After hearing the news of this horrible tragedy in Queens on November 25, 2006, I had been nervously awaiting the verdict of the trial of the three police officers who fired 50 bullets at the unarmed Bell merely hours before the 23-year-old was to be married. On my way to work on April 26, while listening to NPR I heard the the judge acquitted the three officers on all charges. At the wheel, I immediately became sick to my stomach and in a state of shock. I kept thinking about the number of shots fired, 50, and how anyone could possibly fire so many shots at a human being. I am truly shaken beyond belief that in our United States society, one that has somehow convinced the public of leading the world as an ethical, moral, and just superpower, our legal system can okay this kind of action. After the news of the acquittal, the community in Queens has been in an uproar of protests. This photo from the New York Times captures an intense moment where a young member of the new Black Panthers stares down a black Queens police officer. (Photo by Uli Seit for the NY Times)
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