The city of New York has settled the civil suit regarding the Sean Bell case in which he was gunned down by undercover police officers in a hail of 50 bullets.
The city has settled its civil lawsuit with the
families of the victims of the infamous Sean Bell shooting outside of a
Queens strip club.
Lawyers for the city announced that more than $7
million will go to the the estate of Sean Bell — who was killed in a
hail of 50 police bullets — and the two other men who were injured,
Joseph Guzman and Trent Benefield.
Bell’s estate, will receive $3.25 million, while Guzman will get $3 million and Benefield will receive $900,000.
“The Sean Bell shooting highlighted the complexities
our dedicated officers must face each day,” said NYC Corporation
Counsel Michael Cardozo in a statement. “The City regrets the loss of
life in this tragic case, and we share our deepest condolences with the
Bell family. The City is also settling claims with Mr. Guzman and Mr.
Benefield. We hope that all parties can find some measure of closure
by this settlement.”
As a condition of the settlement, the city doesn’t admit any wrongdoing.
Bell was killed outside a Jamaica, Queens bar in
November 2006 while leaving his bachelor party on what would have been
his wedding day. Three police officers were acquitted of manslaughter
and other charges in 2008. Federal authorities in February declined to
bring civil rights charges against them.
The Nov. 25. 2006, shooting sparked massive outcry
across the nation, with civil-rights advocates leading protests and
demanding convictions for the detectives who shot and killed Bell.
Bell had been outside a strip club with his two
friends Guzman and Benefield after his bachelor’s party, when
undercover cops investigating reports of prostitution at the
club apparently misheard their conversation and thought one had a gun.
No weapon was found.
The would-be groom’s friends, who were seriously
wounded in the fusillade, had led the charge for retribution in
conjunction with Bell’s family.
Family advocate and National Action Network
president Al Shaprton, said he “respected and defered” to the victims’
judgement in accepting the settlement.
“They must all provide for their families but this
in no way mitigates or repairs the permanent damage done to them and
the pain it has caused them forever nor does it diminish the outrage in
the community,” said Sharpton.
Meanwhile, Detective’s Endowment Asociation head Michael Palladino called the settlement “absurd.”
“Bell was inteoxicated, double the legal limit and
caused his own demise,” said Palladino. “Cops were exonerated in a
court of law and a federal review, yet tax payers are on the hook for
seven million dollars.”
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