I'm very disappointed in the Bell verdict. I have a hard time picturing a scenario where it would be justified to shoot an unarmed man, especially given one officer fired 31 shots which would have required him to reload several times. I am not a member of any minority and have no axe to grind, I just cannot see this as a fair verdict.

The Bell verdict is a crime against humanity. It represents all that is unfair and immoral in the present society. If you step back and look for true understanding or true motivation for a 31 gun salute...ending in death there is no logic. Although i do not know the officer, i venture to say that there is a story within the story. I believe one accurate shot to the leg would stop flight. I know women in prison that have life sentences because of shot number two; meaning the intent went beyond self-defense. There is no logical explanation other than crime of passion....If the undercover officer and victim had other interactions or business etc. I could almost see how this incident spun out of control...the true story/motive has not surfaced.

When is it a crime for police to shoot an unarmed civilian?

When there's no "moving vehicle" involved? 

New York native Amadou Diallo was shot and killed in 1999 by police officers while standing on a street in front of his apartment building.  The officers involved were tried and acquitted of a crime.

When there's no suspicion of serious criminal activity? 

In 2001 Cincinnati native Timothy Thomas was shot and killed while attempting to outrun the policemen pursuing him for unpaid traffic tickets.  The officer involved was never charged with a crime.

When the unarmed victim is not a "drunken" patron of an unsavory strip club? 

19-year-old Timothy Stansbury was shot and killed by a beat cop patrolling the roof of Timothy's Brooklyn apartment building when said cop was "startled" to see Timothy on another side of a door.  The officer involved was never charged with a crime.

What happened to logic in the Sean Bell case?  Why would three black men who have no illegal drugs or weapons in their possession and have committed no crimes attempt to run down four New York City police officers who have identified themselves and have pointed weapons?  Anyone who would do that is on a suicide mission.  And we know driver Sean Bell had incentive to live to see the next day.  Perhaps the prosecution's witnesses did appear "thuggish and combative" on the stand and maybe they have unsavory backgrounds.  But did the judge really think they lacked common sense?  Maybe not enough sense to avoid taking that ill-fated trip to the strip club that night.  But I don't believe any man facing his wedding day would put his life in such danger assuming his car could out-weapon four police guns.  A more logical scenario is the one many people prefer to believe doesn't happen in this country anymore ...

When are we going to get fed up as blacks in this country of being "accidently" shot and killed.  It was commented earlier today you never hear of whites being mistakenly gunned down for having a gun that in the end was a cell phone or a wallet.  You never hear of having the end of a plunger used on a white man while in police custody.  You never hear of white 80 year old grandmothers being gunned down in their houses by cops that burst in "accidently"  I keep hearing the question "Why is this being turned into a racial issue?"  It's racial because we as blacks are the ones that these crimes are always committed against.  I get really sick of the "get over it" mentality of people.  I guess until it happens white America no on will ever understand how it feels.

It is time for African Americans to start shooting back!

All these so-called Gangsta Rappers shooting at one another in night clubs, finally have some one shoot at.  They all claim to have these organized crime connections.  Now is the time use them.   And where are they?  Driving around in luxury cars and chasing Videe-Hos! Cowards! Jay-Z got it right!!  One of us needs to shoot these cops in the head, and have the rest of us not snitch

Dragonetti1-> Your post hightlights the real problem today.

You mention Rappers and what they will do. They are not real. They are busy acting to sell records. You and I are real people. We should be voting for the right leaders, and educating ourselves and our community.

Well......why is it the fact that almost every single morning I pick up the newspaper there is ALWAYS a killing....normally a Black person in the city....What is the matter with these people?

as a new yorker i feer for me and my kids all my life things have been a lie my great home town is racist we as black americans have the most hate the fear of what the right wingers do and the lopsided laws give them fear of the same peoplethat thay hold down and thay must show hter folloers that thay will never let up . asa kid i was the first president of the peerleader forum i met with gov. cuomo mayer coch & sen. crus at that time (as a 13 yesr old boy ) thay had to talk with me about what the youth needs and hopes at this time i realized the hate that i would have to face and now its even worst the law of the land is A BLACK PERSONS LIFE IS LESS THAN NOTHING YOU DONT HAVE TO HAVE A GUN ,KNIFE ,BRUSH ,STICK OF BUBBEL GUM TO DIE AND THIN BE SLANDERD ALL THRUE THE SREETS 2 Pac said it best his words would spark the rev.. and thanks to the police that mind you did not take the stand and had the nerv to say ths dead man died justly so now we have case on books that can used to free every one that kills you that just you are black its not a crime to kill you Sean Bell ALONE!!! lets hope hes the last to do so and sa for the cops GOD my GOD AND yours said dont kill so thay will be in hell ha ha ha !!so go to hell with sam smile you had to day the D.A may have gave this victory just as the man that sat over this case i cant call this jug  a humen just the facts thay did not want justus tha did not want to lit al good old al S.. to have a victory in there court so thay said fuck justus or to be true to the job thay hold . just be careful &dont die alone like SEAN AS THAY DESROY THISCONTRY AND LIE TO THE PEOPEL SOON THAY WILL HAVE NO PLACE TO GO AND THAY WILL LOOK FOR HELP FROM THE SAME ONES YOU CONDEM NOT ALL WHITE PEAPEL LIVE IN HATE BUT THAY ALL LIVE IN FEAR OF THERE PAST WE AS A PEAPEL HAVE OVERCOME THIS BUT THAY KEEP REMINDING US THAT THAYHAT WE GIVE THIS CONTRY FLAVER AND WITH OUT ALL OF US IT WOULD NOTHING I COULD GO ON AND ON JUST dont DIE ALONE !!!!you can say what you want that dose not make it so we have not been fools for decades our kids out think out move out do them ALL !! ALL DAY LONG

Iam I shock HELL NO my heart goes out to all new yorkers,they did this in pittsburgh where i live about 3,5,6,7,8,9 times hell who knows how many they have gotten away with just like malcom x said all they did was change there white sheets for blue uniforms, but the one that got me the most out of all the shootings I have heard about nationwide, dont get me wrong sean bell was over kill, but this one here and Im not sure if people know about the child they killed in uniontown,pa 12 years old shot 3 times in the back and killed him they say he was trying to steal a 1990 maybe even older than that pickup truck, and I know you are not shocked, but yeah they let them off, THATS A M..F..in.. child, excuse me I got to go but god bless everybody and if anybody reading this thats a single black mother with a young man to bring up do what ever it takes to get them on the right path, this is hunt for our men and young men and they are the prey.

I was so surprised when I heard that ALL three got off??? What is this? The last time I checked, Americans deserved justice no matter who you are.  Cops walk around thinking that they are the best thing in the world, then when they get caught, then there's a problem.  They always get off the hook and it's disgusting.  That poor man's fiance has to live with the fact that her husband's murderers are still patrolling the street.  I hope that karma meets all three of those cops and they get what they deserve.    It's disgusting that our justice system is so corrupt, I hope that judge gets what he deserves as well.  He is the real culprit here and I hope there is some sort of justice for him.  50 shots...in one person and that isn't intentional??? Give me a break.

40 something shots fired... Is that necessary for someone without a weapon. Even if he had one, are the detectives not trained to shot to capture, and not to kill. The force they used was not necessary. I think they know that. It will be something they will have to live with.

It looks like the groom and his posse brought this on themselves. Party hearty and pay the price.

To: Pilot22A

I hope nothing like this ever happens to your family. Be slow to share those kinds of comments.  Things may be going well for you now but you don't know what's in the future for you.  I hope you never have to taste your own words.  You will find them to be very bitter.

The police shouldn't be in Black Community. Someone is always shot (either a black or a policeman). You get a policeman coming into those neighborhoods, and he puts his life in harms way. "Shoot first and ask questions later". Shet happens. The community needs to work on their public relations.

If that community hired ALLL black officers, we would still have this problem. We are not talking about some peaceful neighborhood here. Being raised in a similar place myself, I can testify to the confusion and chaos of shots being fired. The number of shots fired does seems excessive but its in perspective due to the choice of gun. I stand by the officers 100% of the way because although alot may have more arrogance than talent I still have the need to call 911 once in a while. Al sharpton is making this way worse than what it should be. I strongly beleive his presence and nose-budding abilities keeps the ignorance in places like this. I think it is proven that black people will kill each other until the end of times. Three cops doing their work, need not be present for that. Plus the testimony from the victims and the family kept changing and was misleading. Im with BUSHMAN on this, the community needs to work on their public relations..too much ignorance dwells in there.

Yes, I am angry about the verdict, but not suprised. I've seen the same scenarios concerning excessive force against "Black" people all of my life. When I watch the show C.O.P.S.,  Most Shocking Videos, or any show of this nature, I notice that the police are always so much more patient and reserved when dealing with criminals that are "White". A couple of months ago I can recall reading about a man in Philadelphia who robbed a drug store with a shot-gun. He came outside the store with the shot-gun drawn at police and for that he recieved 1 shot to the thigh by police. He was "White" I can recall an episode of C.O.P.S. were a man held police at bay with a knife for an hour and the final out-come is he was tackled and subdued by police. He was "White". Whenever I have seen any violent confrontations that police happen to have with a "Black" man, 90% of the time the result ends up being the death of the "Black" person. Usually the situation results in some "desk" duty for the cop, a "so-called" internal investigation that you never hear anything about, and then everything back to the same ole' thing. If in fact 1 case out of 1000 go to trial, the police in question just takes some days off of the job,throw back a few beers shoot a few games of pool with the fellas, maybe take that trip to the shore they've been wanting to take, while getting the "thumbs up" from their attorneys that they don't have a thing to worry about concerning the case. Because the bottom line is that no one is concerned with the lost of another "Black" man. So unfortunately, after today, Sean Bell won't even be a memory to most. Do I think that the officers are sympathetic about what they did? Not at all. They'll just shrugged it off mentally. And, if in fact their conscience happen to wake them up i the middle of the night with the picture of his bullet riddled, bloody body, they will say to themselves what they all ultimately utter to ease the guilt and somehow add relevancy to justify their callous act, "I WAS JUST DOING MY JOB".       jeebs1707 Pennsauken, N.J..

PLEASE LET US HAVE AN ENDLESS WORTH READING DISCUSSION...BUT

DOES ANYONE KNOWS A PREACHER OR PASTOR WHO WANTS TO HAVE A DEBATE REGARDING RELIGIOUS MATTERS, A PASTOR WHO WILL STAND THAT THEIRS IS THE TRUE RELIGION?( WHATEVER RELIGION HE'S INTO )

IF ANYONE KNOWS OF A PASTOR WHO IS NOT COWARD PLEASE LET ME KNOW, I HAVE SOMEONE HERE WHO IS WILLING TO HAVE A DEBATE, EITHER ONLINE OR VIA LIVE WEBCAST WORLDWIDE....

any violent reaction????