Sean Bell's Family Marks Anniversary
New York, NY —
The family of Sean Bell has held an overnight vigil to mark today's first anniversary of the police shooting that left the 25-year-old dead on what was supposed to be his wedding day.
Activists and elected officials joined the family Saturday night on the Jamaica Queens street where police fired 50 bullets at Bell's car. The crowd marched arm-in-arm to a nearby church where the Reverend Al Sharpton delivered a sermon early this morning.
Undercover officers believed Bell and two of his friends were headed to their car to retrieve a gun, but no weapons were found. Police say the car lurched forward and bumped an officer before slamming into an unmarked police minivan. Three officers have been indicted in the case, two on manslaughter charges. They have pleaded not guilty. A trial is set for this winter.
Meanwhile, Joseph Guzman, one of Bell's two friends injured in the shooting, is set to testify today at a Queens hearing on police brutality. It's the final hearing of Tri-Level Legislative Task Force on Police Procedures, which was created by State Senate Minority Leader Malcolm Smith in the wake of the Bell shooting.
