For those not familiar with the latest police-shooting scandal to rock New York, Sean Bell, a 23 year old black male, was shot to death a year ago by five plainclothes police officers after leaving his bachelor party at a strip club in Jamaica, Queens. Sean Bell was unarmed as police shot over 50 bullets into the car, where he was killed, and two of his friends–Joseph Guzman and Trent Benefield–seriously injured. The scandal now is around three of the five detectives involved in the shooting, who were indicted by a grand jury and found not guilty.

Sean Bell, his fiancee Nicole Paultre, and their daughter

The incident is interesting, for the following facts:

• Bell had been arrested once for a firearms possession
• Joseph Guzman and Trent Benefield were arrested at least once for illegal firearm possession
• Sean Bell, according to a toxicology report, was drunk at the time of the shooting
• One of Bell’s friends was heard to say “yo, get my gun” as they left the club
• Sean Bell ran into an unmarked police minivan before the shooting
• Officer Michael Oliver fired thirty one times
• The three police officers, Gescard Isnora, Michael Oliver, and Marc Cooper, waived the right to Jury trial

After the shooting, Michael Bloomberg said “it sounds to me like excessive force was used.” Ice Cube noted that “this is just another example that the justice system in America views a black life as worthless,” while rapper Chamillionaire said:

I’m sure a lot of people are as disappointed with this verdict as I am. It scares me to know what type of power is given to people who are supposed to be protecting us from harm. It seems like they are all just protecting themselves. The verdict sends a terrible message to people across the nation who already don’t have faith in the law or our justice system. It will be hard for people to see this as anything other than a case of police protection.

The Rev. Al Sharpton called the verdict an “abortion of justice.” And while the police of New York city are getting more violent as time goes on–in the name of anti-terrorism, of course–a combination of perceived threat and noncooperation by the deceased are all that is to blame here. Unfortunately, in the 21st century, if you don’t follow a police officer’s precise orders, he has every right to shoot and kill you. That’s something that has to change.