NYPD detective who fired first at Sean Bell: I believed slain Queens man’s friend was about to shoot
The detective who fired the first shot in the barrage that killed Sean Bell testified Wednesday he used his gun because he thought a pal of the groom-to-be was primed to strike first. Gescard Isnora, who was undercover at the time of the shooting, testified in his NYPD trial that he believed Bell’s friend held a firearm in his hand – and that this fear trumped the detective’s reluctance to use his gun. Read More: Daily News
Occupy Wall Street protester punched by NYPD police inspector on video to meet with prosecutors
Prosecutors will meet with Occupy Wall Street protestor Felix Rivera-Pitre, who was filmed being punched in the face by an NYPD supervisor in a video that quickly went viral. Lawyer Ron Kuby said Wednesday he’ll bring his client in now that that cops have agreed not to press charges against Rivera-Pitre until an investigation is complete. The NYPD has said Rivera-Pitre was the aggressor in the October 14 incident – and that he tried to elbow Deputy Inspector Johnny Cardona. Read More & Watch the Video: Daily News
Barbara Sheehan, woman acquitted of killing her husband says he visited transgender prostitutes
The Queens woman acquitted in the fatal shooting of her abusive ex- cop husband says she withheld sex from him for a decade because he patronized transvestite prostitutes. Sheehan also claims that her husband had an infantilism fetish and that the guilt from these deviances would propel him into a rage. Read More: New York Post
NY lawmaker to bring home US-Israeli
A U.S. congressman has arrived in Israel to bring home a U.S.-Israeli citizen who was arrested in Egypt four months ago on suspicions of espionage. A statement from Congressmember Gary Ackerman on Wednesday said he traveled to Israel to bring home Ilan Grapel, a Queens constituent. Grapel is expected to be released Thursday afternoon. The timing on his return to New York is uncertain. Read More: Washington Post
Man Charged With Shooting Woman In Maspeth
Police arrested a man Tuesday in connection with a shooting that injured a woman in Maspeth the previous night. Elijah Stamateris, 22, faces assault and weapons charges. According to police sources, a group of people was smoking marijuana and playing with a gun late Monday, when the 21-year-old woman was shot in the head. She was taken to Elmhurst Hospital in critical condition. Read More: NY1
Cornell president says own university’s plan is best bet to win Bloomberg’s contest for tech school
Cornell has launched a media blitz in recent weeks, unveiling several details of its plan to build a state-of-the-art tech campus on Roosevelt Island. Lured by the promise of free land and a $100 million grant, Cornell is among an impressive roster of top universities vying to set up an applied-sciences campus in the city. The deadline for proposals is Thursday, and Mayor Bloomberg is expected to announce the winner by year’s end. Read More: Daily News
