Verdict for officers in Sean Bell killing due today

Officers accused in killing of Sean Bell At 9am, three NYPD officers will hear their fate in the fatal shooting of Sean Bell in November 2006. Bell died in a hail of 50 bullets after leaving a bachelor party at a strip club.

Police say that Bell and his friend got into an altercation with another group of men outside the club and, believing one of Bell’s friends had a gun, a plainclothes officer followed them and called in for backup.

Bell’s friends say that detectives drew their guns on them but, never identified themselves as police. Fearing that some unknown men were about to fire on them, Bell sped off in his vechicle.

Police say they thought Bell was trying to run them down and began shooting. Now, this runs counter to the earlier version of their story in which officers where saying that they thought there was a person wielding a gun inside the vehicle and began firing on the vehicle.

The verdict is minutes away but, I fear the fix is in on this one. This is a bench trial (no jury) and, given what has happened in cases like that of Amadou Diallo, I have my doubts that there will be any real accountability for these officers.

UPDATE: The three officers have been acquitted on all charges related to the killing of Sean Bell. There may be some hope for justice, still. Federal prosecutors have been monitoring this trial to determine if civil rights charges can be brought forward.

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4 comments for “Verdict for officers in Sean Bell killing due today”

JoAnne , on the 25 of April, 2008 at 9:27 am said:
The Judge deserves a pat on the back..His decision was right
John Coffee , on the 25 of April, 2008 at 9:39 am said:
The Judge discriminates with issuing justice because if his benchmark is CREDIBILITY and so almost every black community will be denied justice because many black males have been arrested because most police departments target black communities and black males and these departments plant guns, allow drug and violence to takeover these communities because it is a sort of game for them. They have their walls posted with black youth and men as they are filling our prisons. They know where the drug houses are and the key players but they allow it to take over the community so all black males become suspects. So when you have this case in New York, the judge is just playing into the pre-set prejudice, a bail out card, CREDIBILTY! and like Katrina, black people pay the cost. Aamzing how dense the media are not to recognize the injustice. So if a police kills your mother and you are standing there watching it all, nobody is going to believe you because you were arrested on a drug charge in the past. A vicious cycle. Unbelievable. And how many police and judges are using drugs and who is policing these people? Injustice.
JStokes , on the 25 of April, 2008 at 9:43 am said:
The verdict in the case involving Sean Bell is no suprise to me. The future ramification of this case are what are bother me. This case, according to commentators, was decided on the credibility of the witnesses. Imagine for those who are out there and committed crimes and are faced with the decision to face a judicial system. Will their testimony be discounted because of prior bad acts? African Americans males are in contact disproportionately more than caucasians; therefore, this decision destroys the premises on which our judicial system is based.
Ro , on the 25 of April, 2008 at 9:48 am said:
First, I want to say tho the Bell family and his fiance that I am so sorry for their loss and for this horrible system that we are up against. For these detectives, especially Det. Oliver to be found not guilty is disgusting and unacceptable. This detective is a grenade ready to explode and as long as our court system continue to over look these unnecessary crimes, we the civilians that pay their salary will never feel safe. Det. Oliver should have had his weapon and shield removed upon the trail ending, not walk out as if all was ok. We need to stop these officers from abusing us, what happened to Sean Bell was so unnecessary and so wrong. What is wrong with this world and the judge that acquitted all of these murderers? Unacceptable 100%

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JoAnne , on the 25 of April, 2008 at 9:27 am said:

The Judge deserves a pat on the back..His decision was right

John Coffee , on the 25 of April, 2008 at 9:39 am said:

The Judge discriminates with issuing justice because if his benchmark is CREDIBILITY and so almost every black community will be denied justice because many black males have been arrested because most police departments target black communities and black males and these departments plant guns, allow drug and violence to takeover these communities because it is a sort of game for them. They have their walls posted with black youth and men as they are filling our prisons. They know where the drug houses are and the key players but they allow it to take over the community so all black males become suspects. So when you have this case in New York, the judge is just playing into the pre-set prejudice, a bail out card, CREDIBILTY! and like Katrina, black people pay the cost. Aamzing how dense the media are not to recognize the injustice. So if a police kills your mother and you are standing there watching it all, nobody is going to believe you because you were arrested on a drug charge in the past. A vicious cycle. Unbelievable. And how many police and judges are using drugs and who is policing these people? Injustice.

JStokes , on the 25 of April, 2008 at 9:43 am said:

The verdict in the case involving Sean Bell is no suprise to me. The future ramification of this case are what are bother me. This case, according to commentators, was decided on the credibility of the witnesses. Imagine for those who are out there and committed crimes and are faced with the decision to face a judicial system. Will their testimony be discounted because of prior bad acts? African Americans males are in contact disproportionately more than caucasians; therefore, this decision destroys the premises on which our judicial system is based.

Ro , on the 25 of April, 2008 at 9:48 am said:

First, I want to say tho the Bell family and his fiance that I am so sorry for their loss and for this horrible system that we are up against. For these detectives, especially Det. Oliver to be found not guilty is disgusting and unacceptable. This detective is a grenade ready to explode and as long as our court system continue to over look these unnecessary crimes, we the civilians that pay their salary will never feel safe. Det. Oliver should have had his weapon and shield removed upon the trail ending, not walk out as if all was ok. We need to stop these officers from abusing us, what happened to Sean Bell was so unnecessary and so wrong. What is wrong with this world and the judge that acquitted all of these murderers? Unacceptable 100%