NYC Settles 50 bullet shooting lawsuit for $7 mil

[efdcapt115 1,511]

NEW YORK – The city of New York has agreed to pay more than $7 million to settle a civil lawsuit stemming from the fatal 50-bullet police shooting of an unarmed man on his wedding day.

The settlement filed in Brooklyn federal court on Tuesday pays $3.25 million to the estate of Sean Bell, who was killed in 2006 outside a strip club in Queens while leaving his bachelor party. As part of the settlement, the city agreed to pay $3 million to Joseph Guzman and $900,000 to Trent Benefield, both of whom were wounded in the shooting that killed their friend.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100728/ap_on_re_us/us_police_shooting_settlement

[M' Ave 1,466]

There was no little face picture that was vomiting, so you'll just have to imagine that's what I'm running to do right now......

Not for one second did anyone look at this with a level head. Nope, we're just going to give the family 7 mil and name a street after this guy. So now we name streets after political and sports hero's, firemen and cops who suffer LODD and apparently, guys who try to run over cops and get shot in self defense.....

If only 5 bullets had been fired, and this guy was still dead, would we be having this discussion? I know NOTHING about police training, but I know how easy it is to fire a handgun and I know they carry a lot of bullets. If I was almost hit by a car intentionally, or saw my partner almost hit by a car intentionally at 4am in a lousy neighborhood, I'd shoot a lot. If the result of this whole lawsuit is some additional training for cops, fine, whatever the politicians need to make them feel better. However, to pay the family of a man who was killed in this manner sets BAD precedent.

Everyone loves to forget that this was a guy who was out at a sleazy strip-club, suspected to be a drug spot, in a high crime area only HOURS before he was supposed to get married. (what kind of lifestyle is that anyway?) He was in an altercation witnessed by cops and there was some scuttle about a gun. They got in a car and tried to hit the cop who attempted to stop them. I guess that action isn't supposed to have any consequences?

The deck is stacked against the cops everyday. I work in the most economically depressed area in NYC with high crime and I watch what the cops are up against everyday. They are the enemy to many everywhere they go and that's a tough position to be up against. Do we really need to neuter the cops ability to enforce law and keep order?

[EMSer 15]

Further down the article the author states the cops have been on modified duty and now may lose their jobs. couldn't hope for anything else...

[Just a guy 493]

The decision by NYC to pay this much money in this case is sickening but not suprising. Unfortunately that is the culture lately, just pay to get rid of it no matter how right or wrong the cops were.

These men were criminals, and tried to run over a police officer and now their families are 7 million dollars richer It's unreal !!

The NYC Corporation Counsel said some nice words supporting the cops but thats all it was - WORDS ... governments should try supporting Law Enforcement in more positive ways instead of just a few words to the news.

[EMSer 15]

There was no little face picture that was vomiting, so you'll just have to imagine that's what I'm running to do right now......

Not for one second did anyone look at this with a level head. Nope, we're just going to give the family 7 mil and name a street after this guy. So now we name streets after political and sports hero's, firemen and cops who suffer LODD and apparently, guys who try to run over cops and get shot in self defense.....

If only 5 bullets had been fired, and this guy was still dead, would we be having this discussion? I know NOTHING about police training, but I know how easy it is to fire a handgun and I know they carry a lot of bullets. If I was almost hit by a car intentionally, or saw my partner almost hit by a car intentionally at 4am in a lousy neighborhood, I'd shoot a lot. If the result of this whole lawsuit is some additional training for cops, fine, whatever the politicians need to make them feel better. However, to pay the family of a man who was killed in this manner sets BAD precedent.

Everyone loves to forget that this was a guy who was out at a sleazy strip-club, suspected to be a drug spot, in a high crime area only HOURS before he was supposed to get married. (what kind of lifestyle is that anyway?) He was in an altercation witnessed by cops and there was some scuttle about a gun. They got in a car and tried to hit the cop who attempted to stop them. I guess that action isn't supposed to have any consequences?

The deck is stacked against the cops everyday. I work in the most economically depressed area in NYC with high crime and I watch what the cops are up against everyday. They are the enemy to many everywhere they go and that's a tough position to be up against. Do we really need to neuter the cops ability to enforce law and keep order?

I agree being at a drug infested strip club the night prior to your wedding is odd, but that is irrelevant.

The second he became erratic behind the wheel and flipped into vehicular assault mode, i agree I’d probably shoot in my defense or the defense of bystanders or my partner(s), but shooting 50 times is irrational behavior and shows poor judgment from officers that are/were poorly trained.

I hate to say it, but is all cops were trained as troopers in their paramilitary expertise, the probability of these kind of events would drastically decrease. When you’re trained as a traffic cop, you won’t do well in these circumstances. When you’re trained as military personnel, you will. not to mention you'll get an all around better cop

Edited July 28, 2010 by EMSer

[Just a guy 493]

In reply to EMSer... Do you have a clue cops are trained ? How dare you monday morning quaterback what those cops did that night ... you weren't there and ONLY if you were there and faced with what they were faced with can you properly comment.

These guys did exactly what their training told them to do. There was a very real threat that needed to be neutalized and thats what they did. 50 shots were fired, and in your infinite knowledge of the police service that's alot ?

Then you say that we should all be trained like the state troopers are. You do realize that the basic course for police officers in NYS is seet by the DCJS and is that same for all academies around the state. The troopers may follow the paramilitary model a little more than other places but it has nothing to do with making a more well rounded cop.

[INIT915 1,119]

In reply to EMSer... Do you have a clue cops are trained ? How dare you monday morning quaterback what those cops did that night ... you weren't there and ONLY if you were there and faced with what they were faced with can you properly comment.

These guys did exactly what their training told them to do. There was a very real threat that needed to be neutalized and thats what they did. 50 shots were fired, and in your infinite knowledge of the police service that's alot ?

Then you say that we should all be trained like the state troopers are. You do realize that the basic course for police officers in NYS is seet by the DCJS and is that same for all academies around the state. The troopers may follow the paramilitary model a little more than other places but it has nothing to do with making a more well rounded cop.

While I agree with your points, I wouldn't go as far to say "all" academies in NYS are the same. With anything, there is variation in quality.

[helicopper 1,050]

I agree being at a drug infested strip club the night prior to your wedding is odd, but that is irrelevant.

The second he became erratic behind the wheel and flipped into vehicular assault mode, i agree I’d probably shoot in my defense or the defense of bystanders or my partner(s), but shooting 50 times is irrational behavior and shows poor judgment from officers that are/were poorly trained.

I hate to say it, but is all cops were trained as troopers in their paramilitary expertise, the probability of these kind of events would drastically decrease. When you’re trained as a traffic cop, you won’t do well in these circumstances. When you’re trained as military personnel, you will. not to mention you'll get an all around better cop

The environment is very relevant. Being in an affluent suburb is vastly different than being in an inner city war-zone. Hearing someone say they're going to get their gun then having a car used as a weapon against them is all relevant and factors into the perception that led to the actions in question.

Irrational behavior? One officer fired one round, two others fired three and four rounds respectively. PO Isnora fired eleven, and PO Oliver emptied two full magazines, firing 31 shots. Not knowing anything about law enforcement training you're ill-suited to call this irrational. Did the officers perceive and react to the threat of deadly physical force? Yes, this is not in dispute. Did the officers fire to protect themselves and others? Yes, so how is that irrational.

If Isnora and Oliver still perceived a threat and continued firing that was their judgement at the time but not irrational or a sign of poor training.

The whole notion that military training would be better than existing police training baffles me. The military use things like suppression and cover fire, they use missiles and grenades and they have wildly different parameters for the use of force. Troopers don't receive military training, they receive law enforcement training. If you're referring to quasi-military discipline that's completely different than tactics training and all cops/troopers get tactics training but it isn't military based.

I wholeheartedly disagree that military training would make better cops or that these officers were inadequately trained.

[gamewell45 258]

The decision by NYC to pay this much money in this case is sickening but not suprising. Unfortunately that is the culture lately, just pay to get rid of it no matter how right or wrong the cops were.

These men were criminals, and tried to run over a police officer and now their families are 7 million dollars richer It's unreal !!

The NYC Corporation Counsel said some nice words supporting the cops but thats all it was - WORDS ... governments should try supporting Law Enforcement in more positive ways instead of just a few words to the news.

The city most likely realized that their chances of having the suit thrown out in a court of law was unlikely and rather risk trial and paying a lot more money, it was prudent to settle out of court.

[M' Ave 1,466]

Further down the article the author states the cops have been on modified duty and now may lose their jobs. couldn't hope for anything else...

Are you stating you'd like them to lose their jobs? Huh.....that's f'ed up.

And, how can you possibly suggest that being in a sleazy joint, in a lousy part of town at 4am isn't relevant? Where do you work? On Fantasy St. in the center of Happy Town? Come on, you view actions differently and treat people differently based on time, place and condition. Who's at a strip joint at 4am in South Jamaica? People who stand a very good chance of being less than upstanding!

[Truck4 48]

Further down the article the author states the cops have been on modified duty and now may lose their jobs. couldn't hope for anything else...

That's so nice of you to say. You have a lot to say with ZERO law enforcement experience.

[SRS131EMTFF 471]

Further down the article the author states the cops have been on modified duty and now may lose their jobs. couldn't hope for anything else...

so the second you F-up at your real job or as an EMT we can fire you?

The city should have never settled, like mentioned above, it follows an ill-advised trend. I am glad the officers were at least acquitted of criminal charges. I can only hope they keep their jobs.

[gamewell45 258]

so the second you F-up at your real job or as an EMT we can fire you?

The city should have never settled, like mentioned above, it follows an ill-advised trend. I am glad the officers were at least acquitted of criminal charges. I can only hope they keep their jobs.

Actually you don't have to "F-up" at your job; in New York, unless your union or civil service, your employment is strictly at the pleasure of the employer. Of course, you have the right ot resign anytime you want as well.

The only protection non-union workers have is under Title VII.

[SRS131EMTFF 471]

Actually you don't have to "F-up" at your job; in New York, unless your union or civil service, your employment is strictly at the pleasure of the employer. Of course, you have the right ot resign anytime you want as well.

The only protection non-union workers have is under Title VII.

Thank you, I know and realize that. I am well aware of the protections afforded to employees in the public and private sector having worked in both and having family who represents clients involved in employee-employer disputes.

Edited July 28, 2010 by bvfdjc316

[gamewell45 258]

Thank you, I know and realize that. I am well aware of the protections afforded to employees in the public and private sector having worked in both and having family who represents clients involved in employee-employer disputes.

No problem; just thought it would help to clarify for those who are unfamililar with labor law.