The Verdict!

The verdict of Sean Bell’s trial came in today and it was a great disappointment for those of us who were expecting justice!!

For those of you who had been living under a rock, he was the young man who was killed on his wedding day in the early hours of the morning, after his bachelor’s party at ‘Club Kalua” in Jamaica Queens, about eighteen or so months ago.

All the Officers in the case were freed of all the charges. Every. Single. Charge. Was. Dropped!!!Due to a lot of the evidence from the prosecution that the Judge was convinced wasn’t the truth or was embellished upon or their demeanor on the stand which was combative among other things was part of the reason why they were released and freed of all charges. And still, a man was shot dead 50 times!!! What does that mean? Fifty bullets for a man who was unarmed, and is now DEAD, and that doesn’t count?? Could you shot a dog 50 times in this country, and not face some kind of punishment for it? He was UNARMED!!!!

Fifty shots!!!! And ‘the gun’ they were so convinced that Sean and his friends had is still non-existent to this day. Amadou Diallo was shot 41 times!!! Because his ‘gun’, which so threatened the lives of the cops, was a wallet!! A black wallet!!

Makes me think, another case of the black skinned people of whom we are, our life is dispensable at any time, anywhere and for any old reason. Makes me think, the more things change, the more they stay the same and we are right back at square one.

The president of the P.B.A. (Policemen Benevolent Association) Patrick Lynch said “There were no winners here today”, he’s was right, but he said something else which gave me pause. He said that, it’s good to know that the courts back the officers and that the officers know that when they are in certain situations that require excessive force and has to act, the court is there for them or there to back them up. That was basically the gist of what he said….

My question is, who is there to back up the victims when excessive force is being used, as in 50 and 41 bullets and no gun was found and the other ‘gun’ was a black wallet, who? Who is there to comfort their families and loved ones, who will tell the kids why their daddy can’t or won’t ever come home again, who? Who will tell them he died even though he was innocent and will they understand or be as confused as most of us are time and time again?

I wonder how the other black officers in the force feel when things or situations like this happened. They still have to go to work each day and stand among their ‘brothers’ who are involved in the situation knowing, excessive force was utilized and an Innocent man was killed.

This is by no means to condemn ALL the Police Officers who are out there everyday doing their jobs conscientiously and protecting the citizens of this great nation. We greatly appreciate them and their efforts; we salute them and THANK them. But there’s always a few, (you know, as in every family…. there’s always a ‘black sheep’) who think they’re above the law and now the courts probably just proved them right…..

All I know, is that an Innocent man was shot dead 50 times because he and his friends were perceived as drunken thugs, seemed threatening and was heard to have a gun, of which there was none, and no one is held accountable because “carelessness and recklessness is not criminal”….And still, another mother and father lost their son, a wife lost her husband, children lost their father and his friends are left without him, because, “carelessness and recklessness is not criminal”……..Yeah, tell that to his family, friends, supporters and community.