Sean Bell and Amadou Diallo
Dear Friends,
On Sunday morning, Sean Bell—an unarmed, young Black man—was shot to death by New York City police in a hail of 50 bullets, hours before his wedding. I’ve joined ColorOfChange.org’s call for a special independent prosecutor to hold the police accountable.
I wanted to let you know about the effort and invite you to do the same.
http://www.colorofchange.org/nypd/?id=2177-134070
Bell’s death fits into a pattern of police misconduct and is hauntingly similar to the murder of Amadou Diallo in 1999—another unarmed young Black man killed by the NYPD in a barrage of 41 bullets.
Mayor Bloomberg has promised a full investigation, but if the Amadou Diallo case offers any lesson, it’s that the District Attorney’s office is too close to the police to investigate them.
The only way to achieve justice is through an independent special prosecutor, with no ties to New York City law enforcement.
The problem with NYPD isn’t bad or poorly trained cops. It’s a result of no real accountability. Until that changes, we shouldn’t expect to see anything different in the actions of police.
This can start to change, now—with the appointment of an independent special prosecutor to handle the investigation of Bell’s murder. It’s a first step towards justice for Sean Bell and for reforming the NYPD.
Please join me in demanding that Mayor Bloomberg and Commissioner Kelly provide one:
http://www.colorofchange.org/nypd/?id=2177-134070
Thanks.