A crowd reacts to the verdict in the Sean Bell shooting case outside the Queens County Criminal Courts Building in New York Friday, April 25.
Three detectives were acquitted of all charges Friday in the killing of Sean Bell. Bell died after being bombarded with 50 bullets by the New York Police Department back in 2006.
Detectives Michael Oliver and Gescard Isnora were found not guilty of charges of manslaughter, assault and reckless endangerment in the death of Sean Bell, 23, and the wounding of two of his friends. Detective Marc Cooper was acquitted of reckless endangerment.
Justice Arthur Cooperman said he found problems with the prosecution’s case. He said some prosecution witnesses contradicted themselves, and he cited prior convictions and incarcerations of witnesses.
As the judge read his decision, Nicole Paultre Bell — Sean Bell’s fiancee — ran from the courtroom crying, saying, “I’ve got to get out of here.”
Backstory
In the early morning hours of Nov. 25, 2006, Sean Bell, a 23-year-old New York City man due to be married later that day, walked out of a Queens strip club, climbed into a gray Nissan Altima with two friends who had been celebrating with him – and died in a hail of 50 bullets fired by a group of five police officers.
The shooting shocked the city and brought back memories of the deaths in other high-profile police shootings – in particular, the death of Amadou Diallo, an African peddler killed after police fired 41 shots at him in 1999. Both men were black and both were unarmed, although in both cases the officers appeared to have believed the suspect had a gun. While the death of Mr. Bell did not prompt the same levels of rage and protest as the Diallo case, it prompted unsettling questions about the changes in police procedures adopted in recent years, and about whether black men remained unfairly singled out for aggressive police action.
What the F*ck? How can you shoot at someone 30 times and not be guilty after there was no evidence of a gun on the scene. I’ve got to go get myself a gun because if they do me the same at least I’ll get me some shots off before I go. DAmn Damn Damn!!!!
some things never change i guess!!! that was too sad.
wow, this is terrible. This is the world we live in. They don’t give a damn about us cause we not giving a damn about ourselves. The black male race will be extinct. Statistics don’t lie, google it.
Be strong my brothers and sisters, be strong!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am STILLIN SHOCK!!! Wesley Snipes gets 3 years and these men get___??? Unbelievable!! 50 SHOTS!! I’m speehcless!
It is so sad that justice wasn’t served in this matter. My prayers are with the family!
THIS IS JUST NOT RIGHT!!!…NOT EVEN A LITTLE BIT,…NOT EVEN AT ALL. GOD BLESS THE FAMILY.
i emailed u guys about this this jus shows how they still view us they couldnt care less about us as a people i know they jus view us as animals there supposed to be there to protect and serve but wat they do instead kill us off harm us there neva b justice will it all our problems will continue to b swept under the rug people WAKE UP
This is crazy to me I am truly upset. How can the police shot an unarmed man 50 times and get away with it unbelievable.
BULL SHIT
BULL SHIT!
NOt guilty?
Really now?
50shots?
Not Guilty?
HOW CAN 50 SHOTS BE FIRED FROM A POLICEMANS GUN AND THEY GET A NOW GUILTY VERDICT?
50 FREAKIN’ SHOTS!
GOODNESS GRACIOUS
LAWDY, WAHTA ER WE GONNNA DO
ITS HARD TO BE BLACK
I HOPE NICOLE KEEPS HER HEAD UP, ITS SAD TO SEE HER HOLDING THE WEDDIN DRESS LIKE THAT, REALLY SAD
ITS A YOUNG GUY.
A YOUNG BLACK GUY
GOODNESS GRACIOUS
First My Damned Supervisor pissed me off now this SHIT! I’m actually getting a stress headache!
^not guilty
Maybe if the testimony of Bell’s witnesses wasn’t so shitty, things would have been different. When your story changes day after day after day…that’s pretty suspect.
THIS IS AN OUTRAGE, but it is not the end to this case. Nicole Bell has the right to appeal this decision to the Supreme Court of the State of New York.
Until, then my prayers go out to the victims family and all others who were affected by this tragedy.
That’s terrible.
Just another reminder of the sad times that we live in.
Racism is still alive and thriving.
My heart goes out to his loved ones.
That’s some f*cked up sh*t!!!
im about to cry…seriously…this hurts yo
Damn! Wesley gets 3 yrs for a non-violent crime, NYPD gets nothing for killing an unarmed man and injury others.
Damn! Wesley gets 3 yrs for a non-violent crime, NYPD gets nothing for killing an unarmed man and injury others.
So here is our reality. Wesley Snipes (like him or not) gets 3 years for not filing a tax return, a misdemeanor, and these 3 clowns (the brothaz included) are acquitted for shooting an unarmed civilian. NYPD has a history of abuse and excessive force. We should, however, respect the police. The world should STOP when one of them goes down in the line of duty.
This man was getting married (Cosby & Co say we don’t really do that), had a relationship with his children (both by the same woman) and was moving to the next stage of life. He is murdered in a hail of 50 bullets. Too bad Sean Bell wasn’t at f*ckin pit bull, perhaps there would be more outrage.
As much as I like Barack Obama, even he can’t CHANGE this.
I have no words for that bullshit verdict…it’s just unbelievable that they can get away with killing an unarmed man. It’s just a sad day in history. They are just sending out a message to cops that they can do whatever they want. Did they even get fired? Still wouldn’t justify the situation but they never need to hold guns again…
Michael Vick gets two years for killing a mother f*cking DOG!!! And these punk ass police get to go back to work. I really can’t believe this bull $hit!!!!
its cops period, they think they can get away with murdering. It is too easy for cops to kill. What happened to morals. Thou shall not kill. no matter if you’re a cop or not. this is ridiculous. i don’t believe you should shoot more then at the most ten shots….DANG!! whats up with that. And they wonder why us young people don’t respect the police. but really its in the big cities like New York and L.A. they just lost hope THEY SO SCARED THEY SHOOTING EVERY BODY. As a 16yo girl this scares me being in a world were you can get killed by the police, for LOOKING suspicious. This made me so mad and i don’t even watch the news and stuff like that. i feel so bad for his girlfriend…the police turned a wedding into a funeral… and don’t even care. i’m done with those kind of cops.
wasn’t one of the cops black? i don’t think this is a race thing. black people always trying to make everything about race. this was a “connection thing”. The judge made the ruling, the cops are apart of his circle of power. Plain and simple.
We all know they should be doing some time. Damn shame.
Nice look on the photos CL.
I can’t wait to see how the civil trial goes…
It’s a shame that in this day in age we still have the same verdicts given like it’s the 1960′s but there are no Jim Crow Laws now. Racism is alive ladies and gentlemen. This is sickening. 50 shots?
Yo NYC!!! The one thing that didn’t change is 51 SHOTS!!!! That’s going to be the amount of shots let off yesterday, today and tomorrow.
I Live in Queens and all hell will break loose…..may god be with us all
I agree w/ #3. It doesn’t make it right but instead of yelling “injustice” or getting upset… we have to do better. I don’t wanna be another statistic and I’m sure no one else does so act like it. I definitely do not think the judge made the right decision but I wasn’t there so I can’t fully judge the case. I feel the “reasons” are bullshit and until someone sits down (aka that judge) and explains why those “reasons” cause an acquittal, I will feel this an another permanent injustice to SOCIETY.
Soo I’m thinking for them to get acquitted of all 3 charges they must’ve had a DAMN good excuse for shooting at an unarmed man 50 times. I mean better than “we thought he had a gun”.. because it doesn’t take 50 shots to take somebody down.. that’s extremely excessive and unneccessary. SoOo since there MUST be some hell of an explanation I’m gonna need to hear one. Hell I need to hear one of why they were acquitted from the judge. This is complete bullshit and this is the world we live in.. wait I mean COUNTRY we live in. And we’re supposed to have faith in America and think it’s the best place ever.. wow.
OMG…wot is the world comin 2….this doesnt even make sense….4 wot reason shud the police mn be found innocent….this is simply injustice. My heart goes out to the family and friends of this young man…..omg..im still in shock
Vick is now serving time for killing a damn dog!!!!! And you mean to tell me that these cops kill a human and are free- I’m so upset I really don’t know what to say- Why blacks treated as we have no rights to live- Why is so ok for our people to be murder and no one is punished?
That is so sad. Racism is still alive and is getting worse by the minute.
Those policeman should be in prison. How are you going to shot somebody 30 times and they aren’t even shooting at you. But NYPD they will get theres its about to be on in popping in the hood this weekend they think they are going to get away with something like that hell nah and then one of the policeman was smiling ah HELL TO NAH!
I HAVE NO WORDS…MY HEART IS HEAVY FOR HIS WIFE AND KIDS.
NYC LEGAL SYSTEM ALWAYS BEEN JACKED UP!!!!
THIS IS JUST SOME BULLSHIT..STRAIGHT BULLSHIT!!!
This is so sad.
I STILL CANT GET OFF IT….REALLY UPSET..
IT’S TRUE, HOWEVER, THAT WE’VE HAVE GOT TO DO BETTER
NOT MUCH WE CAN DO IF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE TO SERVE AND PROTECTA RE SO DAMN TRIGGER HAPPY
THINK ABOUT IT, 5 OVERSEER/OFFICERS SHOOTIN AT AN UNARMED BLACK MAN
DONT SEEM RIGHT
IT’S SAD
SO SA I CANT GET OFF IT
This is so sad. Not surprising, but very sad. All we can do is pray. God has a plan for us all. And all these evil basta*rds will reap what they have sown one day. The ultimate judge is GOD.
This judge claims the prosecutions case was weak… of course it was. The witnesses were contradicting themselves and making stuff up. But who can remember all the little details when there are bullets flying past your head?? Come on! The prosecution didnt want to win anyway. Its just another one of those systymatic injustices built in to keep us down and out or dead. And judges these days are not worth the cheap ass chinese made robe they wear. They could have at least been found guilty on the assault and reckless endangerment charges!! After living in NYC for 3 years, I could see right away that anybody can be an NYC cop. The cops I saw in the hood would spend the day getting at girls, cockilly bossing people around, riding around aimlessly and eating dunkin donuts. I know being a cop is hard – your life is in danger every day. And from what I understand, a random man fleeing to his car does not make him a suspect. And if these cops had time to shoot 50 rounds AND RELOAD – they had time to GET THEIR A$$ES OUT OF THE WAY of Mr. Bell’s car!!!!! What cowards! They could have shot at the tires – but no – they aimed right at him! This country is a trip! In the next few weeks, well be writing again – about how they are going extra hard on Barack. Just wait – they have only just begun to politically lynch him!
We been covering Sean Bell’s case over at Highbrid Nation from the start and when I read today that the police officers were acquitted I was in serious disbelief. An unarmed man was shot 50 times and the people who did it are not responsible at all!? That’s crazy.
Think about Michael Vick and his boys. They killed dogs and they are all serving time..U was just reading that one of the charges against the cops was reckless endangerment. The one cop shot 31 times and reloaded, that sounds like reckless to me…It’s a sad day. They ask us to have faith in the justice system and things like this happen. The sad part about it is that it’s not the firt time and it won’t be the last…My prayers go out to the family.
SMHDH
Thats messed up and i bet if it was the other way around ole boy would be sitting on death row right now.
I’m still in disbelief about this. I cannot believe that a man got shot up that many times and no one is being held accountable.
That’s BS if no weapon was found, so what if they were incarcerated before if they didn’t have a gun then they shouldn’t have fired 50 rounds like that. It sounds to me that people need to stand up and protest these officers who are in charge of ” so called protecting” them.
THATS SOME BULLSHIT!!!!
BUT I’M NOT REALLY SUPRISED. ITS THE WORLD WE LIVE IN.
WTF! I’M SO UPSET REGARDING THIS ISSUE. I CANNOT BELIEVE THE JUDGE ISSUED THIS ACQUITTAL ON ALL THREE OF THE OFFICERS. IN MY OPINION I BELIEVE THE OFFICERS PAID THE JUDGE OFF. I ALSO TRUELLY BELIEVED THAT THE OFFICERS WOULD NOT BE CHARGED FROM THE POINT OF WHICH THEY ANNOUNCED MANSLAUGHTER AND MISDEMEANOR CHARGES IF ANY WOULD BE PURSUED. THIS WORLD IS RIDDLED WITH RACISM. ALL WAYS HAS AND ALWAYS WILL BE. AS FOR THE COMMENT BY #3 (NYC) NO MATTER WHAT THE WITNESSES SAID AND HOW INCONSISTENT THE STORIES WERE FACT STILL REMAINS A MAN WAS KILLED.
This is an outrage. No justice at all. I’m still trying to figure out how can u shoot at someone that many times and not realize that noone is returning fire. It is going to be riots all around.
I was listening to Steve Harvey this morning and just like he was saying you dont hear stories of police shooting OTHER innocent people like you hear about Blacks. I don’t want to turn it into a racial thing cause I’m not racist but still you gotta ask.
*SMDH*
This was a very unusual case in that
1. There was no jury. The Judge Made the decision entirely
2. The DA’s office really didn’t want to prosecute the cops. They only did so because there were pressured by the African American Community & Mayor Bloomberg
I believe in my heart that The Prosecution Lost this case on purpose
Here’s an article to support my belief:
In the Sean Bell case, it was the gang that couldn’t prosecute straight
http://www.nydailynews.co...e_it_was_the_gang_th.html
@ #13
Even if the story did change day after day it doesn’t take 50 shots to realize a man doesn’t have a weapon. Please don’t defend racism because you are making an ass out of yourself!!! I work in a police agency and see cops get slapped on the wrist all the time. You better believe those cops will just keep climbing up the latter while a young family is out here without a father. This story just makes me sick to my stomach because it a senseless act of violence. America wonders why black men are so angry…..this is the shit they have to go through.
I am outraged to read this mess…this literally gives me chills up my spine. I hope the civil case has a better outcome than this crap!!! My prayers go out to Sean Bell’s family…this whole ordeal is BEYOND tragic for his family and loved ones.
I don’t think their needs to be a riot like in L.A., but something needs to happen to force change.
It’s unfortunate, but predictable. I wouldn’t call it sad because, in my opinion, the sad thing is that black people continually expect justice in a society where they’ve never gotten it. The judge cites the inconsistencies of Bell’s friends but on a night when those cats were pissy drunk, how the hell can you expect their stories to match up detail for detail? We know that none of them were armed and that the devil emptied his clip, reloaded, and emptied another one but that was not enough I guess. It’s obvious that if a man empties two clips the intent is to leave no one alive. Just say that the case was drawn out because it was a media trial and leave it at that. An idiot could see that the pigs were going to get found not guilty as soon as dirt was exposed about Bell and his friends. When there is a trial involving the black man, he must be spotless and blameless from birth because the court system will try to use a candy bar that he stole in the 4th grade as justification for his murder or imprisonment. Only the caucasian is allowed a second chance or redemption. In addition to that, it was a non-jury trial left in the hands of one “judge”(Deut 32:31).
His wife will be given a certain monetary compensation under the table, if she hasn’t already, from both Bloomberg and Sharpton’s coon National Action Network to shut up in addition to the money that she will get in the upcoming civil trial because money is supposed to compensate perpetual indignities to our people. Sharpton was sent out from the start to smother Bell’s wife and family from saying anything inflammatory and he will be used until everything dies down to keep a certain amount of attention on the case while concurrently telling the masses of black people how they should respond or think. This system that has been developed really is brilliant when you analyze it because the white man has ensured that black people will oppress themselves due to lack of self-knowledge and certain hand chosen black leaders can be used, if necessary, to drown out the small number of blacks that see through the facade. The cops at the verdict reading were unnecessary because there was no chance of any riots by these negroes. This is not the late 1980′s or early 1990′s anymore. Black people want to accept homosexuality, lesbianism, and love the white man before any real concern with themselves. In a sense, our people get what they deserve.
THIS WHOLE SHIT GOT ME THINKING ABOUT MICHAEL JACKSON SONG … PLEASE A MOMEMT OF SILENCE …..
Skin head, dead head
Everybody gone bad
Situation, aggravation
Everybody allegation
In the suite, on the news
Everybody dog food
Bang bang, shot dead
Everybody’s gone mad
All I wanna say is that
They don’t really care about us
All I wanna say is that
They don’t really care about us
Beat me, hate me
You can never break me
Will me, thrill me
You can never kill me
Jew me, sue me
Everybody do me
Kick me, kick me
Don’t you black or white me
All I wanna say is that
They don’t really care about us
All I wanna say is that
They don’t really care about us
Tell me what has become of my life
I have a wife and two children who love me
I am the victim of police brutality, now
I’m tired of bein’ the victim of hate
You’re rapin’ me of my pride
Oh, for God’s sake
I look to heaven to fulfill its prophecy…
Set me free
Skin head, dead head
Everybody gone bad
trepidation, speculation
Everybody allegation
In the suite, on the news
Everybody dog food
black man, black male
Throw your brother in jail
All I wanna say is that
They don’t really care about us
All I wanna say is that
They don’t really care about us
Tell me what has become of my rights
Am I invisible because you ignore me?
Your proclamation promised me free liberty, now
I’m tired of bein’ the victim of shame
They’re throwing me in a class with a bad name
I can’t believe this is the land from which I came
You know I do really hate to say it
The government don’t wanna see
But if Roosevelt was livin’
He wouldn’t let this be, no, no
Skin head, dead head
Everybody gone bad
Situation, speculation
Everybody litigation
Beat me, bash me
You can never trash me
Hit me, kick me
You can never get me
All I wanna say is that
They don’t really care about us
All I wanna say is that
They don’t really care about us
Some things in life they just don’t wanna see
But if Martin Luther was livin’
He wouldn’t let this be
Skin head, dead head
Everybody gone bad
Situation, segregation
Everybody allegation
In the suite, on the news
Everybody dog food
Kick me, strike me
Don’t you wrong or right me
All I wanna say is that
They don’t really care about us
All I wanna say is that
They don’t really care about us
All I wanna say is that
They don’t really care about us
All I wanna say is that
They don’t really care about us
All I wanna say is that
They don’t really care about us
All I wanna say is that
They don’t really care about us
My Heart is Broken…..I mean 30 times?….let us Pray
Lord give us strength!
Our race is indeed headed for extinction. Between black on black crime, HIV/AIDS, police brutality, an unjust justice system, and the destruction of the nuclear BLACK family ( no offense to anyone in an interracial relationship) it has become difficult for us from a pure numbers standpoint.
Please let us love each other. Educate each other. Hold each other up. Raise our children.
You may feel helpless in helping with the Sean Bell situation, but you can do something small today to uplift your people.
Every black woman: go out today and tell a black man, “I love you, brother.” Share your home cooked meal with your neighbor.
Every black man: hold the door open or give up your seat for a black woman. Help your neighbor bring in her groceries or wash her car.
Wesely Snipes gets 3 yrs for cheating Uncle Sam but these dudes get a pass for firing their guns 50 times and killing someone!!! That’s some BS!!!
shot 50 times and they were acquitted of ALL charges, and ya’ll think we ready for a black president THIS COUNTRY’S JUSTICE SYSTEM IS A JOKE…fukk lady liberty that bitch blind…
this is just so unfair! i can only imagine how the family and friends feel. you know what God don’t like ugly and if those cops shot him for any unjust reason, they WILL have their day with the good Lord. I’m upset, sad and super hurt! i really feel like crying.
Unfortunately I am not surprised by this verdict. Disgusted, upset and angry but not surprised. I wish God’s blessings and guidance to his family.
@24For anyone who thinks this is not a race thing, they are in another world from ours. True, one of the cops was black, but you better believe that black cop got off because of the other white officers involved. If he were by himself, BELIEVE ME, he would have lost his job or served some time- definitely penalized- not exonerated like this.
ALL CROOKED COPS will get a a taste of their own medicine one way or another. They may get off from the courthouse, but they can not run from God. How many of us know too well, that what goes around, COMES AROUND. These cops will SUFFER one way or another, they no longer have peace in their life….
I wish I could say I was surprised at the verdict, but I’m not. Out black men are nothing but targets who can be shot 50 times for nothing other than being a black man. It’s time to get our families and communities in order so that we can unite and fight back-BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY!!!