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Vol. 72/No. 20      May 19, 2008

 
Bronx march protests acquittal of
New York cops who killed Black youth
 
BY MAURA DELUCA  
BRONX, New York, May 3—Around 80 people took part in a march to protest Supreme Court Justice Arthur Cooperman’s acquittal of three city police detectives in the shooting death of Sean Bell. Protesters gathered outside the 43rd Police Precinct in the Soundview section of the Bronx today after marching from the apartment building where Amadou Diallo was killed by police officers in a hail of 41 bullets in 1999.

Bell was shot and killed by cops hours before his scheduled wedding in November 2006 after leaving his bachelor’s party in Jamaica, Queens. Three of the five police officers—who unloaded a total of 50 bullets on Bell and his two friends—were acquitted of all charges April 25.

“The verdict shows that police get different treatment in the courts than ordinary citizens,” said Joel Rivera of the Latino Pastoral Action Center. “If you watch the TV show “Law & Order,” they show you how the police and the district attorney work together, and we see that in this case. They didn’t even give them the minimum charge,” he said.

State Senator Ruben Diaz, Sr., and Assemblyman Ruben Diaz, Jr. led the march.

“Enough already! Every time you put your hand in your pocket you got a gun in your face because of where you live or the color of your skin,” said Leslie, 45, a Board of Education worker. “I thought those cops would get convicted of something. It’s ridiculous—50 shots and no one even fired back!”  
 
 
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