Rodney King, Blackwater, now this. It seems that “Law Enforcement” is above the law.

The police in this country are completely out of control. If we do not do something to stem the tide of police intrusion and brutality we will end up a cowed and dominated population living on a prison planet. I mourn for this young man’s life and ask those who took it to pay for what they have done.

Authorities above the law. I fear a revolution is coming.

I guess we will never know why Sean Bell was shot…dead man never speaks…but we know that he did not comply with the police…and this has nothing to do with race.

Somebody was bought off or they are just protecting their own.If no gun was found,how can they justify 50 shots.In my eyes,this proves that law enforcers think they are above the law!

OUTRAGEOUS!
I thought we as a nation, as a city were beyond this.
No justice was done in this verdict. Walking while black is still a killing offense, evidently.
P Strobel

Viciousness has been given a free reign, has impressed itself on millions of Blacks with the sting of absolute and irrestible AUTHORITY! Death is the strongest weapon. It settles all disputes over who is MASTER!

Gescard Isnora (who fired first) believed Guzman was going to the car to retrieve a firearm, but then the car drove away.

He _then_ thought Guzman was getting the firearm as Sean Bell drove away, and opened fire. At no time did he stop to think that his initial belief was flawed, that he may be succumbing to scenario fulfilment.

NYPD guidelines prohibit firing at a moving vehicle, considering one bullet narrowly missed a civilian and two Port Authority patrolmen that’s a good rule to have.

Michael Oliver had to pause to reload his pistol. As he continued firing he must have thought he was still under imminent threat of deadly force, despite no returning fire coming from the car.

This was all excessive, beyond any doubt, and what makes this tragic is that it was totally avoidable.

Lisa Gross, two of the cop were black, your story just doesn’t fly. Cops have to deal with scum everyday. Good verdict.

Two of the three New York City Police offers were black, so I do not see how this has anything to do with race.

I have never seen a police officer convicted, when there is a question of citizen confrontations, the judge always lets them go.

The police maybe necessay, but like everything else checks should be in place for times like this.

It one thing to have fired one or two shots as a precaution for one’s own safety but 50 bullets is ridiculous.

“If the black men don’t like the profile that has been attached to them, they should change it. The profile they now have is one of violence and it does incur caution on the part of the police when they have reason to approach them. They have every right to not take a chance on being shot at first. Furthermore this is not a racist situation as .”

This is an ignorant comment but it requires attention so that we may see just how some members of the Caucasian race view black people. Let me say that had this been a white man or woman that was shot 50times the State would have never let the officers walk free. Worst since as you so wittily pointed out “two of the three officers were not Caucasian”. I am black but I am not American, am I to assume then that walking in the U.S at night, though I may be a tourist, is dangerous as I may be shot at 50 times as a result of the colour of my skin?

Does anyone realize that the men were in a vehicle that was aimed at the police officers and came so close that it brushed against one of the officers legs after a fistfight in a strip club that was being investigated for drugs, guns and prostitution? 50 bullets for a man may be excessive. But for a moving vehicle pointed at you that will not obey police orders? 50 sounds about right to me. I don’t know of any public case where excessive deadly force was used for someone that complied and did what they were asked of the police.

Sounds like the case of the “Incredible Stuttering Pistols”
50 shots,…gimme a break!
They should have been convicted of MURDER.
I think they made SURE he was dead for some stinking reason.
The family should now take it up in Civil court and break it off in the city’s unsunniest spot.

You know people!
This is a much more dangerous and violent world we all live in today, unfortunately. I am a decorated war veteran myself and have experience “confronting” dangerous situations, dangerous people, perceived threats, or situations you ENTIRELY do not have the “adequate” information to make an intelligent and well-informed decision. And, unfortunately, these circumstances require split-second decision making on our part, and quite frankly, if it came down to YOUR life or MINE, it’s gonna be MINE that’s going to survive!! Get over the issue of “the color of my skin.” It’s the world we live in people; accept it!

The verdict was insane. The Tasering is insane. The Suspension of the 4th Amendment is insane. This country is collapsing into a police state, where the real criminals are running it.

The verdict was insane. The epidemic of tasering is insane. The suspension of the 4th amendment is insane. The theft of the FLDS children is insane. The US is collapsing into a police state where the real criminals are those that run it.

This may not have been the result of racism, but there is definitely evidence of prejudice. No unarmed caucasian male has ever been shot at over 40 (50 in this case) times in any event involving police. Let’s be honest! How many caucasian males worry about being shot 41 times while reaching for their wallets?

This is an outrageous verdict. 50 shots! 50 shots!

I am a white ultra-conservative Republican. I believe in upholding the law. The law applies to all Americans, including police. No man should be above the law. Although this is not a racial issue, it is a justice issue. We do not live in a Police State like Nazi Germany — at least I thought until I saw this verdict.

No man regardless of race is safe with this kind of verdict. Beyond reasonable doubt? 50 shots against an unarmed man proves beyond reasonable doubt. There are no reasonable ifs ands or buts about it.

the verdic was skeud towards the police noone came out on top ,but to many shots where fired

How many police offers have to die begore they are allowed to take action. To think anyone put in the same situation might not respond in the same manner is hard to believe. Until you walk in their shoes and face the same dangers don’t judge. Appreciate the fact they are willing to be out there a 4 AM while you sleep in your bed. Not saying it’s right just saying don’t try to judge them without being there to be a part of the moment.

This is not an issue of race! It has to do with authority. I have a best friend that is an officer. I am conflicted by this story in so many ways. I tell him often too do whatever you have too do in order to walk through the door and see your family and friends again. With the Bell case however, I don’t know if I actually want him to do any and everything to get home if it means killing an unarmed man.

Gun + testosterone + stressful situation = overreaction & manslaughter in this case. We all are empathetic to the Bell family. They suffered a tragic loss. I will not even attempt to pretend that I know what they are feeling. However, we also have to look at the individuals that are entrusted with the public’s safety. We can not attempt to only put ourselves in Mr. Bell’s shoe. Newton’s laws teach us that for every action there is a reaction. The officers did not arbitrarily aim to do Mr. Bell harm. They were placed in a situation which called for an immediate response. I am sure that many of you would not think biblically and turn the other cheek while a car is speeding toward you. The fight-or-flight response would indicate that most people would do whatever is necessary to preserve their own life.

Although it is tragic, this is what happened. Instead of reliving the incident, can we not focus on solutions to prevent this from happening to another human? As a black Ph.D. who has been pulled over many times for nothing, I am never removed from being reminded that I am black first and a citizen second in this country. However, we must make it our mission not to be held captive by our circumstance. We have the power to change who we are and what we are destined to become. I encourage each of you to not let Mr. Bell’s death be in vain. Rise up!

To call this a race related crime is insane if you look at who was on trial and doing the shooting, it was both black and white officers.So how can u say this is race related? If it were truly race related would they have let the 2 black officers on trial walk? This is about police not being trained properly and being to quick to use their weapons.

People are learning that there is no justice in the court rooms. You can only find justice in the streets.

Just as Ash alludes to it in his comments, we can all protest this unfair verdict and avoid the possibility that we might become a victim of poorly trained, trigger happy NYC cops, by staying the hell out of New York City.
NYC is supported by a great amount of tourism. If 50% of us stayed out of NYC, didn’t make a summer trip to the Big Apple to see Broadway Plays or whatever, the NYC administration would take notice and bring their police under effective control. The same goes for business. Take your business somewhere else where there is more respect for human life. Like Detroit where the Mayor has no problem with firing cops. The problem is he fires them for being too good police officers.

JUSTICE WAS SERVED ! GOD BLESS AMERICA !

Outrageous! Next they will be saying it’s against the law to shoot at policemen in New York.

As an attorney who prosecutes for the state, perhaps I can shed some light on the truth about this case. This case was brought for POLITICAL reasons, not legal ones. It was very apparent at the grand jury stage that there was not enough evidence to make out any of the charges brought against the defendants in this case. Solely for political reasons — basically, to maintain the peace — the DA’s office decided that it HAD to bring this case to trial despite the fact that doing so was not the proper decision. The fact that the judge has now determined the exact same thing — that there is a mountain of reasonable doubt in this case on all charges — should not surprise anyone who understands the legal system. Just because you really, really want someone to be guilty does not make it so.

The facts of this case are well known to those who investigated and those who finalized the verdict. This was not racism, and not poor training. It was unfortunate, but there were circumstances that caused the police to react in this way. Justice was served. They were not guilty of murder, and they acted in what they perceived as self-defense. Don’t make it what it is NOT. It is NOT police brutality or police hate.

Every set of circumstances are different. Coupled with changing environments and specific conditions may cause a majority of individuals to respond in certain predictable, or even expected ways when adequate, related training is provided. You can even establish beforehand how one should behave, act, and respond in a given explored set of circumstances and surrounding environment and conditions.

That being said, I served in the military for over 2 decades, deployed into multiple, hot combat zones around the globe. I’ve been fired upon, and fired back. A single shot is all I’ve ever needed to take any one target. I was very good at what I did, and did what I had to survive. Based on the way facts have been made public regarding this case; I would say 50 shots are excessive.

It’s more than just poor training that comes into play here but lack of adequate social skills. While it’s true things are different today and this case did not take place on the battlefield.

I can still remember when a police officer walked his beat, and never had to pull their weapon from their holster because they first employed used common sense and good judgment and it was basic social skills that were used to disarm the situation.

Concerns of overuse of tasers and guns are masking the greater concern of what could and should have been done better and more efficient to have no one lose their life that day. Sometimes employing technology and force are one of the ways to go.

Other times it’s getting back to applying the basics and what has successfully worked for hundreds of years with so many other individuals in similar circumstances.

Argue all the semantics you want to; in the end does the experience leave a good taste in your mouth, are you able to sleep well at night for your actions and are you easily able to look the victim’s family members in their eyes knowing you did the best job possible at the time, and there was no other way.

How can any of us commett on the verdict, we didn’t see the evadence the judge saw, or hear the testimoney the judge heard. It’s hard for me to judge the verdict without knowing all the facts. I still think our system is the best in the world or would people rather have the system they have in Zimbabawa?No trials just firing squads?

AGAIN, LAW ENFORCEMENT IS TOO SCARED TO POLICE ITSELF.
WHICH IN REAL LIFE TERMS MEANS,THE POLICE ARE COMMITING SO MANY CRIMES IN SO MANY CITIES NOW, NOBODY CAN KEEP UP WITH IT.<-THINK ABOUT IT.

Primarily, it’s not a question of ethnicity. The police are trained and educated to act like they are in a constant combat scenario. It’s as if they are Marines in the jungles of Vietnam. The police (with a very few exceptions) consider civilians the enemy. In their eyes we are all guilty until proven innocent.

Watch any law enforcement reality TV show and unless you are completely incompetent you’ll understand what I’m talking about.

Place a police officer that considers himself better than the rest of us (believe me that’s exactly what they think) in the above context, add some stereotypical civilian elements (black man in a strip bar) and you’ve
got crazy men with guns running the show.

We are in a lot more trouble than most everyone thinks. The more any of us try to bring this to the attention of the people around us, the more crazy we are made to sound by the media and the people (police and politicians) that know what’s best for us.

One more thing, these officers and the judge are not a disgrace to anything. How can you be a disgrace to a system that is already and big fat disgusting disgrace. They are just more examples of the same.

THE F.B.I HAS DONE CRIMES. THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT DOES CRIMES.(CROSSING THE THIN BLUE LINE)- EVEN HAS A NAME FOR IT, EVERYBODY KNOWS.THE C.I.A DOES CRIMES.HOW ABOUT THE TERM-(THROW-DOWN)-THIS IS A TERM EVERYONE KNOWS AS,
A GUN POLICE PUT IN A CRIME SCENE,TO MAKE IT LOOK AS THOUGH THE PERSON HAD IT.BY THE WAY, THE TERM (THROW-DOWN) HAS BEEN AROUND SINCE THE 30′S. ALSO THE POLICE IN CHICAGO/MIAMI/DETROIT AND L.A. HAVE HAD COPS IN UNIFORM
BUSTED FOR SELLING DRUGS FROM THEIR PATROL CARS.ALSO, POLICE HAVE BEEN PLANTING DRUGS ON PEOPLE, AND BUSTED FOR IT FOR YEARS AND YEARS.ALSO, MEN ON DEATHROW WHO NOW GET OFF WHEN D.N.A. PROVES THEY DIDNT DO IT.
HEY PEOPLE IN LAW-ENFORCEMENT JUST WAIT TILL JUDGEMENT-DAY.

WHEN POLICE START BUSTING POLICE FOR CRIMES, INSTEAD OF HIDING IT. ONLY THEN WILL ORDER BE RESTORED.
http://www.badcops.com
http://www.officer.com - go to internal affairs.
the f.b.i and the justice department should be ashamed of themselves. FOR NOT RESTORING ORDER.I HAVE NO PITY ON THEM FOR NOT DOING THEIR JOBS.

OUR SYSTEM IS NOT THE BEST IN THE WORLD.THE BEST SYSTEM IN THE WORLD WOULD NOT ALLOW THIS PERIOD.

You are right… this is a race thing…. It is a race thing because everyone assumes the Groom is innocent because he is black and that everyone things all black men are guilty. Sean Bell has been convicted on Gun Posestion in the past. He also has been convicted for Selling Crack. He carried an illegal gun most of the time and sold drugs to men women and children. He was not a good citizen. One of his friends was convicted a year later for beating his girlfriend. If none of these kids did anything wrong in the past they wouldn’t of sped off in the car and ran into an unmarked cop car. They wouldn’t of told someone they were getting there gun… and there wouldn’t of been a fourth who ran away. They Broke they law… They kept breaking the law…. My Tax Dollars pays for rehab treatment for those who they helped keep on the addiction. Doesn’t anyone see any of this… or is it being used to see…… “look look white cop killed black kid” The first cop to shoot was black. one of the other cops was half black/half mexican One wes middle eastern….. only one was white. This is not a color thing….. it is a drug thing… a gun thing… and a prostition thing….. I am always sorry for the loss of life no matter who it is…. but I will also put blame on those who should be held responsible. You sleep in the bed you make…. Sean Bell had a great hope as a baseball player…. He had an out…. but instead it was better to sell drugs! I am sorry for all of those who have been hurt by this on both sides of the law.

We thank you not to purport to know the details of the evidence presented in the case Rob Cincy. The truth about bigotry and prejudice is that it’s an institutionalized system of oppression. Being guilty of being a bigot, being prejudice, being a “racist” does not require you be a member of an “opposing” ethnic group! It’s a way of thinking and reacting, people are guilty of being prejudice against those who look just like them.

No one outside of the prosecution, investigators, judge and defense are aware of the full body of evidence including information that was precluded from the trial, but at face value one who followed the case in the media would think the least that would result is a guilty verdict against these officers for reckless endangerment. To not just shoot, but to EXCESSIVELY discharge your weapon in a public area (so much so as to find bullets in a nearby airtrain and residence) is a GROSS display of a depraved indifference for the safety of other private citizens on that street and in their homes - this at the hands of people who are to UPHOLD and ENFORCE the laws, our social contract with each other. To reload and continue to fire, this was not a defensive tactic by an officer under attack, this was an ASSAULT on private citizens with seemingly no resonable presence of just cause. Again, we dont know the full scope of evidence.

Unfortunately no matter what was presented and what arguments were considered, this is nothing new and is a sad and unacceptable piece in the sick perpetuation of a sorely skewed “justice” system. Certainly not what the “founding fathers” (bigots or not) intended!

This is not about race! Some people are taking this as yet another opportunity to say “I’m black and we have again been wronged.” Oh, I am not in the least big prejudice. I just think that it’s too easy for some people to escape into that mode of thought.

The bottom line is that the police acted VERY inappropriately and way too excessively. They should have been held accountable for their actions. My heart goes out to the Bell family, and especially to Nicole Paultre Bell. I hope that justice will prevail and they can get a small amount of satisfaction and possibly begin to heal.

I work for the department of correction. the training is extensive in what not to do in an armed confrontation. the truth is, in a deadly force incident, you have to percieve the threat and act. if a reasonable man would percieve his life was in danger, or someone elses life was in danger, he is justified in using deadly force. second place in a gun fight, means you lost. most of the people bad mouthing the police will never have to confront someone with the intent to seriously injure them or take their life. the policeman takes that risk every day when he puts on the uniform. they are there to protect and serve, but they intend to be alive to go home at the end of the day. if the victim would have complied with lawful orders, he would have been alive to go home, too. if someone is percieved by you as trying to kill you, who are you going to call? why are you going to call him? you want him to stop the person by whatever means are neccessary. your life is more important to you than that of a suspected criminal. why shouldn’t theirs be?

Justice Cooperman’s decision defies common sense.

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO MENTION RACISM, 3 OF THE DETECTIVES WERE BLACK, HELLO?

That just doesn’t make any sense. 50 shoots at on a unarmed person, I call this an execution without due process. What happened to shooting the guy in the leg, Those cops involved can’t look in themsleves in the mirror and say “they were afraid for their lives”. BS

On the surface it seems unjust, but I will be rational and admit that I wasn’t in the courtroom and don’t know all the facts. This question seems designed to ignite the emotions of the readers who have little knowledge about the case, so that media people can sit back and feast on the chaos it creates.

One comment began with, “I’m white,” etc. So what? This is an outrage if you’re green!! I don’t think anyone was surprised by this verdict. I certainly wasn’t. What this does is give absolute permission to ALL law enforcement to do as they please and they will be protected by ‘our’ judicial system, or, a better word might be encouraged by our judicial system to keep murdering innocent citizens. For example: I just read an article about a cop that shot a 62-year-old woman, living in an assisted living facility, because he “feared for his life???” Law enforcement doesn’t think they have ‘options,’ just start shooting!!