by Susan S.
Member since:
December 29, 2006

NYPD Detectives Acquitted

April 25, 2008 01:07 PM UTC
views: 0 | comments: 47

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080425/ap_on_re_us/police_shooting 

 

This makes me sick. 

How could they be acquitted? 

They shot and killed an unarmed man on his wedding day.

Comments: 47

Nancy Paoletti Apr 25, 2008, 1:22pm UTC
Remind me never to go to NY again.
Robert H. Apr 25, 2008, 1:36pm UTC
Cases like this are so sad. I have seen in the past that it is very difficult to prosecute police officers for misconduct. Part of the reason for this is that their state of mind is involved. People do not like to second guess the police. The circumstances of this case are so sad. I feel so sorry for the family of the victim.
Vivian P. Apr 25, 2008, 1:36pm UTC
????????
Barb Carlson Apr 25, 2008, 1:36pm UTC
Damn. What on earth has the police in that city so trigger-happy? We've had incidents here in Pittsburgh where the police were acquitted and I didn't think it was justice.
Robyn F. Apr 25, 2008, 1:38pm UTC
cuz theyre cops they get off easy.....
sheila ~the hapless housewife~ j. Apr 25, 2008, 1:38pm UTC
I had heard about that.
Larry M. Apr 25, 2008, 1:50pm UTC
This is another case that would have benefited from street cameras. If the incident were on film we would know who's story to believe. As it is we have only suspicion.
Susan S. Apr 25, 2008, 1:58pm UTC
cops here have cameras in thier cars, but they never seem to work when the cops mess up
Kay M Apr 25, 2008, 2:00pm UTC
Very tragic event
A N. Apr 25, 2008, 2:26pm UTC



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Juan J Martinez Apr 25, 2008, 3:08pm UTC
That is why they chose a trial devoid of any jury. They knew the fix was in. No judge would find them guilty of anything. They are all part of the same corruption.
**AngelEyez** a. Apr 25, 2008, 3:41pm UTC
hey now this makes Ny look worse then it really is,remember now all parts are like this and this happens everywhere,I have to stick up for my home state ya know.I love ny and I have met many cops there and made friends with working night shifts
Susan S. Apr 25, 2008, 4:08pm UTC
this sort of thing happens everywhere not just in ny. it's just so disturbing that cops kill and get away with it.
I am unsure of what to think of this. such a tragedy, but I know that if I was a cop and i thought someone was pulling a gun on me I would defend myself and shoot to protect me and my team. But if there was no reason to suspect any guns or anything harmful then they should be punished just like the rest of us. Defenently a tragedy that should not have happened either way.
Stacie N. Apr 25, 2008, 4:44pm UTC
I totally understand police officers needing to defend themselves, but why shoot the guy so many times? Did they think he was the terminator or something?
Juan J Martinez Apr 25, 2008, 5:09pm UTC
The idiot cops were shooting so out of control, that they that the shots from their buddies were coming from the car, so they continued to blast away. One of the cops even, put in another clip into his gun and started firing away a second time.
Sheila Deeth Apr 25, 2008, 5:12pm UTC
Not sure cameras would help. They only give one point of view too.
Nancy S. Apr 25, 2008, 5:16pm UTC
That was a terrible situation.
Lawrence J, H. Apr 25, 2008, 5:44pm UTC
that's New York for you green train
Felix R. Apr 25, 2008, 7:30pm UTC
I was born and raised in New York...have lived in Brooklyn all my life, but, in the past five years I've spent about half the year in San Juan, Puerto Rico. These cops got off as they always do in these cases here in New York...on the other hand last year a policeman in Puerto Rico shot a man while the man was on the floor...point blank five times...while the man was on his' stomach. A bystander recorded the incident...justice is quick on the island...the officer was tried and convicted. This last week...on Tuesday, I believe, to 109 years in prison. We don't have the death penalty so he'll get life...cadena perpetua (perpetual chains)...and they mean it. When they say life...that's exactly what you will get. They have a white prison overlooking San Juan harbor it's name...La Princesa (The Princess)...you enter it's daunting white walls and you only leave it...in a coffin.

I'm beginnng to spend more and more time here in the Caribbean than in my home in Brooklyn...this is one of he reasons.

See: http://www.statesman.com/news/content/shared-gen/ap/Latin_America_And_Caribbean/Puerto_Rico_Police_Shooting.html

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24073993/

The MSNBC article has it's information wrong...it was five shots not three...and the injury to the officers leg came about as he was standing over the man shooting him...the superficial wound was from his own pistol.
Carol Lloyd Apr 25, 2008, 7:31pm UTC
I had heard about that.
Felix R. Apr 25, 2008, 7:36pm UTC
Sidewalk memorial to Sean Bell...

SEAN BELL\'S MEMORIAL SITE
Debra B. Apr 25, 2008, 7:59pm UTC
Wow! I sure would hate to have been on that jury.
Denise B. Apr 25, 2008, 8:34pm UTC
so sorry for the family
Chris E. Apr 25, 2008, 8:38pm UTC
To answer you question. They were acquitted because they followed protocol. They did what they were trained to do.

Stacie - Officers are trained to eliminate the threat. They shoot until there is no longer a threat.
Chris E. Apr 25, 2008, 8:44pm UTC
I just love how so many bad mouth the police but then turn around and call them the instant they need them. Remember police officers have a very hard job where they have to make life and death decisions in a split second. When you are all warm and cozy in your homes making general statments about how all cops think they are above the law( which they do not) or they should have done this or that. Walk a mile in their shoes first and remember they are the ones out there going to places to protect citizen that you would never dare go.
Lisa J Apr 25, 2008, 9:09pm UTC
Yay Chris. I don't know enough about this shooting to comment on it directly, but I know from being raised by a cop that you do your best to disarm a situation before firing. Additionally, the officers said that they were clipped by the guy's car and then it rammed an unmarked car.

Are cars no longer deadly weapons?

Like I said, I don't know enough. I don't live close enough to NYC to have heard much about this.

I can't imagine the judge had to have weighed this very heavily before issuing a verdict, because he had to know that declaring them completely not guilty would possibly create race riots and other problems. I can't believe he went in there with a pre-decided verdict.
Abby N. Apr 25, 2008, 9:25pm UTC
Gave you a 10! Thanks for posting to complaintstation.gather.com
Edward W. Apr 25, 2008, 10:02pm UTC
From what I've heard about the incident, the jury's decision is the correct one. Sean Bell might have been unarmed, but he was acting aggressively against the officers. As with the rest of us, police have the right to defend themselves.
I, too, heard on the news that Sean had driven a car at the officers, thus threatening them with lethal force.

Please, people, don't be so quick to adversely judge the police- they have a right to a trial, and these cops have had theirs.
Edward W. Apr 25, 2008, 10:08pm UTC
Yes, Lisa B, rioting is an issue. But, for the integrity of our justice system, we aught not let those criminals intimidate us into letting guilty parties "off the hook" or incarcerating the innocent. That's not what our country stands for and, hopefully, never will.

If only we had enough space in the prison system to put ALL rioters, so that they're off the street where they definitely don't belong.
Patricia J. Apr 25, 2008, 10:39pm UTC
I don't know enough about this case to make a judgement but it sounds like there was some fault on both sides.
Felix R. Apr 25, 2008, 11:26pm UTC
The people of New York know what happened here...it's happened time and time again.
Felix R. Apr 26, 2008, 12:54pm UTC
Note how these cases involving police officers always go before a judge...who invariably pronounce in favor of the NYPD. No juries for these guys...it might upset their' system...which is fool-proof. They are notorious for shooting unarmed people, because, they 'thought they saw'.

They're a hybrid of Tweety Bird and Mr. Magoo.
Juan J Martinez Apr 26, 2008, 1:33pm UTC
"I can't believe he went in there with a pre-decided verdict. "

Why do you think the officers elected not go with a jury trial/ They knew from history that NYC judges will take care of their own and that includes the boys in blue.

Now days, NYC cops all they need to say is they thought someone had a gun in order to get off with a murder such as the one in this case and others similar to it.

I myself have always been a supporter of law enforcement except when it comes to corrupt, racist and out of control officers such as in this case.
Juan J Martinez Apr 26, 2008, 1:35pm UTC
"If only we had enough space in the prison system to put ALL rioters, so that they're off the street where they definitely don't belong. "

As do these cops.
Marge H. Apr 26, 2008, 7:44pm UTC
I also don't know enough about the case to form an opinion but thank you for an interesting article.
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Carol Lloyd Apr 27, 2008, 6:28am UTC
Maybe its not over and Justice is only delayed. As with many violent crimes during the civil rights era that were not prosecuted in the state courts or when in those same courts convictions were impossible to achieve the federal government has the option to open a civil rights violation case which can and does carry significant jail time. Now with that said, I am not sure that such a case would ever be considered under this current administration. However, the good news is that this administration thankfully is drawing to a close and the period of time necessary to file charges will not have expired prior to the time a new administration has taken office. So there is still hope for Justice only delayed at this time.
Holli G. Apr 27, 2008, 4:41pm UTC
It is very sad!
j - Frugal Mom - r. Apr 27, 2008, 9:15pm UTC
It is a tragedy all over again.
Felix R. Apr 28, 2008, 12:48pm UTC
MyFoxNY.com -- Rep. John Conyers of Michigan and chairman of the House Judiciary Committee is visiting the scene of the Sean Bell shooting today. He wants federal charges to be filed against the three NYPD detectives cleared in the 50-shot case. Watch the video report by Fox 5's Katherine Creag.

http://www.myfoxny.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=6408292&version=4&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=3.2.1
Chelsea R. Apr 28, 2008, 4:24pm UTC
i heard about that... :(
Austin Cushing Apr 28, 2008, 5:16pm UTC
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samantha b. May 22, 2008, 9:40am UTC
it is just wrong, very wrong

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