Mayor Stands by Comment That Bell Shooting Is ‘Inexplicable’
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
Mayor Bloomberg is standing by his comment that the police used “excessive force” when they killed an unarmed man in Queens the night before his wedding.
Following the fatal shooting of Sean Bell in November, Mr. Bloomberg said the 50 shots fired by police seemed “unacceptable” and “inexplicable.” At the time, police and detective union officials said those types of comments could undermine the officers’ chances of getting a fair hearing. On Monday, three of the five officers involved in the shooting were indicted. In the months since Bell’s killing, Mr. Bloomberg has avoided using the same language.
When asked yesterday whether he stood by his initial comments the mayor said, “I just said I did.” He added, “I expressed my opinion as a layman, which I have a right to do.”
The head of the Detectives Endowment Association, Michael Palladino, said in an interview that Mr. Bloomberg’s remarks “certainly go a long way in poisoning a jury pool.”
Mr. Bloomberg said a change of venue for the trial is up to the District Attorney.
