Sean Bell’s Second Slaying
[col. writ. 4/25/08] (c) ‘08 Mumia Abu-Jamal
It was a classic ‘Only in America’ moment.
The bench trial of three killer cops in New York City, charged with
firing some 50 shots into a car, killing one man, Sean Bell, and wounding two
others (all unarmed).
The case rushed across America, spreading outrage in each city.
Initially, the cops moved to have the trial transferred to a site
upstate, to the rural, northern tiers. This motion denied, they opted for a
bench trial (or trial by a single judge), not trusting their fates to a
so-called jury of”citizens” they are sworn to serve and protect.
Time, it seems, has proven that they made the right decision — for,
predictably, the judge acquitted them of all charges, arguing that the
witnesses gave conflicting testimony.
By so doing, the court essentially ruled that Bell’s killing was
justified; no crime was committed.
The defense utilized the “bad company” argument: that Bell was shot
and killed because he was among “the wrong crowd.”
That such an argument swayed Supreme Court justice Arthur Cooperman
(in New York state, unlike most other states, the trial court is termed the
Supreme Court, and the state’s highest court is their Court of Appeals.) is a
measure of how devalued Black life is, and how easy Black men are to
demonize and disparage.
If none of the cops knew the men, what does it matter what their
backgrounds were? They could’ve been lawyers, basketball stars, or — cops.
That they were Black men — even unarmed Black men — was deemed
sufficient to unload on them, because in America, their color was crime enough.
So, 22 year old Sean Bell joins Amadou Diallo, and others guilty of
the capital offense of WWB- Walking While Black.
And while millions of Black and white Americans thrill at political
illusions of “post-racialism” , Sean Bell’s case proves how deeply deadly race
can still be.
Even rumors of a weapon were enough to unleash 50 shots — or should
we say “alleged rumors”, for there were no guns found in Bell’s car. In the
past, wallets, candy bars, keys, and packs of cigarettes were deemed
sufficient to provoke such malicious responses.
Now, nothing is required.
Sean Bell was shot to death, and his friends, Joseph Guzman and Trent
Benerfield were seriously wounded.
Shot and killed for being ‘the wrong crowd.’
–(c) ‘08 maj
