Posted on 12/03/2006 6:22:34 AM PST by Silly
They were Sean Bell’s final hours of bachelorhood, and in an enduring rite of passage, he and his friends chose to celebrate at a strip club, in this case Club Kalua in Jamaica, Queens.
Another group was also headed to the club on the evening of Nov. 24. But they had a different objective: Shut the place down. They were police officers, two of them undercover, pursuing reports of drugs and prostitution behind the building’s burnt-red facade and dingy portico.
Early the next morning, hours after they all arrived, the two groups would intersect in a few flashing moments of confusion, fear, car crashes and 50 police bullets — leaving Mr. Bell dead, two of his friends wounded, and a community enraged. In the days since, much of Mr. Bell’s life story, along with some of the life stories of the police officers who shot him and his friends, has emerged.
But Club Kalua has its story, too. Of all the factors and coincidences that brought the two groups together, the existence of the little strip club must be seen as one of the most important. It was the destination of both groups that fateful night.
And there is substantial evidence that it shouldn’t have been there.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Folks, this is an interesting read, and should shed light on what sort of people hang out at this filthy club. Not your run-of-the-mill strip joint, this one has a horrible history and attracts the worst of the worst.
Well, that's it then. Case closed.
I would like to read more from some other source.........
Chalk another win up for the WOD
I'm glad you pointed this out. Now I realize why the police should be able to kill anyone leaving the club. Surely some of those who were in the club deserved killing.
Remarks by Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly
Saturday, November 25, 2006
Police Headquarters
I AM GOING TO GIVE YOU ALL OF THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM AT THIS POINT.
THERE IS SOME INFORMATION WE DON’T HAVE. THAT’S BECAUSE WE ARE PRECLUDED FROM INTERVIEWING ALL OF THE OFFICERS INVOLVED UNTIL THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY FINISHES HIS REVIEW. THE SHOOTING HAPPENED AT 4:14 THIS MORNING IN JAMAICA, QUEENS. ONE PERSON WAS SHOT AND KILLED AND TWO OTHERS WERE WOUNDED BY POLICE GUNFIRE. A TOTAL OF SEVEN POLICE OFFICERS WERE INVOLVED IN THE INCIDENT, FIVE OF WHOM FIRED THEIR WEAPONS. THE OTHER TWO, WHO DID NOT SHOOT, A LIEUTENANT AND AN UNDERCOVER OFFICER, HAVE BEEN INTERVIEWED.
THE EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE SHOOTING UNFOLDED AT THE CLUB KALUA AT 143-08 94TH STREET IN JAMAICA. A CLUB ENFORCEMENT TASK FORCE HAD BEEN ASSIGNED TO MONITOR THE CLUB BECAUSE OF A CHRONIC HISTORY OF NARCOTICS, PROSTITUTION AND WEAPONS COMPLAINTS THERE. IT HAD BEEN CLOSED THROUGH NUISANCE ABATEMENT IN JULY 2005 FOR PROSTITUTION AND UNDER AGE DRINKING.
IT WAS ALLOWED TO RE-OPEN IN OCTOBER 2005. SINCE THEN, IT HAS BEEN THE SUBJECT OF NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS. THERE WERE TWENTY-SIX 9-1-1 CALLS TO THE CLUB IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS, AND 8 ARRESTS THERE FOR WEAPONS, NARCOTICS AND PROSTITUTION. THE MOST RECENT ARRESTS THERE FOR NARCOTICS AND PROSTITUTION WERE MADE ON TUESDAY.
TWO UNDERCOVER OFFICERS WERE INSIDE THE CLUB AT ABOUT ONE A.M... TODAY TO DOCUMENT ANY ILLICIT ACTIVITY THERE. WITH ONE MORE DOCUMENTED VIOLATION, THE CLUB WOULD FACE ANOTHER NUISANCE ABATEMENT CLOSURE.
AT ABOUT 3:00 A.M., ONE OF THE UNDERCOVER OFFICERS OVERHEARD ONE OF THE CLUB’S DANCERS COMPLAIN TO A MAN THAT SHE HAD BEEN BOTHERED BY ONE OF THE PATRONS. THE MAN INDICATED BY PATTING HIS WAISTBAND THAT HE HAD A GUN, AND HE TOLD THE WOMAN WOULD TAKE CARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE UNDERCOVER WHO HEARD THE EXCHANGE LEFT THE CLUB TO NOTIFY HIS SUPERVISOR AND BACK-UP TEAM OF POSSIBLE TROUBLE.
AT ABOUT 4 AM OUTSIDE IN FRONT OF THE CLUB, A GROUP OF APPROXMAILEY 8 MEN BEGAN TO ARGUE WITH A LONE MALE, THREATENING TO ASSAULT HIM. ONE OF THE MALES IN THE GROUP OF 8 YELLED “YO, GET MY GUN.” AND ANOTHER THREATENED TO ASSAULT THE LONE MALE. THE GROUP OF 8 ULTIMATELY LEFT THE MAN ALONE.
THEY BROKE INTO TWO GROUPS OF 4 AND PROCEEDED EAST ON 94TH AVENUE,
ABOUT A HALF BLOCK TO LIVERPOOL STREET, WHERE THEY TURNED SOUTH.
ONE OF THE UNDERCOVER OFFICERS, WHO I’LL CALL UNDERCOVER NUMBER ONE, STAYED CLOSE BEHIND THE SECOND GROUP OF FOUR. UNDERCOVER OFFICER TWO REMAINED IN FRONT OF THE CLUB. MEANWHILE, THE BACK UP TEAMS FOLLOWED UNDERCOVER OFFICER ONE AS HE STAYED CLOSE BEHIND THE GROUP OF FOUR. THE BACK UP TEAMS WERE COMPRISED OF A LIEUTENANT AND TWO OTHER OFFICERS IN AN UNMARKED TOYOTA CAMRY, AND TWO OTHER OFFICERS IN A FORD “FREESTAR” MINIVAN.
UNDERCOVER OFFICER ONE CROSSED FROM THE WEST SIDE TO THE EAST SIDE OF LIVERPOOL STREET, AS THE FOUR MEN HE WAS OBSERVING ENTERED A NISSAN ALTIMA. AS THE UNDERCOVER OFFICER APPROACHED THE FRONT OF THE CAR, THE CAR MOVED FORWARD, STRIKING THE UNDERCOVER. IT THEN PLOWED INTO THE FRONT OF THE POLICE MINIVAN THAT HAD JUST TURNED SOUTH ON LIVERPOOL STREET. THE DRIVER OF THE ALTIMA PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE AND DROVE BACKWARD ONTO THE SIDEWALK, SLAMMING INTO A ROLL-DOWN GATE OF THE BUILDING THERE, CLOSE TO WHERE THE UNDERCOVER OFFICER WAS LOCATED.THE DRIVER PUT THE CAR INTO FORWARD AND RAMMED THE POLICE MINIVAN A SECOND TIME.
FIVE POLICE OFFICERS FIRED A TOTAL OF 50 ROUNDS AT THE THE ALTIMA. THE DRIVER, SEAN BELL, WAS STRUCK TWICE, IN THE RIGHT ARM AND NECK. HE WAS PRONOUNCED AT JAMAICA HOSPITAL. JOSEPH GUZMAN, WHO WAS IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT, WAS STRUCK MULTIPLE TIMES…AS MANY AS 11 TIMES. HE IS IN CRITICAL CONDITION AT MARY IMMACULATE IN QUEENS. TRENT BENEFIELD, WHO WAS IN THE BACK SEAT, WAS SHOT THREE TIMES, IN LOWER LEGS AND THE RIGHT REAR BUTTOCKS. HE IS IN STABLE CONDITION AT MARY IMMACULATE HOSPITAL.
THERE MAY HAVE BEEN A FOURTH INDIVIDUAL IN THE CAR WHO FLED.
THE POLICE OFFICER WHO WAS STRUCK BY THE VEHICLE WAS TREATED AND RELEASED FOR AN ABRASION TO HIS RIGHT SHIN. ONE OF THE DETECTIVES ASSIGNED AS BACK UP REMAINS AT NORTH SHORE HOSPITAL IN NASSAU COUNTRY FOR OBSERVATION BECAUSE OF HYPERTENSION. TWO PORT AUTHORITY POLICE OFFICERS WERE TREATED AND RELEASED FOR MINOR FACIAL INJURES FROM GLASS FROM A WINDOW IN THE NEARBY AIR TRAIN FACILITY. THE WINDOW HAD BEEN SHATTERED BY AN ERRANT ROUND. ANOTHER ERRANT ROUND PENETRATED THE WINDOW OF A PRIVATE HOUSE NEARBY. THERE WERE NO INJURIES ASSOCIATED WITH IT, HOWEVER.
THE TWO OFFICERS IN THE MINIVAN, EXITED THEIR VEHICLE AND FIRED AT TOTAL OF 34 SHOTS BETWEEN THEM. ONE OF THE TWO, A 12-YEAR VETERAN OF THE DEPARTMENT, FIRED 31 TIMES. THE OTHER, A 5-YEAR VETERAN, FIRED THREE TIMES.
THE TWO OFFICERS WITH THE LIEUTENANT IN THE CAMRY EXITED THE VEHICLE AND FIRED A TOTAL OF 5 TIMES. ONE OFFICER, A 17-YEAR VETERAN, FIRED FOUR TIMES.
THE OTHER, A 9-YEAR VETERAN, FIRED ONCE. UNDERCOVER OFFICER, A FIVE-YEAR VETERAN, FIRED 11 TIMES. ALL OF THESE OFFICERS WERE ARMED WITH 9MM SEMI-AUTOMATIC PISTOLS. NONE HAD BEEN INVOLVED IN SHOOTINGS PREVIOUSLY.
NEITHER THE LIEUTENANT NOR UNDERCOVER OFFICER TWO FIRED.
OUR BALLISTICS TEAM HAS RECOVERED 40 SHELL CASINGS SO FAR. THEY FOUND THE NISSAN ALTIMA HAS BEEN STRUCK 21 TIMES.
AT ABOUT 2:30 THIS AFTERNOON, A SEARCH WARRANT WAS OBTAINED FOR THE ALTIMA. NO WEAPON WAS RECOVERED.
AS I MENTIONED, WE ARE PRECLUDED FROM INTERVIEWING THE SHOOTING OFFICERS UNTIL, THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY COMPLETES HIS INVESTIGATION. WE HAVE QUESTIONED THE TWO NON-SHOOTING OFFICERS, INCLUDING UNDERCOVER OFFICER TWO. UNDERCOVER OFFICER TWO WAS IN FRONT OF THE CLUB WHEN HE HEARD AN INDIVIDUAL LATER IDENTIFIED AS THE DRIVER OF THE ULTIMA, SEAN BELL, SAY “LET’S F… HIM UP,” IN REFERENCE TO AN UNIDENTIFIED MALE STANDING BY A BLACK SUV IN FRONT OF THE CLUB. THE UNDERCOVER OFFICER SAID THAT HE HEARD THE INDIVIDUAL LATER IDENTIFIED AS JOSEPH GUZMAN SAY “YO, GO GET MY GUN.”
THE LIEUTENANT, IN HIS INTERVIEW SAID, THAT UNDERCOVER OFFICER ONE CALLED HIM JUST PRIOR TO THE SHOOTING TO REPORT THAT, QUOTE: “IT’S GETTING HOT ON LIVERPOOL, FOR REAL, I THINK THERE’S A GUN.” AT THIS POINT, THE LIEUTENANT WAS PRECEDING EAST ON 94TH AVENUE IN THE TOYOTA CAMRY ABOUT AT BLOCK FROM LIVERPOOL STREET. THE POLICE MINIVAN FOLLOWED HIM ONTO THE BLOCK
AS THE LIEUTENANT TURNED SOUTH ONTO LIVERPOOL, AND PROCEEDED DOWN THE BLOCK, HE PASSED THE ALTIMA, AND THEN HEARD THE ALTIMA CRASH INTO THE MINIVAN AND THEN THE SHOTS FIRED. A CIVILIAN WITNESS DESCRIBED THE ULTIMA CRASH INTO THE POLICE MINIVAN AND THE ENSUING SHOOTING.
WE WILL LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS SHOOTING WHEN WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO INTERVIEW THE OFFICERS WHO FIRED. NOW, I’LL TAKE QUESTIONS.
See Police Commish Ray Kelly's statement in Post 6.
I'm sure there was a gun, somewhere. Apparently not with those shot by the police.
WE WILL LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS SHOOTING WHEN WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO INTERVIEW THE OFFICERS WHO FIRED
After they get their stories straight I doubt that we will learn more. Statements by police officials are always suspect when they have something to protect. Even more questionable when they admit they don't know what happened.
I see this is from the NYT.
Do we have any confirmation of this story froma reliable source?
Look, that's not fair. For a variety of reasons, the NYPD has to be very careful not to speculate publicly after such an incident.
The commish's statement has a lot of good, solid info. But when there's a shooting, there is an extremely strict protocol to follow when speaking about it, especially a day or two after.
Our NYPD guys are calm, well-trained, and very, very professional. You can bet that the group who was involved in this incident weren't just flying by the seat of their pants, but were being guided by the training they've received.
Bottom line: Those bachelors picked one of the scummiest, most notorious places, in one of the worst neighborhoods, to hang out the night before a wedding. They were foolish.
The police were following up on specific complaints from a place with a long history of narcotics, prostitution and guns complaints.
I would not want their job. I'm glad I live in NYC with these fellas around.
Just read the article carefully, compare it with the police statement, and you will see they are both on the same page. It is an excellent article.
You sure seem willing to convict these cops in a big hurry. And I notice that you've already got a ready-made excuse, in case they're exonerated by any investigation. "If it don't fit, you must aquit." Yep, thanks Mr Cochrane, it must be those crooked cops, framing the black man, always tryin' to keep him down. Sounds like the cops acted in self-defense, to me. Attempted vehicular homicide sure as hell rates a hail of gunfire, in my book.
The shot driver tried to kill a police officer.
"...should be able to kill anyone leaving the club. Surely some of those who were in the club deserved killing."
You make a good point here. Just because the club is a notorious drug and sex shop, doesn't give license to police to shoot on sight. I just don't believe that this is what happened in this case. It sounds like self-defense. This perp tried to run over a cop, then rammed a police undercover van twice, and was going for an encore. Just when would you have started shooting? After getting a close-up view of the radiator? While getting your teeth flossed by a couple of Goodyears?
None what so ever.
Say what you like about the NY Times (and I say they are all unrepentant communists and self-hating Jews, fwiw), this is a good example of the kind of in-depth/background reporting on local crimes that ONLY the Times ever does.
I agree with the others; your remarks are out of line.
The reason we are posting these articles is to get a complete as picture as possible, so we really know what happened.
Sounds like a charming club to spend one's last few hours as a "free man." I'm sure he would have made a FABULOUS husband. Emphasis mine.
That being said, I do see this is a tragedy. Sort of reminds me of the Duke rape case, in a small but tragic way...if you want to avoid trouble, it might help to stay out of seedy strip clubs and not hire seedy strippers to "perform" at your frat house.
I take everything from the Times with a grain of salt. But I also know how to read between the lines when taking in their information. What exactly is your criticism of this particular story? Would you have even thought twice about whether to believe it had it come from the Post or the Sun?
Thoughtful criticism I can handle; dumb-ass dismissal of stories, out of hand, is just plain foolish.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.