Sharpton Arrested Again
On April 25, 2008 three New York City police detectives were acquitted in the shooting death of Sean Bell. Bell died the night before his wedding, November 25, 2006- when, during his bachelor party, he was involved in an altercation and police believed he was going for a weapon. Police fired 50 shots into the groom-to-be’s car. The detectives- Michael Oliver, Gescard Isnora and (Officer) Marc Cooper- were acquitted because the judge didn’t find the witnesses against them to be credible, though he did say the policemen were “careless”. Two days after the verdict, Rev. Sharpton promised to “close the city down” with protests.
Today, scheduled protests in the City led to many arrests, including that of Rev. Al Sharpton.
The Police Department deployed extra patrols and erected barricades in front of police headquarters, but the protests got off to a mostly orderly start at midafternoon.
Outside 1 Police Plaza, about 200 people chanted “50 Shots!” Some demonstrators carried signs proclaiming, “We are all Sean Bell.” Sharpton, shooting victim Joseph Guzman and Bell’s fiancee, Nicole Paultre Bell, were among the crowd.
“We’re going to keep coming until we get federal indictments,” said Frank Rodriguez, a military veteran who arrived at rally with homemade model of the shooting scene.
On the opposite side of lower Manhattan, protesters outside the Holland Tunnel chanted “We’re fired up — we won’t take it no more” and “No justice, no peace,” and counted to 50 in a reference to the barrage of gunfire that killed Bell and wounded two of his friends.
[...]“Don’t let Sean Bell’s death be in vain,” said Booker, pastor of St. John A.M.E. Church in Harlem.
A few miles uptown, some protesters were arrested for blocking traffic into midtown Manhattan on the Queensboro Bridge while about 200 people rallied near the entrance to the Triborough Bridge in Harlem.
Earlier in the day, Sharpton said he expected acts of civil disobedience.
“Some will kneel in prayer and risk arrest to heighten the national attention to the fact that the civil rights of people in New York have been violated with this judge’s ruling,” Sharpton told The Associated Press.
Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said officers did not expect violence but would “take appropriate action” if the demonstrations became disruptive. Protests also were planned in Chicago and Atlanta, Sharpton’s office said.
Sharpton is seeking a federal investigation into possible civil rights violations by the police against Bell and Bell’s family is suing the NYC Police Department for his death.
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