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| Police acquitted over NY shooting |
| A judge in New York has acquitted three police officers who shot dead an unarmed man hours before his wedding
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| UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
, 25-April-2008
8:25:5 AM |
| Sean Bell, 23, who was black, was shot as he left a strip club in the suburb of Queens in November 2006.
Two detectives, Michael Oliver and Gescard Isnora, faced charges of manslaughter. A third, Marc Cooper, had been accused of reckless endangerment.
The case had generated accusations of police racism and brutality, and there were angry protests outside the court.
Bell's fiancee, Nicole Paultre Bell, walked out of the packed courtroom as soon as Supreme Court Justice Arthur Cooperman cleared the three officers of all charges.
"The people have not proved beyond a reasonable doubt that each defendant was not justified" in firing, the judge said.
The verdict was welcomed by a spokesman for the police union.
The defendants had opted to have a judge decide the case rather than a jury, arguing that pre-trial publicity could have prejudiced jurors.
Undercover
Bell and two friends were apparently trying to drive away from the Kalua club when the incident occurred early on the morning of 25 November 2006.
The police officers who fired were among five undercover officers who had been investigating prostitution allegations at the club.
Bell was killed and his friends were seriously injured.
Mr Isnora said he decided to follow the trio to their car because he believed they were going to carry out a drive-by shooting. No gun was ever found in their car.
Protesters were angered by revelations that between them, the officers had fired 50 shots at the car - a use of force they argued was excessive.
But the police officers insisted they suspected one of Bell's companions was armed.
After the verdict a spokesman for a police union, Patrick J Lynch, told reporters it proved that police officers could expect "fairness" when in court.
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