New York: Where Police Killings of Innocent Men are Legal

Justice Arthur Cooperman's delivery of the not guilty verdict in a crowded Queens courtroom provoked an outpouring of emotions.

(MAHWAH, N.J.) - The police in New York City,
they chased a boy right through the park.
And in a case of mistaken identity
they put a bullet through his heart.

Heart breakers with your forty four,
I wanna tear your world apart,
you heart breaker with your forty four,
I wanna tear your world a part.

Americans have a right to be outraged today over the acquittal of three detectives in New York who shot an unarmed and mistakenly identified bridegroom over 50 times. They were cut loose today by a New York judge without a slap on the wrist.

Details are emerging about NYPD's fatal shooting of Sean Bell late last year. The 23-year old unarmed man was killed and two of his friends were wounded outside a Queens nightclub on November 25th, the eve of what would have been Bell’s wedding day.

The incident, in which two of the five officers were initially indicted on manslaughter charges and a third faced lesser charges, sparked numerous protests in New Yorker City. People took to the streets by the thousands.

Five officers delivered a barrage of 50 shots, total Bonnie-and-Clyde-style, in 2007.

One officer by himself fired 31 bullets from his gun. As they shot the innocent man to death, he actually took the time to reload.

Get ready America, because much of our state and city governments (like New York) are unjust and dangerous and highly un-American. It is sad that it took Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones, a British rock band, to bring attention to the wanton and illegal acts of New York Police 35 years ago. It is even sadder that those acts have continued.

MSNBC reports that the Justice Department’s "Principles for Promoting Police Integrity" states that officers are authorized to use deadly force "only when it is reasonable and necessary to protect the officer or others from imminent danger of death or serious physical injury to the officer or another person."

Justice Arthur Cooperman's delivery of the "not guilty" verdict in a crowded Queens courtroom provoked an outpouring of emotions, media sources report.

The whole justification seems to be based around the fact that Bell's vehicle was pulling away from a curb as the shooting began. The judge and other experts apparently believe that the moving car is a "deadly weapon" and even though the innocent men were mistakenly identified, it seems the act of simply driving his own car led to Sean Bell's death.

Sean Bell's fiancee and parents were in court to hear the verdict, along with at least 200 people who gathered outside the building. Reporters say Bell's fiancee wept as they left the courtroom.

Let's remember a couple of things. Most people do not become police officers. Of those who do, it is strictly a voluntary choice, much like our military. There should be less than zero tolerance for the people who coined that very phrase, when it comes to law breaking.

When the people placed in positions of authority conduct themselves as criminals, then the punishments they receive should be steep. What example do they set for the public, and their peers, if not?

Police take the position that they have a very dangerous job and that mistakes happen, that is true. Common sense tells us that there is no perfect scenario. But, this perverted example of police criminality is about the three men who ended the life and future dreams of Sean Bell, a man who had done nothing wrong.

It would be one thing if they were held accountable, but they are not. This means that, as has been true in the past, the future will be another cycle of irresponsible police, condoned by the government, and a society again turning against them.

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Comments Leave a comment on this story.

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JOY June 18, 2008 4:24 am (Pacific time)

ITS NOT FAIR THOUGH IT MIGHT BE GOD WHO PLANNED THEIR DEATH TO HAPPEN THAT WAY...WHAT A NICE COUPLE!!

Henry Ruark April 28, 2008 2:40 pm (Pacific time)

In several similar "angry" situations where I got caught on coverage, have observed outcome with no fatalities when police involved worked most carefully at full very professional techniques well known and taught widely. Thanfully that is the norm among nearly all police and even security forces now, with glaring exceptions still stealing headlines from large cities where conditions are now far too ripe for repeat of Sixties riots and flames. Something is deeply wrong and desperately dangerous when 50 shots are loosed off to end confrontation violently --and no gun is found, with only cause for shots police claim that talk of one prompted such further actions as may have occurred, perhaps even in desperate self-defense. Given wellknown racial abuse propensity clearly on record both in New York and Chicago, not alone among some police but also among other segments too, this is one more symptom of holocaust to come if we deny need for Constitutional remedy via what it plainly states: "equality under law". We fought one Civil War; but that's not enough for some, who plainly seek another --and may well get it more rapidly than they ever expected. This is 21st Century, and normal persons have moved far from myth of racial difference from which grows this psycho symptom called "racism.

Voice of Reason April 27, 2008 2:42 pm (Pacific time)

People don't routinely point guns at police. And there is no reason to shoot a guy 50 times. Once he is shot five or ten times, he is no longer a threat. He was at a bachelor party. He wasn't robbing a bank. And the police had not idea who was with him. They were not armed. They did nothing to deserve a death sentence.

old marine April 27, 2008 7:38 am (Pacific time)

blind, drunk, 4am, with two convicted felons????? This person flouts the law. Do you really think with that entitlement attitude he would stop when the cops told him to??

Cindy April 27, 2008 6:50 am (Pacific time)

Wow - the disrespect shown for the police - who by the way would give thier lives to protect people like you - is amazing. Were you there that you know what happened? Do you have a gun shoved in your face or bullets fired at you on a regular basis? I bet there is not a day that goes by that YOU are afraid that your keyboard may attack you and kill you. Give these guys a break - in retrospect could they have done something different? Yes. Are they perfect? No. Want perfection? hire robots but don't try to get them to talk a guy with a gun out of shooting his family!

Citizen April 26, 2008 9:56 pm (Pacific time)

Police brutality and cover ups exist here in Salem, too.

StandsWithFists April 26, 2008 9:42 pm (Pacific time)

I saw that Sean Bell's family, friends and Rev Al Sharpton marched for 20 blocks after the acquittal, and that there are plans to shut down NYC in the near future to stop police violence. Is this the 60's or what? Thank goodness we care about true justice in America, it's what we expect, and should receive. AMERICA, the free and the brave. We should not live in fear especially because of cops that are supposed to be protecting us. March on! One city at a time. Let's clean up our act, and mean it.

D Fredricks April 26, 2008 11:58 am (Pacific time)

Wow, Tim, talk about one sided.... what happened to my last comment? Afraid to post it?

Tim King to D. Fredricks: Well I am not exactly sure but you are probably right, I opted not to post it. As far as being "afraid," all I can guess is that the comment was not something we want to see here. I think I clearly demonstrate that I am not "afraid" of very many things. This site will not be used as a propaganda tool by people who state opinions but represent them as something larger than that.

The policy used to be that everything goes up, that changed several months ago. You can resubmit your comment unless you know I am not going to approve it. Was it overly insulting? If so it was trashed. Was it racist? If so it was trashed. Is is reasonable? If so then please resubmit it. I think I am getting 100% of the comments right now but from time to time they don't come through. I will check the spam file.

Hmmm... April 26, 2008 12:58 pm (Pacific time)

Yeah, the fuzz said he was trying to run them down with his car yet they didn't just get out of the way? They clearly had the time. Bad pigs. OINK, OINK OINK...

RJ April 26, 2008 7:34 am (Pacific time)

"barrage of 50 shots" and "took the time to reload"... Over done I think.

Citizen April 25, 2008 6:29 pm (Pacific time)

Tim, Are you aware that handcuffs can be used as "deadly force" as well? Police routinely use them to inflict their own form of punishment. They seldom get caught or go to trial.

Tim to Citizen: I am somewhat aware of this and I appreciate you bringing it to our attention.

Matt Johnson April 25, 2008 4:23 pm (Pacific time)

Well we know that if these were soldiers or Marines or sailors, that they would be found guilty with equally unfair circumstances and sent up the river. These cops were probably taken to dinner by their department for their "great police work." Well, you guys are a horrible embarrassment and NY actually has good people, too bad you weren't them.. These cops are straight killers and they are probably dirty as Texas politicians when you get down to it.. Cops are given the "legal" ability to criminalize and compromise the citizens in this pathetic right wing Nazi like country where our rights have been stripped away. Black men good luck and never forget, guys like these are always gunning for you, thus once again lies a simple explanation why men like Pastor Wright just won't stop talking about it, because of racist cops like these morons. This is a racist country, NY is supposed to be the north but its justice system might as well be based in Kentucky.

Julie April 25, 2008 3:54 pm (Pacific time)

Thank you! This is not justice, and that guy Bill must be kidding. So, everybody that drinks and drives deserves to DIE? Or is it BLIND people you hate more? "Bill", why were you in the courtroom? Were you one of the murderers or something?

EazyMoney April 25, 2008 1:27 pm (Pacific time)

Justice? Drunk driving is hardly a capitol offense.

Bill April 25, 2008 12:44 pm (Pacific time)

Sean Bell received Justice: Legally blind and he's driving a car at 0.16 alcohol content in his blood. Twice the federal and state (INCLUDING OREGON) legal level. You were not in the courtroom like we were.

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New York: Where Police Killings of Innocent Men are Legal

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