Three NYPD Officers Indicted for Fatal Shooting In Queens

NEW YORK Mar 19, 2007 (AP)— Three police officers surrendered Monday to face charges in a shooting that killed an unarmed groom on his wedding day and stirred outrage around the city.

The officers were accused of firing nearly 50 shots at three young men in a car outside a nightclub, killing Sean Bell and seriously wounding two of his friends. Two other officers involved were not indicted.

The eight-count indictment charges detectives Michael Oliver, who fired 31 times, and Gerard Isnora, a decorated undercover officer who fired 11 shots, with first-degree and second-degree manslaughter, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said Monday.

Those charges are classified as violent felonies with mandated jail time if the men are convicted. The maximum punishment for manslaughter is 25 years, Brown said.

Detective Marc Cooper, who fired four shots, faces a misdemeanor endangerment charge, Brown said.

"We are a long way from a conviction," said defense attorney Philip Karasyk, who represents Isnora.

The case renewed allegations that the NYPD is trigger-happy, as well as accusations of racism. Bell was black, as are the other victims; three of the officers are black, and two are white.

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Grand jurors declined to indict on the more serious counts of second-degree murder, and attempted murder, or the lesser charge of criminally negligent homicide.

Bell was killed Nov. 25 as he left his bachelor party.

Police have said the officers were involved in an undercover investigation at the nightclub when they overheard a conversation that convinced them the men were going to their car to retrieve a gun. They have said that Bell's car hit the unmarked police vehicle and that the officers believed someone in Bell's car was reaching for a gun when they opened fire. No gun was found.

This story shows one of the reasons that police work is so dangerous. The cops believed that Bell and his friends were going for a gun. So instead of waiting to see the gun, and potentially have it fired at them, the Officers opened fire and shot Bell first. If they had waited and Bell actually had a gun, we may have been reporting on a cops funeral.

Police are caught between a rock and a hard place. Belligerent, drunk offenders disobey orders to stop. They run from the police to show their "street cred" and put themselves in dangerous situations. Officers, have a target painted on their heads everyday and are understandably on edge.

Was this murder? I don't think so. I think this was a situation where the cops where on edge and one bad decision led to another and a tragedy occurred. I do not think we should be so quick to jump on the NYPD and start prosecuting them for bad judgment. Retrain, demote, restrict their duty, but I do not think this is a prosecutorial offense. It is a shame that the Sharpton crowd has pushed the DA in to a corner and forced this prosecution.

COUNTERPOINT-- Michael Oliver fired 31 times. The average police firearm holds 15 or 17 shots I believe, So he had to have reloaded. Reloaded...WHAT WAS HE THINKING????