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.
Throughout this country’s history people of color (and other non-wealthywhitemales) have been publicly and privately abused, and that abuse is very often sanctioned or covered up by the government. Now, tragically, this innocent young man’s life was taken by a barrage of NYPD bullets. The men who shot at him 50 times have been released without punishment by the courts of America.
For a long time, I have been keenly aware of the racism that exists in our public and private institutions, especially the criminal justice system. Particularly due to my involvement in the recent incident, I have paid special attention to how the media reports on this story.
I found it curious that on CNN Crime, at the very bottom is a list of “usual suspects.” The linked photos include a child rapist and murderer, as well as the former police officer suspected of murdering at least two of his former wives. Among the four photos was also a photo of Sean Bell. Why is this young man’s photo displayed among a group of suspected criminals? Sean Bell’s photo has been listed under “Usual Suspects” on CNN Crime for several months now…
The media has blatantly blanketed this case in racist/elitist propaganda, describing the crime scene as a “seedy stripclub.” The worst is the intentional degradation of this young man’s character and the character of the other victims. The way he chose to have a private celebration with his friends, during which he at no time became violent, should be irrelevant! But, that has obviously impacted many peoples feelings about this man.
The media owes this man’s family an apology. But, unfortunately, I know full well that in today’s world, an apology is not an acknowledgment of guilt and decision to do better, but a corporate compromise to silence opposition. Apologies won’t change these people’s minds.
Furthermore, I fully realize the legal burden of proof required in this case, and also acknowledge the fact that the Bell family will probably (hopefully) get a large civil settlement and receive at least some type o retribution and acknowledgment of guilt. However:
The fraction of the amount of money spent to silence the dissent against racism pales in comparison to the exorbitant revenue gained by oppressing minorities!!!”
The words used in American public and private discourse to describe persons of “minority” cultures have a deep meaning about how America truly feels about diversity and acceptance.
All these issues that my opponents say are used as “race bait” are, in fact, roots/branches of the same rotten tree.
Sean Bell’s murder and the acquittal of those men who brutally and ruthlessly shot an unarmed man are evidence of how America truly feels about us. The situation is dire and the time is now.
God bless the soul of Sean Bell. May his death be a call to action to us all.
It’s going to take 50 bullets to stop me from telling the TRUTH about racism and elitism in America. We are at war, but our ammunition is education and organization!
Throughout this country’s history all non-wealthywhitemales have been publicly and privately abused, and that abuse is very often sanctioned or covered up by the government. Now, tragically, this innocent young man’s life was taken by a barrage of NYPD bullets. The men who shot at him 50 times have been released without punishment by the courts of America.
ANYONE NOTICE? On CNN Crime, at the very bottom is a list of “usual suspects.” The linked photos include a child rapist and murderer, as well as the former police officer suspected of murdering at least two of his former wives. Among the four photos was also a photo of Sean Bell. Why is this young man’s photo displayed among a group of suspected criminals? Sean Bell’s photo has been listed under “Usual Suspects” on CNN Crime for several months now…
The media has blatantly blanketed this case in racist/elitist propaganda and that has obviously impacted many peoples feelings about this case.
Yes, the Bell family will probably (hopefully) get a large civil settlement and receive at least some type o retribution and acknowledgment of guilt. However:
The insignificant amount spent to silence the dissent against racism does not compare to the revenue gained by oppressing minorities!!!”
God bless the soul of Sean Bell. May his death be a call to action to us all.
It’s going to take 50 bullets to stop me from telling the TRUTH about racism and elitism in America. We are at war, but our ammunition is education and organization!
If we only stand up when someone dies, we’re all stuck trying to change things too late…
Bless up,
Beth
This is so messed up…R.I.P Sean Bell
@350 shut ur ass up…… u sound like one of them effin pigs talkin crazy like that. bottom line is all them shots were excessive. Those cops were under the influence and killed an innocent man dont u get it!!!!!!!!!!!! not to mention the other 2 that were injured. Dont come to the hood talkin that shit or u might get got now try that for ignorance
People are saying that this is not a race issue because there was a black cop (uncle tom) involved and that makes me extremely mad. Had it been a white man that got killed and some white people that got injured, you know those cops would have never been acquitted. Black celebrities are going to prison for small shit and when it comes to killing a black man, no one cares. Honestly, I hate bringing up race but this is some straight up racist shit. They do shit like that in Orlando, so FUCK the police. Lazy ass motherfuckers make everything worse.
@350 YOU GOTTA BE A COP TALKIN BOUT THEM “TRYING TO DO THEIR JOB”-TALK ABOUT B*THCAS*NESS
FOR YOU TO REALLY COME OFF LIKE THIS SH*T IS HUNKY DOORY, YOU MOST DEF MUST ME 1TIME, AND PROBABLY A ROOKIE AT THAT
YOU KNOW WHAT, YOU NEED TO CHECK OUT THE DOCUMENTARY “MEETING DAVID WILSON”
Why does it matter if he was shot 50 times instead of once?
Why does it matter if he was a drug peddler instead of a saint?
Why does it matter if he was a family man about to get married, instead of a bachelor?
As Judah said, Black people are too simple.
Whether is was by an array of bullets, by drug overdose, by gang warfare, by sexual deviances and HIV, or by the simple fact, HE was born to an unwed, single black mother…the black man has always faced extermination ( too ignorant to realize it…and too ill-equipped to do anything about it).
And for those who can see further than their noses understand, if the black male species is endangered, the same will become of the black woman.
Ignorance is SIN…and now I understand why.
i feel that the sean bell murder was horrible. this makes me think that there is no hope for us as african americans. i cant understand how you can kill a police and get life , but a polie kills someone else and gets aquitted it just does not seem right. how can we look up to police officers and not be scared if there hurting the innocent.
my prayers go out to the whole sean bell family.
That was a total miscourage of justice. i am certain that this evil judge and wicked prosecuter and these rouge cops are all in bed together. I pray that hte federal prosecuter pick this case up and give these three criminals what they truly deserve.
i live in brooklyn, ny and the streets are definitly in an uproar right now. I was outside on friday following the verdict and everyone’s blood was boiling. sad 2 say im not surprised, amadou was shot 41 times and he wasn’t leaving a strip club he was entering his own apartment and those officers got off as well!!!!!!!!!!!! black ppl we really need 2 get our shit together or else there will never be change. i’m only 18 but im pretty sure if this was back in the 60′s or 70′s all hell would be breaking loose! I’m not promoting a riot or anything but we cant just sit back quietly while they kill us. They already know what it is so they are not worried, we’ll all be angry for a while but in a few weeks all will be forgotten until another black man is murdered then we’ll pretend to care again.
i’ve been in brooklyn all my life and if a police officer is shot the whole city is put on a stand still. police and helicopters everywhere on the hunt searching especially knowing that the suspect is usually a black male. best believe when he is caught his as is getting life in prison and thats only because ny doesnt have the death penalty.
i know it probably sounds stupid but i kinda wish they were armed so at least they could have shot back at the officers. in my opinion they would have been better off shooting back at the officers and serving time because sean bell died for nothing.
this is really heartbreaking because as a child police officers and fire fighters are supposed to be your heroes but its not like that anymore. My friends and I try to avoid them at all costs.
AMERICA DOESN’T CARE ABOUT BLACK PEOPLE!!!!!!!!
and by the time we wake up and realize this it will be too late……im really on some marcus garvey back 2 africa ish rite now……..i now see y so many of my loved ones left the U.S. and are living happily in other countries.
@ JA
seriously dig a hole and bury yourself!!!!!!
so wat if he selled drugs in his PAST or if it wasn’t really his wedding day….ur bringing up irrelevant info like u r trying to justify what happened……point blank he was shot no once not twice but 50 TIMES and killed leaving behind 2 young children and a fiance…..he was not a saint but he was not a serial killer or rapist and did not deserve 2 die that way
This makes me so sick. I sat an cried about it. When young life is taken for no reason except for the color of his skin and the “stero types” and a trigger happy cop it hurts me. It also hurts to know that those cops are verdict “not guilty”. I just hope the cops and the judge enjoys their slow burn in hell for this. I hope those cops that shot him 50 times can’t sleep and can’t live with what they have done. I hope it eats away them until they shells of their former racist selves. If they can live with all that then they really deserve a special wing in hell just for them!!
With this verdict I am once again reminded that because I am BLACK I essentially have no rights. This man was celebrating his upcoming nuptials and was shot down in hail of bullets because he didn’t have the right complexion, which is what it all boils down to, for protection. Had he been a white man in Manhattan, New York he would have probably been escorted to his condo in the heart of the city and given a slap on the wrist. The NYPD is basically practicing genocide against our young black men, now more then ever we need to rally together and protest this injustice against not just civil rights but human rights.
i so agree with you on that one.
the police kill us for fun and get away with it all the time, we need to stand strong in this day in age, those cops will get whats coming to them….what goes around comes around
i think that the jugde coul dbe removed from the office. He sets bad bad for black people. when he found the three cops not giult the judge gives cops all rights to kill blacks. So cops know that they will get away with all black murders. If it was a white child they will never do what have ever done, but they will pay in time.
GOD DOES NOT LIKE UGLIEST!!!!!!
AND I WONDER HOW THEY SLEEP AT NIGHT AFTER DOING ALL OF THESE EVIL THINGS AND GET AWAY WITH IT, THIS IS NOT THE FIRST.
WE ARE ALL HUMAN GOD MADE EVERYONE SPECIAL
IF HE WANTED ALL BLACKS THEN HE WOULD OF MADE ALL BLACKS
AND SAME FOR WHITE. HE MADE EVERYONE HOW HE WANTED THEM.
HOW ARE WE TO THINK DIFFERENT!!!!!!
Now what? March, holla in a bullhorn, sing tired azz slave hyms? That’s the reason we are here! We need to make them respect or fear us, but stop killing us! N.Y shoul have been on fire!!! This message is saying to our kids that they are 2nd class citizens. You can send someone for fighting dogs, or tax evasion but killing a blackman carries no punishment. Fukk that!!! And to you monkey-minded house niccas, you can go down with them to!!! POWER TO THE PEOPLE
Almost forgot, F>U>C>K the POLICE!
sorry to say those cops better be on alert
someone might take 50 at them……
sad to say but true
Of course everyone in this hypocritical racist piece of shit country will sit back and watch the institutionalized extermination of America’s archenemy and greatest fear; the black male. What else is new?
Fcuk the white people who sit in comfortable silence and watch the propagation of their blood-drenched status quo.
Fcuk the the punk ass police.
Fcuk the USA.
Fcuk any black person who cares about this country more than the black family unit, black self respect, black empowerment, black sustenance, black love, and black unity.
>I still cry everytime I hear it, this shit is nutz!!!!!!! It makes me made the something can happen this drastic and nothing happen to those ass holes. The more I type the more I get madd. To the family stay-up the best way you can cuz I know its hard. Peace Y’all!!!!
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