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Queens DA promises full investigation in fatal NYPD shooting

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Lisa Colagrossi
More: Bio, 7online.com News Team

(New York - WABC, November 28, 2006) (WABC) -- The police killing of young groom on his on his wedding day now involves the mayor and the Queens district attorney, along with a community still voicing its outrage.

Eyewitness News reporter Lisa Colagrossi is live in Jamaica, Queens with the latest.

The makeshift memorial for 23-year-old Sean Bell continues to get bigger as Mayor Bloomberg and community leaders try to work together as the sensitive investigation gets underway. Family members and the Rev. Al Sharpton left the Queens district attorney's office last night silent, after an emotional meeting.

David Weprin, (D) NYC Council Member: "We did hear from family members and there were tears in the room. It was heartbreaking."

How the deadly shooting unfolded, according to cops:

A Hispanic undercover officer says Sean Bell argued with someone as he left the "Kalua" strip-club.

One of Bell's friends allegedly said something about a gun, so the officer followed Bell and his friends to their car.

Investigators say that's when Bell's car moved forward, hitting the undercover officer, and then ramming an unmarked police minivan.

Bell reportedly backed up, hitting a building, then came forward again, hitting the police van a second time.

The officer clipped by Bell's car reportedly has told fellow officers he yelled "gun, gun" when he saw the front seat passenger, Joseph Guzman, reach for something in his waistband.

The police union says that officer was the first to open fire, pumping several bullets into the car.

Police Union Spokeman: The deadly physical force was being used against them and they're entitled to use deadly police force back."

Mayor Bloomberg: "I can tell you that it is to me unacceptable or inexplicable how you can have 50-odd shots fired, but that's up to the investigation to find out what really happened."

The officer who fired 31 bullets, was Detective Mike Oliver, a 12-year veteran who had never fired his gun until the encounter with Bell.

A five-year veteran, Officer Mike Carey, fired three times. A 17-year veteran fired four shots. And a nine-year veteran fired once.

In a radio interview, Bell's fiancee, 22-year-old Nicole Paultre, says they are all to blame.

Nicole Paultre, Victims Fiancee: "First I would start by saying they are not police officers, they are all murderers."

In an effort to keep the dialogue open, Mayor Bloomberg will meet with community leaders at 10:00 this morning in South Jamaica, Queens.

The incident that ignited this outrage: A young father of two was just wrapping up a bachelor's party at a topless club in Queens, and was hours away from walking down the aisle with his high school sweetheart Saturday, when he tragically got caught in a police operation. The Queens vice unit, out to clamp down on prostitutes and drugs somehow got the bachelor party in their cross-hairs. They fired 50 shots at 23 year-old Sean Bell and his unarmed friends. Bell died. Two of his friends are hospitalized, and one is said to be in critical condition.

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