs are pissed off but they ain't gonna riot for sharpton and lose what ground they've gained. and the upper class blacks like sharpton are too busy winking in the camera and huffing and puffing to realize how impotent they are.
Al Sharpton's comments today were despicable.
Respect the court's decision. Disagree with it if you want. But calling it an "abortion of justice" is offensive and shows the his lack of character.
Tawana Brawley anyone?
If police academy has taught me anything, its that cops have never killed anyone. Ever.
Abortion of justice? I eat your fetuses. I drink your babies. The Fishface Jesse "Hymie Town" Jackson is a baffoon. The Bloated Al "Tawana Brawley" Sharpton can manisminate the situation any longer. This is the kind of shit reaction that will cause Obama to lose the election. Better play up your whiter half, O.
thankfully Pb is still cheap. molon labe.
Racist much, most commenters here?
How great that must make you feel! Say more, about how wonderful it is that more unarmed black people were gunned down by police!
Don't trip over your sheets on the way to pep squad, kluxers!
Megs,
I'm with you.
and it's always the same posters, and some passive aggressive staff who post.
thankfully Pb is cheap. molon labe.
Jen and Jake not included, they cool.
Fifty shots fired does seem excessive, and with better judgment could have been avoided, but I do understand why the cops responded in the way they did. Perhaps Bell and his friends were innocent in the sense that they were unarmed, but they certainly weren't little nerdy do-gooders. Bell and his buddies were hanging out in a club with a clientele of sleazy drug-dealers and hookers. They were fighting about gang-banging a woman, who was unwilling (imagine that!), and an undercover cop inside the club heard one of them say, "Yo, get my gun." Why wouldn't cops think they were criminals after that, especially when they tried to run over an officer and ram into the police van a few times?? Yes, 50 shots is a lot, but it didn't happen outside a Sunday school. These were not upstanding citizens in any sense, and the cops (black, too) felt they were protecting themselves.
don't forget those shots that hit the airtrain and platform. what if someone were hit? did you see the video of the cop slipping and sliding?
and, who says "go get my gun" as nonchalantly as saying go get me a beer?
you answer, get it yourself especially if it's a gun. or, how the F do I know where your gun is?
A gun is something you always have on your person. Never let it out of your sight.
im in my bunker, i got a 3 week supply of nillas and 4 gallons of keyfood brand water...
RISE UP IMPROVRISHED MASSES!!!
the time to strike is NOW!
they are not expecting it!
DROP A ROCK ON A COP DAY SAT 4/26
"Who says "go get my gun" as nonchalantly as saying go get me a beer? you answer, get it yourself especially if it's a gun. or, how the F do I know where your gun is? A gun is something you always have on your person. Never let it out of your sight."
Leave it to JackOff the Ghetto Apologist to school the rest of us on gun etiquette in da 'hood.
ok just had the newspaper slipped under the door to my bunker...
the sheeple keep saying cops wanted to combat quality of life offenses.
so they setup an undercover sting. (to protect us)
why not just park a police van in front of the club, another at the door checking id's and one car down the block to check plates and run down anyone who u turns or drives away, like they do at dui chcekpoints.
see they dont, because places like club kalua are seen as feeding time, need arrests or OT go eat at this klub, im pretty sure they do not aggressively police the patrons and establishmentss of downtown white cokehead stockbroker t&a bars. where the same thing happens, you think it doesnt but it does suckers
RISE UP to end this, your pawns in the system
you think if your not doing anything wrong then nothings going to happen to you, your wrong it will happen to you and if it doesnt what will sooner or later happen is the victims of this system will be there at your shiny condo and your $8 an hour doorman will not protect you.
and yet youll say betsy gothbaum was a victim...
sean bell was a thug
ha, dumb white ho was a victim of the same police system, the police state is coming...
and that black guy holding a candy bar in brooklyn was looking for trouble when the dea pig shot him too!?
#28 - I'm pretty sure everyone said that Betsy Gotbaum was a dirty no good crazy bitch on gothamist.
RACE WAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
yeah i sure hope betsy gothbaum is rotting in the lowest level of hell along with linda stein vampire broker to the stars...
ihateallbrokers is GOING NUTS
instead of 50 shots it should be 50 dead cops!
not a race war a class war!
the desperate housewives of ny should be the first ones thrown in the river. followed by all re broker vampires, & those people who actually sell outdated apt rental lists for a fee,
or at least that pancake tit alex and her gay husband,
might as well throw in gloomberg and ghouliani.
they are parasites!
leave it to bernie squirrel nut geotz to get
up at 7am to be an asshole. right after the sabbath and back to hate.
What is Pb?
im not jewish
all religion is a problem esp one that considers themselves the choosen people or ones coddled by warmongers christians becuase they really want a rapture by starting armegeddon..the human race will never have peace until this religion bullshit is abolished...
so whats going on? any riots yet? yuppies strung up on lightposts? babies being kicked down the streets? real estate brokers being shot? gentrifiers being hanged? hipsters getting burned alive?
sorry apathetic crowd, nobody even noticed
abner louima was the one who was plungered not diallo