Police Victory in NY

Getting married in New York? Your chances of surviving your bachelor party just decreased, and you cannot expect anyone to be held accountable for your wrongful death, especially if the local police determine their lives are in imminent danger.

Three police officers were acquitted of all charges stemming from the killing of Sean Bell in Queens, New York, in November, 2006. The description and subsequent explanation of the events that transpired that morning is beyond absurd: five officers fired a total of 50 bullets into Bell's car, all because police believed one of Bell's friends was returning to Bell's car to retrieve a gun after an argument broke out. Only one officer suffered "injuries" during the fray when he was grazed by Bell's car.

The police were present at the Queens strip club as a result of increased suspicion of three non-crimes--drugs, guns, and prostitution--present or originating inside the establishment. Bell's surviving friends testified that none of the plainclothes officers identified themselves as police during the argument.

Think about this. Plainclothes police officers fail to identify themselves as such while arguing with three men outside a strip club at 4 in the morning. When the three men decide to leave the scene of the argument, police play the familiar "we thought one of them had a gun, and we feared for our safety" card to justify firing 50 bullets into the side of Bell's car, murdering him in the process. Is it any wonder people no longer trust police officers?

To top it off, this murderous rampage by state-hired and taxpayer-funded jackbooted thugs goes unpunished because some of the witnesses had prior convictions and contradicted themselves. Exactly how a prior conviction (one whose punishment was delivered via a revenue-generating courtroom of the state, no less) can diminish one's credibility as it pertains to this case is beyond me.

Cases like this serve as a pertinent reminder that, no matter what, the will of the people is always subjugated to the will of the state.