11-28-2006
Mayor meets with shooting victim's kin
The 50-bullet police volley ? likened to a "firing squad" by the Rev. Al Sharpton ? killed 23-year-old Sean Bell after his bachelor party, wounded two of his friends and ignited concerns over police tactics and firepower. The three men were unarmed.
Bloomberg went to the family's church in Queens and met with Bell's fiancee and father, and with Sharpton. The mayor then met again with other community leaders.
On Monday, Bloomberg said the police response seemed "unacceptable" and "inexplicable," but he was steadfast in his support for Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly, who has been denounced by some critics since the shooting.
Of the victims, Bloomberg said Monday:
"There is no evidence that they were doing anything wrong," referring to what led up to the moment their car struck an undercover officer outside the nightclub.
Police said they had received several complaints about prostitution and drug dealing at the cabaret and sent in two undercover detectives who left their guns behind because of searches at the door.
The detectives apparently spent the next few hours nursing drinks and mingling with the crowd.
Officials said the officers weren't impaired. "We authorize them to have two drinks, and not more," Kelly said.
One of the officers alerted the backup team outside that a man inside was possibly armed. An undercover detective retrieved his weapon and confronted Bell and his friends after they entered their car.
Kelly suggested that it was unorthodox for the officer to blow his cover rather than rely on other officers to make the arrest.
Union officials insist the detective took out his badge, identified himself and ordered the men to stop before the car, driven by Bell, lurched forward and bumped him. The vehicle then smashed into an unmarked police van, backed up and smashed the van again before the shooting began.
The crashes ? along with the fear that one of the men had a gun ? seem to be what escalated the situation to the hail of gunfire by five officers.
It is not immediately clear if the men in the car knew they were dealing with a police officer. Friends and family speculated Bell got spooked by the officer's gun pointed at his car.
Michael Palladino, president of the Detectives Endowment Association, argued that the officers had a right to fire if the car posed a lethal threat.
"The driver of that vehicle ? his actions were a contributing factor," Palladino said.
"The amount of shots fired does not spell out excessive to me."
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Wow apparently the car must have been equippped with machine guns like the Knight Rider car according to the Union rep. :roll: