The family of police shooting victim Sean Bell has settled a civil case against the city, and city officials will pay more than $7.1 million to the plaintiffs.
Bell was shot and killed by undercover police officers outside a nightclub in Jamaica, Queens in November 2006.
Two of his friends, Joseph Guzman and Trent Benefield, were also shot.
Three officers were charged in the shooting but acquitted.
Under the settlement, Bell’s estate will receive $3.25 million.
Guzman will receive $3 million and Benefield will receive $900,000.
In a statement, City Corporation Counsel Michael Cardozo said, “The Sean Bell shooting highlighted the complexities our dedicated officers must face each day. The City regrets the loss of life in this tragic case, and we share our deepest condolences with the Bell family…. We hope that all parties can find some measure of closure by this settlement.”
Sean Bell’s parents, Valerie and William Bell, said in a statement, “Our family is happy that they were able to reach a settlement, but it’s not enough. No amount of money will ever replace Sean and what my family has lost, including his time and his love.”
(Source: NY1)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
2 Responses
They made out like thieves considering that no one was found guilty here. Tragic? Perhaps. Welcome to NY.
MazelKGH – You confuse criminal cases, where the standard of proof is “beyond a reasonable doubt,” and civil ones, where the standard of proof is “by a preponderance of the evidednce” – it is not at all unusual for a legal judgment to be made that the risk of civil liabity is high, notwithstanding a criminal verdict of not guilty.