Left
to right: Gescard Isnora, Michael Oliver, Marc
Cooper
|
|
Two undercover officers and detectives have been
charged with manslaughter and a third has been charged with reckless endangerment
in a late night episode in Jamaica, Queens, New York. Officers
Gescard
Isnora and Michael Oliver have been charged with first- and
second-degree manslaughter and assault. Officer Marc Cooper has been charged
with second-degree
reckless endangerment, a misdemeanor. All three are experienced
detectives and Isnora has been decorated for bravery.
On the night of November 24, 2006, and into the early morning
hours of November 25, a team of eight officers, three undercover, were
investigating designated night clubs in Queens known for prostitution,
drugs, gun violations, and violence. One club, the Kahlua, was being investigated
for teenage prostitution.
A few weeks earlier, the team had confirmed one incident of
prostitution at the Kahlua and needed a second charge for a civil action
to shut down the club. Undercover officer Gescard Isnora was accompanied
by two other plainclothes detectives in the club and observed that a patron
had a concealed weapon.
Officer Isnora called the backup team, including a lieutenant
in a squad car and uniformed officers in an unmarked police van, to inform
them that there was a gun in the club. A decision was made to wait outside
to arrest the man with the unlawful weapon when he left. Significantly,
Officer Isnora retrieved his Glock service pistol and his police shield
when he left the Kahlua.
At about 3:30 a.m., a black SUV pulled up to the front of the
club as five black male patrons were walking out and talking to a strip
dancer, who was a prostitute.
The group included Sean Bell, Joseph Guzman, and Trent Benefield.
Officer Isnora overheard the argument with the group of men and the pimp
over arrangements for the five men to have sexual relations with the prostitute.
The argument was escalating, and it was clear that the pimp was in danger
of violence by the angry men. Officer Isnora heard Joseph Guzman say to
Sean Bell, “Let’s **** him [the pimp] up. Let’s go get
my gun.” At that point Officer Isnora saw the group go to Bell’s
car. The police officer feared there would be a drive-by shooting of the
pimp.
The lieutenant in a squad car told Officer Isnora to follow
them. Officer Isnora did so and saw four men get into a car with Bell driving
and Guzman in the front seat. Officer Isnora walked toward the car as it
started to pull out. He stood in front of the car with his police shield
on his collar and weapon drawn and yelled “Police. Stop!”
Driver Bell accelerated the car, heading at Officer Isnora
and hitting him in the leg. Bell then drove the car directly toward the
police van, crashing into it, and backed up and rammed the van a second
time. Officer Isnora, believing that Guzman was reaching for his weapon,
yelled, “Gun!” and fired his service revolver at the SUV. Officer
Michael Oliver jumped out of the police van and heard Officer Isnora yell “Gun!” and
saw bullets shatter the windshield. Believing that he was being fired upon,
Officer Oliver emptied his Glock at the car. Officer Marc Cooper fired
four rounds. From behind the car, two officers fired two and three rounds
each.
In the melee, Bell was fatally wounded and Guzman and Benefield
were injured. While no weapons were found at the scene, one man fled and
may have taken a weapon with him. Bell, Guzman, and Benefield had previous
arrests for illegal possession of firearms; Guzman is a felon who has served
jail time for armed robbery in which he shot the victim.
Since two of the officers are black, the race card could not
be effectively used. However, Al Sharpton and other civic leaders in New
York been highly critical of the police actions and made media appearances
with Bell’s fiancee.
LELDF will assist Officers Isnora, Oliver, and Cooper in their
defense in this highly controversial case.
|
