Submitted by mike naylon, Dec 8, 2006 07:50

Yes, where better to move forward with one's life...and on the eve of his wedding no less. His death is tragic, and the NYPD needs to NOT SHOOT UNLESS IN OBVIOUS DANGER; but people put themselves into situations where these things happen. I didn't get shot that night, because I wasn't in a seedy strip-club. As well, the only guns I've ever seen have been in police holsters, whereas some are immersed in a gun culture (hunters included--should I feel bad when a hunter kills another hunter, when their sole purpose in having a gun is to kill?) And Mr. Bell's chances of playing major league baseball were about as good as mine. Of course he didn't deserve this; maybe some jail time for the shooter would help change the 'shoot first' response seen too often by the NYPD. However, we all make choices, and they don't always lead to happy endings. NOTE: With due respect to the NYPD, why is that perhaps a dozen officers were involved in this stakeout, which at best might have led to a few minor drug/prostitution arrests, but when a large gang of teenagers congregrates on a busy manhattan street in the middle of the afternoon, officers aren't around to stop a riot before it gets started? Just wondering...

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