New Concerns Raised In Sean Bell Case

Yesterday, the woman who would be Sean Bell’s wife had he not been killed on his wedding day expressed her disdain for [a policy that allowed her fiancé’s blood alcohol level to be determined but not that of the cop who shot him]. Nicole Paultre attended the panel hearing on police practices with her and Bell’s two daughters. According to Police Commissioner Ray Kelly, at least one of the officers involved in the shooting had consumed two or more drinks at the Kalua Cabaret Strip Club in Queens where an undercover team was investigating a prostitution case. Kelly did not attend the hearing. An NYPD regulation permits undercover officers to drink on duty if it helps them blend in and to divert suspicion away from themselves. Cops stated that the five officers involved in the shooting opened fire when Bell tried to run them over in his car. Toxicology reports reveal that Bell’s blood-alcohol content was above the legal limit, and thus he should not have been attempting to drive.