All eyes will be on the Kew Gardens courtroom on Friday, April 25, waiting to hear Judge Arthur Cooperman hand down his verdict on the three city police detectives facing charges in the death of Sean Bell.
Cooperman will decide the fate of three police detectives Michael Oliver and Gescard F. Isnora, who are facing first- and second-degree manslaughter charges and Marc Cooper, who is facing two misdemeanor reckless endangerment charges, for their role in Bell’s death.
Bell was shot and killed when police officers fired 50 bullets outside of a Jamaica club the night before his wedding day in November of 2006.
“This is a case with no winners, only losers,” said Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown during a recent luncheon, referring to the families and friends of both Bell and the police officers.
Oliver and Isnora, who fired 31 and 11 shots, respectively, face charges that could land them in prison for up to 25 years, while Cooper, who fired four times, could serve one year in prison if convicted.
The three officers pleaded not guilty to the charges and waived their right to trial by jury leaving their fate in the hands of Judge Cooperman.
Prior to the announcement of the verdict, the focus has been about how the community will react to the judge’s decision.
City Councilmember Leroy Comrie, who represents southeast Queens, stood with Nicole Paultre Bell - Sean’s widowed fianc/e - Bell’s father, Reverend Al Sharpton and supporters at City Hall on Wednesday, April 23, saying that everyone should expect the community to remain calm regardless of the verdict because it has been peaceful throughout the trial.
“There has been no call for violence from anyone in the families involved and there will not be,” Comrie said.
Meanwhile, Bishop Lester Williams, the Pastor of the Community Church of Christ in Jamaica, who was supposed to perform Bell and Nicole’s wedding the day after the shooting, said a 24-hour vigil is planned at the church beginning Thursday, April 24 at 8 a.m. The prayer vigil will continue until 7 a.m. Friday morning when the community will march to the Queens courthouse to hear the verdict.
Meanwhile, Brown said that whatever the verdict is in the Bell case, there are going to be issues that need to be addressed further.
“Clearly we have in many parts of the city a rupture in terms of police/community relations,” Brown said.
* For the Sean Bell verdict and community reaction, visit www.queenscourier on Friday, April 25 for breaking coverage.
TRIAL HIGHLIGHTS AT A GLANCE
February 25 - Trial begins with opening statements. Prosecution calls first witness - Nicole Paultre Bell - the widowed fianc/e of Sean.
February 26 through March 31 - Forty-six prosecution witnesses including the commanding officer for the detectives, witnesses at the club that night and crime scene investigators testify before Judge Arthur Cooperman.
March 31 - Trent Benefield, who was in the backseat of Bell’s car during the shooting, testifies in court.
April 1 - Joseph Guzman, shot 16 times that night, testifies giving perhaps the most detailed account of what happened on November 25, 2006.
April 2 - Prosecution calls 50th and final witness, Dr. Albert Cooper, who treated both Guzman and Benefield at Mary Immaculate Hospital.
April 3 - First defense witness, Police Office Michael Carey, who was in the unmarked police van that night, testified that he heard Detective Gescard Isnora shout, “Police! Show your hands! Show your hands!
April 7 - Defense witness and ballistics expert Alexander Jason testifies saying he performed a simulation where he fired 31 shots - the same number Oliver fired - in 12.3 seconds.
April 14 - Lawyers for prosecution and defense deliver impassioned closing arguments hoping to leave the judge with a lasting impression before he deliberates.
