Groom Shot By Police at Bachelor Party Options

[fameONE]

NEW YORK - A bachelor party at a strip club ended early Saturday with police opening fire on a group of men leaving the establishment, killing a groom on his wedding day and wounding two others, one critically.

There was no immediate explanation for what sparked the shooting, which drew angry protests from family members and the Rev. Al Sharpton. The New York Police Department's chief spokesman, Paul Browne, declined to comment.

As many as eight officers may have been involved in the shooting near the Kalua Cabaret in Queens, said Sgt. Mike Wysokowski, another department spokesman. There were no reports that any officers were wounded, Officer Kathleen Price said.

"First it was like four shots," said Abraham Kamara, 38, who lives a few blocks from the scene of the shooting and said he was getting ready for work at the time. "And then it was like pop-pop-pop like 12 times."

The intersection where the shooting occurred remained blocked off Saturday afternoon as police inspected a car and a minivan and placed dozens of crime scene markers on the ground where shell casings had been recovered.

Denise Ford, who said her son was one of the survivors, said the trio's car had hit an unmarked police vehicle. Police did not immediately confirm that either of the vehicles in the intersection belonged to the department.

"All I know, they was celebrating," Ford said of the men. She said the man who died was the groom. "The guy was getting married today."

Relatives identified the man killed early Saturday as Sean Bell, 23. Sharpton said Bell and his fiancee had two children, ages 5 months and 3 years.

Sharpton said after visiting the two wounded men — Trent Benefield, 23, and Joseph Guzman, 31 — that he was outraged to find the pair handcuffed to their hospital beds. He said one suffered 17 wounds, though it was unclear how many were bullet wounds, and the other man was shot three times.

"We're not anti-police ... we're anti-police brutality," Sharpton said.
Sharpton said family members told him that there were no guns in the young men's car and "there was no reason for the police to shoot."

"On the face of it, it seems to me to be certainly something that causes extreme alarm and must be thoroughly investigated," said the civil rights leader, who said he was called by a relative of Bell.

Robert Porter, who identified himself as a cousin of Bell, said about 250 people were invited to Saturday's wedding and were flying in from all over the country. He said his cousin wasn't the type to confront police and was "on the straight and narrow."
Roy Brown, who said he works as a photographer at the club, said sirens sounded not long after the three men left the club.

"They weren't rowdy or nothing like that," said Brown, 57.

The owner of the building, Juan Escobar, would not say who owned the Kalua Cabaret. A message seeking comment was left at a phone number listed for the club.

One of the wounded men was in critical condition at Mary Immaculate Hospital and the other was listed as stable.

In 1999, NYPD officers killed Amadou Diallo, an unarmed West African immigrant who was shot 19 times in the entry to his apartment building. The four officers in that case were acquitted of criminal charges. In 2003, Ousmane Zongo, 43, a native of the western African country of Burkina Faso, was killed during a police raid on a warehouse where he repaired art and musical instruments. Zongo was shot four times, twice in the back.

[think!IMAGINARIL...]

That happened a few blocks from my school. Seriously. Jamaica, New York.
I even had a rapid dismissal on Friday because they were holding a ceremony thing at York College (because my high school is located on the York College campus).

I'm not sure of what they talked about during the ceremony, but I think that this is horrible. I read in another article that the cops were racist. I really hate the fact that a lot of NYC's cops are corrupt.

But this kind of thing isn't rare in Jamaica. A lot of gang activity happens there. So, yeah. They'd obviously be suspicious.. But they seriously shouldn't have shot the guy.

[mznikki]

i wasn't in new york, i live in jersey, but right after the inncident on sat, i saw it on the news and was mortified. i find this so sad and horrible, rip Sean Bell and i pray for him and his family.

[*Infinite.*]

Ah I remember hearing about this on the radio, by the sounds of it there was no real reason for the cops to just break out and start shooting, I'll have to read the whole story later though. I got to go get some mashed potatoes.

[*WHIMSICAL 0NE*]

Yeah, that's really messed up. They were worried because one of the "stray" bullets hit the amtrack.

[_sarcastic_]

that is just wrong

[KissMe2408]

This is horrible...
and on his wedding day too....omg....

THat really makes me mad....
No reason for them to shoot, it didn't sound like was a threat.
And even if he was a suspect for some random crime,
you just don't do that....

[OhMyAnniee]

How sad

[*a painefull euphoria*]

wow i feel bad for his kids.

[*digital.fragrance*]

That's so terrible.
It's almost like the kid that stole 2 PS3 systems and was shot by the police with only a game controller in his hand.

Th epolice need to be seriously better trained.

[*x1227x*]

aww that's so sad.. on his wedding day.

[ldyxluvable]

that is so sad