Apr 27, 2008 12:09 pm US/Eastern
Bell Supporters Want Federal Charges Against Cops
Plan To Continue Rallies, Marches In Protest
Reporting
Lou Young
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
-
-
A woman holds up a sign and cries after the reading of the not guilty verdict in the Sean Bell shooting trial outside of the State Supreme Court April 25, 2008.
Getty Images
-
-
Nicole Paultre Bell, widow of Sean Bell, man killed by police after leaving his bachelor party in Queens, speaks during rally, New York.
AP
With calls to shut down the city, hundreds of demonstrators launched the start of what could be a long series of protests following the acquittal of three New York City Detectives in the shooting death of Sean Bell.
"What do we want? Justice. When do we want it? Now," protesters chanted at a rally held in Harlem the day after the three New York City Police Detectives who shot and killed Sean Bell were acquitted of criminal charges.
"I walk in here today and I feel a lot better," Joseph Guzman, Bell's friend who was injured in the shooting.
The crowd supporting him filled Rev. Al Sharpton's National Action Network building, and spilled out onto the sidewalk on 145th St. – the new rally point for a new round of protests.
As marchers lined up outside to illustrate the 50 shots fired at Bell's car, his fiancee, Nicole Paultre Bell promised to keep the pressure on.
"On April 25th, 2008, they killed Sean all over again. That's what it felt like to us," she told supporters. "Every protest, every march, every rally, I'm going to be right up front."
The Bell family wants the three detectives who were found not guilty to be brought up on federal charges. Rev. Sharpton promised several rallies in the coming days. Organizers are compiling a list of men and women willing to participate in marches and lobby efforts. Saturday's protest march was modest in comparison to some of the plans in the works.
Protesters made a 50-block loop around Harlem spreading the word. Future marches will likely take place further downtown, and possibly during rush hour.
Bell's parents said they are grateful for the support, and the Rev. Sharpton summoned his poetic powers of public speaking to promise to help his family.
"I'm going to help these two women fight for that little boy (Sean Bell)," said Rev. Sharpton. "That little boy didn't deserve to die and this city is gonna deal with the blood of Sean Bell."
The three New York City Police Detectives successfully argued in court that they thought there was a gun in Bell's car and believed their lives were in danger. It turned out Bell and his friends were unarmed. The only Detective to publicly apologize to the Bell family was Detective Marc Cooper.
"[I'm] sorry to the Bell family for the tragedy," said Det. Marc Cooper.
That apology did not appear to diffuse the fury at this rally, where Bell's father William said he worried the country is moving back in time instead of forward.
"You tell me. Someone gotta answer this for me. Is this 1955?" asked William Bell.
CBS 2's Dave Carlin contributed to this report.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Celebrities Separated At Birth?
Click to enlarge
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
