After Sean Bell Verdict, Critics Call for N.Y. Special Prosecutor in Police Cases

Criminal Justice

After Sean Bell Verdict, Critics Call for N.Y. Special Prosecutor in Police Cases

Posted Apr 28, 2008, 05:27 pm CDT
By Martha Neil

The acquittal last week of three New York detectives criminally charged in the death of an unarmed African-American man who died in a hail of gunfire as he was leaving his bachelor party has fueled considerable criticism—and a call for the creation of a new special prosecutor's post to oversee such cases in the future.

Activists are also calling for federal prosecutors to pursue a civil rights case over the killing of Sean Bell, according to Newsday.

"It is difficult, almost impossible, to prosecute on-duty police officers in police misconduct cases, especially those involving homicide allegations," says attorney Normal Siegel, who formerly headed the New York Civil Liberties Union. "The verdict underscores the need for systemic change."

Additional coverage:

New York Times: "Verdict in Sean Bell Case Draws a Peaceful Protest, but Some Demand More"

National Public Radio: "New York Largely Unmoved by Sean Bell Verdict"

ThugLifeArmy.com: "Passing the Torch of Police Brutality: Sean Bell & The Solution"

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