Oopsy Daisy...
Posted on 11/25/2006 2:29:19 PM PST by Brilliant
NYPD bullet kills groom on wedding day
NEW YORK - A bachelor party at a strip club ended early Saturday with police opening fire on a group of men leaving the establishment, killing a groom on his wedding day and wounding two others, one critically.
There was no immediate explanation for what sparked the shooting, which drew angry protests from family members and the Rev. Al Sharpton. The New York Police Department's chief spokesman, Paul Browne, declined to comment.
As many as eight officers may have been involved in the shooting near the Kalua Cabaret in Queens, said Sgt. Mike Wysokowski, another department spokesman. There were no reports that any officers were wounded, Officer Kathleen Price said.
"First it was like four shots," said Abraham Kamara, 38, who lives a few blocks from the scene of the shooting and said he was getting ready for work at the time. "And then it was like pop-pop-pop like 12 times."
The intersection where the shooting occurred remained blocked off Saturday afternoon as police inspected a car and a minivan and placed dozens of crime scene markers on the ground where shell casings had been recovered.
Denise Ford, who said her son was one of the survivors, said the trio's car had hit an unmarked police vehicle. Police did not immediately confirm that either of the vehicles in the intersection belonged to the department.
"All I know, they was celebrating," Ford said of the men. She said the man who died was the groom. "The guy was getting married today."
Relatives identified the man killed early Saturday as Sean Bell, 23. Sharpton said Bell and his fiancee had two children, ages 5 months and 3 years.
Sharpton said after visiting the two wounded men — Trent Benefield, 23, and Joseph Guzman, 31 — that he was outraged to find the pair handcuffed to their hospital beds. He said one suffered 17 wounds, though it was unclear how many were bullet wounds, and the other man was shot three times.
"We're not anti-police ... we're anti-police brutality," Sharpton said.
Sharpton said family members told him that there were no guns in the young men's car and "there was no reason for the police to shoot."
"On the face of it, it seems to me to be certainly something that causes extreme alarm and must be thoroughly investigated," said the civil rights leader, who said he was called by a relative of Bell.
Robert Porter, who identified himself as a cousin of Bell, said about 250 people were invited to Saturday's wedding and were flying in from all over the country. He said his cousin wasn't the type to confront police and was "on the straight and narrow."
Roy Brown, who said he works as a photographer at the club, said sirens sounded not long after the three men left the club.
"They weren't rowdy or nothing like that," said Brown, 57.
The owner of the building, Juan Escobar, would not say who owned the Kalua Cabaret. A message seeking comment was left at a phone number listed for the club.
One of the wounded men was in critical condition at Mary Immaculate Hospital and the other was listed as stable.
In 1999, NYPD officers killed Amadou Diallo, an unarmed West African immigrant who was shot 19 times in the entry to his apartment building. The four officers in that case were acquitted of criminal charges.
In 2003, Ousmane Zongo, 43, a native of the western African country of Burkina Faso, was killed during a police raid on a warehouse where he repaired art and musical instruments. Zongo was shot four times, twice in the back.
"Relatives identified the man killed early Saturday as Sean Bell, 23. Sharpton said Bell and his fiancee had two children, ages 5 months and 3 years."
So...he has children and he was about to get married that very day - and he spent his last moments ogling other women's breasts and crotches.
How nice.
Uh, that's kind of a problem. There are a lot of stupid cops in the NYPD, thanks to the lowered standards in recent years. From all I have read of this incident, there was no justification for the use of lethal force.
Oopsy Daisy...
If the groom is marrying a gang-banging cracker-mom, then visiting the strip club the night before the wedding is simply par for the course.
You are taking Sharpton's word for the truth and being too polite. It is entirely likely that the dead groom was not the father, considering the circumstances which scream irresponsibility.
Was Sharpton at the strip club? Too often nothing good comes out of going to strip clubs and having strippers over, as the Duke lacrosse players can testify to.
Al, STFU you worthless POS.
"You are taking Sharpton's word for the truth and being too polite. It is entirely likely that the dead groom was not the father, considering the circumstances which scream irresponsibility."
possibly...I'm also thinking how sad it is that this was this man's last act before leaving this earth - ogling other women on the day before his wedding.
I suppose I take marriage too seriously.
I don't think you take marriage too sersiously. I'm married 30 years. My opinion is you don't know single guys the night before they get married. I was toasted! LOL
"My opinion is you don't know single guys the night before they get married. I was toasted! LOL"
Oh I know they get toasted...I remember everyone buying my husband shots the night before we were married.
But...the night before we were married was our rehearsal and dinner and we were together.
It's the ogling naked women thing that puzzles me.
If they want to ogle strippers - they have no business getting married. It is extremely disrespectful and adolescent.
Women under 50 still amaze me...no wonder my buddies who divorce their wives marry young women...dumb a$$ me...=s=
I would imagine that it started when the Polaroid camera came out. I'm sure that the real job title is something like "staff photographer/bouncer/mop-bucket-guy.
Big Al is on the take, I mean job. Where's Gloria Allred?
Just because you're a married man doesn't mean you're dead. Would you rather your husband went to a strip club and came home all excited, or just had a nice, quiet affair?
Thanks for adding reason to this thread. We don't know all the facts and this is a sad story -- not funny at all.
I think that was uncalled for.
Where I git my money...same place as Rev Jesse!"
The strip club was under police surveillance for prostitution, weapons and drug activity and one of Bell's buddies threatened an undercover cop in the club with a gun. Funny how Sharpton neglects to mention what happened between the perps and the undercover cops in the club.
Hey, it's much more fun when everybody just makes snap judgements that confirm pre-existing ideas.
So, what's the matter with you? Are you trying to rain on everyone's parade?
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