Prosecution Rests in Sean Bell Trial
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The prosecution has rested its case at the trial of three New York Police Department officers charged in the killing of an unarmed man on his wedding day. Today, defense attorneys are expected to call an officer who fired his gun in the 2006 slaying of Sean Bell, but wasn’t charged.
A union official suggested yesterday that the defendants — undercover detectives Gescard Isnora, Michael Oliver and Marc Cooper — might not testify.
The president of the Detectives’ Endowment Association, Michael Palladino, said prosecution witnesses “have established a substantial amount of doubt” during the six-week trial.
The shooters say they believed Bell and his friends were about to get into a gun fight outside the topless bar in Queens where Bell had his bachelor party.
The officers say they gave ample warning before the 50-shot barrage — a claim confirmed by some witnesses but disputed by others.
