The Daily News has a few stories about the upcoming trial of three cops indicted in the shooting of Sean Bell, an unarmed black man killed by police hours before his wedding. After surveying readers, the News finds that most people think the verdict were generally fair, though more blacks and Latinos thought the charges should have been more severe, whereas more white respondents thought the charges were too severe.
You can see all the results here. Many of the results also differ between the races: For instance, unsurprisingly, more minorities feel the NYPD treat minorities unfairly. Daily News columnist Errol Louis says the city is divided and needs to heal - and the NYPD is where the healing needs to start first. And the Daily News has an editorial recommending that the trial be televised, urging the Legislature to allow cameras in the courtroom (they are banned at present, but new measures are pending in the state Senate): "Let's make it happen so New Yorkers can watch justice administered before the spin doctors stage competing carnivals on the courthouse steps."
Bell and his friends had been having a bachelor party at the Kalua Lounge in Queens last November, where the NYPD were also conducting an undercover operation, when Bell's car hit a police officer - prompting 50 shots from officers. Earlier this week, the three officers - two who were charged with manslaughter and one charged with reckless endangerment - were indicted and all pleaded not guilty. More about the Sean Bell shooting here.
