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July 5, 2008 5:23:38 PM CDT

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Cops Acquitted in NYC Groom Shooting

Posted Apr 25, 08 8:47 AM CDT in US    Most Covered

(Newser) – A judge today acquitted three detectives who killed an unarmed New York City man in a hail of 50 bullets hours before his wedding in November 2006, the New York Times reports. The judge cited problems with witnesses' testimony in the killing of Sean Bell and a lack of sufficient evidence. Roughly 150 Bell supporters had gathered inside and outside the courtroom, including fiancée Nicole Paultre-Bell, who ran from the courtroom when the verdict was read, and the Rev. Al Sharpton.

The prosecution chose to have a judge, rather than a jury, decide the case. Bell was shot as he drove away from his bachelor party at a Queens nightclub. An undercover cop, thinking Bell or one of his passengers was armed, approached the car with a gun drawn, telling Bell not to move. When Bell, who friends said thought he was being robbed, moved his car, they opened fire, with one defendant firing 31 shots.

Sources: New York Times, New York Post, New York Daily News

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Nicole Paultre-Bell, fiancee of shooting victim Sean Bell, speaks to reporters during a news conference on the steps of City Hall, Wednesday, April 23, 2008 in New York.   (AP Photo/Jin Lee)
New York Police Detective Marc Cooper walks toward the courtroom, Thursday, April 10, 2008, in New York. Cooper, charged only with reckless endangerment, faces up to one year behind bars.   (AP Photo/Julia Xanthos, FILE)
New York Police Detective Michael Oliver walks toward the courtroom, Thursday, April 10, 2008, in New York.   (AP Photo/Julia Xanthos, FILE)
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