Three of the five New York Police Department officers accused of murdering a groom to be the night before his wedding were indicted Friday (March 16) by a grand jury.
Although officers Marc Cooper, Gerscard Isnora and Michael Oliver were indicted for the murder of 23-year-old Sean Bell, the Associated Press reported that the men don’t know what offenses they are charged with.
The remaining two officers in the shooting, Michael Carey and Paul Headley, were not charged, according to a person familiar with the case, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the jury’s decision was not made public.
The indictments mark the latest in a string of events that have occurred in the aftermath of the Nov. 25, 2006 incident that killed Bell and wounded his two friends Joseph Guzman, 31, and Trent Benefield, 23.
According to the AP, union representatives and lawyers for the officers said their clients, who were conducting an undercover investigation at the strip club, became convinced Bell and his friends were going to retrieve a gun from a car parked, after overhearing them argue with another patron.
Protests and criticism of the NYPD have followed in response to the department’s handling of the case.
With the grand jury’s decision revealed, observers are awaiting reaction to the indictments as news of the grand jury’s decision spreads.
The grand jurors were instructed to consider several charges: second-degree murder, manslaughter or criminally negligent homicide.
The group’s decisions will be made known during an official announcement on Monday, according to the Queens district attorney’s office.