News NYPD Boo Boo

NYPD Boo Boo

Ive bolded some points that will either make or break this case, in my opinion.




Groom Fatally Shot by Police Outside Strip Club
Gunned Down Hours Before He Was to Wed

NEW YORK (Nov. 26) - Sean Bell and his fiancee had already shared a high school romance, then two children. In the early hours of what was to be their wedding day, the reception hall lay waiting, covered in satin and adorned with balloons. But the ceremony never occurred Saturday. Police shot 50 rounds at the groom's car as he drove away from his bachelor party, killing the 23-year-old hours before he was to walk down the aisle.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Watch Video: Groom's Shooting Raises Questions

Talk About It: Post Thoughts


The hail of gunfire at a car full of unarmed men drew an outcry from family members and community leaders. Two passengers, who had been celebrating with the groom at a strip club, were also injured; one was struck by at least 11 bullets.

The officers' shots struck the men's car 21 times after it rammed into an undercover officer and hit an unmarked NYPD minivan, police said. Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said it was too early to say whether the shooting was justified.

The gunfire also sprayed nearby homes and a train station, though no residents were injured.

Police thought one of the men in the car might have had a gun, but investigators found no weapons. It was unclear what prompted police to open fire, Kelly said.

He said the incident stemmed from an undercover operation inside the strip club in Queens. Seven officers in plain clothes were investigating the Kalua Cabaret; five of them were involved in the shooting.

According to Kelly, the groom was involved in a verbal dispute outside the club after 4 a.m. One of his friends made a reference to a gun.

An undercover officer walked closely behind Bell and his friends as they headed for their car. As he walked toward the front of the vehicle, they drove forward -- striking him and a nearby undercover police vehicle.

The officer who had followed the group on foot was apparently the first to open fire, Kelly said. That officer had served on the force for five years. One 12-year veteran fired his weapon 31 times, emptying two full magazines, Kelly said.

It was the first time any of the officers, all of whom carried 9 mm handguns, had been involved in a shooting, he said.

At some point, Bell backed his car up onto the sidewalk, hitting a building gate. He then drove forward, striking the police vehicle a second time, Kelly said.

It was unclear whether the shooters had identified themselves as police, said Kelly, whose account was based on statements made by witnesses and the two officers who did not shoot their weapons. Police could not question the other officers because the district attorney must first complete an investigation, he said.

The groom was driving. Joseph Guzman, 31, was in the front passenger's seat and was shot at least 11 times. Trent Benefield, 23, who was in the back seat, was hit three times. Both men were taken to Mary Immaculate Hospital, where Guzman was listed in critical condition and Benefield was in stable condition.

Kelly said there may have been a fourth person in the car who fled the scene.

Three officers, including the officer hit by the car, were treated and released. Another detective remained hospitalized for hypertension, Kelly said.

Abraham Kamara, 38, who lives a few blocks from where the shooting occurred, said he was getting ready for work around 4 a.m. when he heard bursts of gunfire.

"First it was like four shots," he said. "And then it was like pop-pop-pop like 12 times."

Kelly said undercover officers were inside the club to document illicit activity. With one more violation the club would be shut down, he said.

He said the establishment has a "chronic history of narcotics, prostitution and weapons complaints."

The shooting drew angry protests from family members and the Rev. Al Sharpton.

Sharpton went to Jamaica Hospital, where Bell was pronounced dead, and Mary Immaculate Hospital on Saturday and held news conferences afterward. At Jamaica Hospital, the civil rights advocate stood with about two dozen members of the families of Bell and his fiancee.

"I will stand with this family," he said. "This stinks. Something about the story being told did not seem right."

Sharpton said Bell and his fiancee had two children, a 3-year-old and a 5-month-old.

After meeting with the two wounded men at Mary Immaculate, Sharpton said he was outraged to find the pair handcuffed to their hospital beds. The two were unshackled later Saturday and have not been charged with a crime.

"We're not anti-police ... we're anti-police brutality," Sharpton said.

Robert Porter, who identified himself as Bell's first cousin, said he was supposed to be a DJ at the wedding. He said about 250 people were invited to the ceremony and were flying in from all over the country. He said his cousin wasn't the type to confront police and that he was "on the straight-and-narrow."

"I can't really express myself. It's a numb feeling," Porter said. "I still don't want to believe it, a beautiful day like this, and he was going to have a beautiful wedding, he was going to live forever with his wife and children. And this happened."

___

yeah, the guy hit the cop and backed up, and hit him again.

but what the hell are you gonna do if the damn cops don't identify themselves and you think they might be some really bad people?

This is all under the assumption that they didnt identify themselves, which I find hard to believe that not a single one of them called out "POLICE"

A car is considered a deadly weapon.

Yeah, emptying two clips seems overkill, but you can empty two clips in less than 15 seconds. Obviously it lasted at least that long if the driver had enough time to back up and drive at them again.

I highly doubt that.

Yeah, its their entire intention to state their entire defense at a press conference It is NOT a fact.

They werent rookie cops.

Their car was their deadly weapon.

Sucked at accuracy? The car was hit 21 times. WIth a group of officers shooting, the amount of shots fired will be high. You dont stand there and say "okay, you shoot, Im going to stand here".


Ill need to see more facts about the case before I decide whos side to stand on. The fact that he hit a police officer, backed up, and then hit another police vehicle is very suspicous to me. Id like to know if they were under the influence of anything. And the fact that they were being followed/watched by the undercover team shows that they were doing something questionable in the club.

I doubt it will be open/shut...because there appears to be a lot of unanswered questions. We dont know why they were being watched in the club, we dont know exactly what was happening out on the street during the altercation....Im sure all of this will go public when the trial starts, but not before. The victims probably wont be speaking out either, because their lawyers will advise them otherwise.
I bet that one or two of the officers will be cleared.....one or two will be let off criminally but will face department punishment.....and all will be forced into a civil suit of some sort from the families.

And regardless of how fast the car is going, its considered a deadly weapon. Thats the way it is.
If an officer is standing a foot in front of your car, and you move towards him, its considered a deadly weapon.

Eyewitness's also saw a missile going into the Pentagon

Who knows. Maybe these cops just fucked up.

Their accuracy really wasnt all that bad if you take the total number of shots against the total number of times the car was hit. (all in a span of 15 seconds)

The officer that fired 31 times....that was an overkill. Officers are taught the triple tap....quick bursts of three.

And it is very apparent that those in the Altima rammed their car into the other cars. The front bumper is totally torn off.

Press conference any minute now...CNN

The Altima was fucked up....he rammed that bitch pretty good. The rear is all fucked up too. Obviously he backed into a pol pretty hard.