In the wake of the acquittal of 3 NYC police officers who fired 50 shots into a car killing Sean Bell on his wedding day, the Rev. Al Sharpton promised to shut the city down.
Sharpton made good on his promise by organizing a peaceful pray-in at the spot where Bell lost his life.
- Sharpton, two survivors of the shooting and the slain man’s fiancee were among about a dozen people arrested on disorderly conduct charges near the base of the bridge. Police led away demonstrators at several other bridges and tunnels in the city.
The protests were part of a coordinated campaign to urge federal authorities to investigate the November 2006 shooting of Sean Bell. Three officers were acquitted of state charges last month.
Sharpton, shooting survivors Trent Benefield and Joseph Guzman, and Bell’s fiancee, Nicole Paultre Bell, lined up and peacefully put their hands behind their backs as police put plastic handcuffs on them. Sharpton and Bell were placed in a police vehicle.
The civil rights leader is seeking a federal civil rights probe into Bell’s shooting outside a Queens nightclub. The case raised questions about police use of deadly force in minority neighborhoods. (Source)
Thanks to loyal reader LaShawn for the tip!
All charges will be dropped..NY isn’t that damn stupid..dumb, but not stupid..Paging public relations!It ain’t over!
damn thats F*cked up
Meanwhile crime continued to happen in other areas of the city. Justice will be served on a hot platter with gasoline drawls when they try to reach the Pearly Gates. They might get away on this side….I heard hell is hot
I’m confused. If she is still being referred to as his fiance why is her last name Bell?? Didn’t he die at his bachlor party??
F THE PO-PO! THEY KILLED HER HUSBAND AND HE DIDN’T HAVE A WEAPON! N.Y. IS A POLICE STATE EVER SINCE A-HOLE GULLINAI WAS IN OFFICE. AND YOU RIGHT HELLAVA, HELL IS HOT! EVEN THOUGH IT’S RIGHT HERE ON EARTH!
@ miamore73. a judge honored their license even though the actual ceremony was not performed, she was allowed to legally change her name
Personally I think most people who want to be police officers are already in a superior mindset to other people. Many on them not all are disturbed and by becoming officers they get to act out on their need to trample on those they may already have a prejudice against. I mean does anyone really, really, really understand what happened here? An INNOCENT MAN a UNITED STATES CITIZEN was gunned down, murdered! and there is no outrage, no accountablity for his life? The country just goes on with business as usual. If this had happened in New England to a young caucasian male on the night of his bachelor party, it would be plastered all over fox news. The whole incident would have been disected, analyzed, reanalyzed and re-enacted to hold these cops accountable. Again and Again we see that Black Lives are considered less than that of the mainstream.
Thanks hellava10
this is so sad, but its the times we live in, most blk men have been stopped for driving while black, and alot of times its by black police officers too. i think they need to shut the city down sometimes you need to be willing to stand up to the man and accept the consequences.
teecee I agree. There still is and will always be power in numbers. You’re right Taking a stand and accepting the consequences is what we must learn to do.
SOme police officers were fat and ugly and teased all the time when they were young kids, so now they hold a badge and a gun they think they are the Big Bad Wolf now.
And other news R.Kelly is trying to get another extension for his trial until September. If this was any other men he would have been thrown under the jail cell with gasoline on his draws and “F” in the a** at the sametime. (sorry I got off subject)
I just think it is a sad day in our country when shooting a human being 50 times is considered “reasonable force”. The pray-in was peaceful so why were they arrested? Maybe the powers that be in New York thought that people would accept this cruel travesty of justice and move on, but they were wrong. His family lost the trial but they should pursue a civil suit against the officers and the state of New York. Maybe once they feel the magnitude of what they have done in a monetary sense then maybe it will start to a cycle where their lives are devastated just like Sean Bell’s families has been.
I am glad that they rallied a peaceful protest.
This is just the beginning. I hope the Feds step up and open an investigation.
I don’t understand where they think all this marching and praying is going to get them. Nicole is following Al and for what? When has his marching ever solved anything? They need to get technology saavy and starting sending the information over the net and flooding the inbox’s of these federal investigators and leave that marching to the bands. These federal investigators are going to investigate when this political election hoopla is over and they get tired of knitpicking at Obama and Rev. Wright. Then’ they’ll re-open the case, but not until they get good and got damn ready.
Kill a dog – get two years.
Don’t pay their asses (the government) – get three years jail time with a possible 2 months in solitary confinement. Because everybody knows that THE + IRS = THEIRS.
Leave a white baby in the car in 90 degree heat to die while you take donuts to your co-workers – slap on the wrist with a healthy severance package.
Kill an unarmed blk man with 50 bullets – acquitted
What is wrong with this picture?
They did not have to arrest them.
Since when does a “peaceful” protest warrant an arrest. This is messed up on so many levels.
NY, NY big city of dreams but everything in Ny ain’t always what it seems. This is the most popular city in the world and yet so much wrong is done in it. If I was Nicole I would stop following Rev. Al and start a strong healing process for her and the girls. I truly believe karma is a b*t*h and what those cops did will haunt them for the rest of their lives.