Mar 5, 2007 7:56 am US/Eastern
Sean Bell Grand Jury To Hear From Officers
Officer Who Fired 31 Times Will Be Last To Testify
by Tamsen Fadal
KEW GARDENS, N.Y. (CBS) ―
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Sean Bell was killed by a hail of police gunfire in the early morning hours of Nov. 25 outside a Jamaica nightclub.
CBS
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Joseph Guzman was shot 16 times by police.
CBS
Some of the officers involved in November's killing of Sean Bell are expected to begin testifying before a grand jury. That grand jury has the task of deciding whether or not the officers should face criminal charges in this case.
The Reverend Al Sharpton stood alongside the two men wounded in 50-shot barrage of police bullets that killed bell at a Queens night club hours before his wedding .
"Dear God, we come asking for justice," Sharpton said. "Though we question local grand juries, we will go to anywhere any time to tell the truth until justice is achieved."
The five officers are expected to be called in ascending order, based on the number of bullets they fired: Paul Headley, who shot one round; Michael Cary, three; Marc Cooper, four; and Gescard Isnora, 11.
Though the grand jury will hear from the officers, it's still unclear whether Detective Michael Oliver, who fired 31 of the 50 shots, will testify.
On Friday, the two men who survived the shooting did not go into detail, but they had planned to tell the grand jury that no one in the group had guns when police opened fire.
Bell's fiancé and survivors Trent Benefield and Joseph Guzman took their turns answering questions.
"I'd like to thank everybody in the community, and I just need justice -- just like to see justice," Benefield said.
Guzman said, "We are looking for all kind of justice. There needs to be a Sean Bell law behind this so this will never happen again. What would the law say? Police brutality excessive force things of that nature."
The officers' testimony could take an entire week.
The grand jury has been hearing testimony in the case since January 22.
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
CBS 2's Coverage Of The Death Of Sean Bell
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