and now, Sean Bell is being compared to idolized drug dealer, cop shooter and murderer, Larry Davis, which is not a good thing. what stood out first for me is KNOWING that no cop leaves his house with intent to kill while on duty. drawing weapon is the last resort after trying everything. and yes, I know there are negligent cops everywhere, but there are also negligent persons in EVERY profession who are weeded out, unfortunately, at the expense of others.
and the other thing is WHY were there undercover cops in the neighborhood in the first place. because of the NO SNITCH policy and people not being ethical enough to do the right thing. so these cops were undercover and didn't know who was ramming a car at them, plus being argumentative and more before ramming the car and more. but according to Al Sharpton, who walks right back teenage violence and foul language, poverty, drug dealing, domestic violence, shootings and more IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY, to get to his Action Network, it's the cops destroying the black neighborhood. funny, I've NEVER seen Sharpton in any of the Harlem or other urban neighborhoods. he's too busy relaxing in his cushy home in a pre-dominately white neighborhood, while blacks in urban areas resolve their problems with drugs, drug dealing, shootings, assaults and more!
http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/02/28/gro ... index.html
updated 5:27 p.m. EST, Thu February 28, 2008
Witness: Groom in argument before barrage
* NEW: Witness describes Bell's confrontation with stranger before police fired
* Sean Bell killed in 50-shot police barrage on morning of wedding
* Three undercover cops on trial in shooting case that received national attention
NEW YORK (AP) -- A groom gunned down hours before his wedding in a hail of 50 police bullets had argued with another man who may have been armed moments before his death, a witness testified Thursday at the trial of three detectives.
Hugh Jensen, a friend of Sean Bell's and a prosecution witness, recalled Bell scowling at the unidentified man as the man stood by his black SUV and struck a menacing pose by holding his hand to his side.
"Of course I thought he had a gun," Jensen said while describing the angry encounter.
Detectives Michael Oliver and Gescard Isnora face manslaughter charges in the shooting on November 25, 2006. Detective Marc Cooper is charged with reckless endangerment.
The detectives -- part of an undercover investigation launched in response to complaints about prostitution at the club -- have claimed they fired on Bell and his associates only after Isnora identified himself as a police officer and Bell's car nearly ran him over.
No weapon was found in the car, and a grand jury investigation resulted in criminal charges against three of the five shooters. At the defendants' request, the case is being heard by a judge and not a jury.
Jensen, 34, also testified that he noticed two men -- unaware at the time it was Isnora and another undercover -- watching intently as Bell and the SUV driver squared off. He saw the man drive off as Bell and two friends walked around the corner, then heard gunfire erupt.
Jensen claimed he never heard one of Bell's friends talk about getting a gun, as the defense contends.
Prosecutors have described the undercover operation as a "tale of carelessness verging on incompetence."