Three NY officers cleared over death

A US court today found three New York City police officers innocent of all charges over the shooting death of an unarmed black…

A US court today found three New York City police officers innocent of all charges over the shooting death of an unarmed black man.

Sean Bell (23) was shot, along with two friends, amid 50 bullets fired after a bachelor party at a strip club in November 2006.

But a New York State Supreme Court judge cleared two officers of manslaughter and other charges and a third of reckless endangerment in the death of Mr Bell.

The detectives, Mike Oliver, Marc Cooper and Gescard Isnora, had waived their right to a jury trial and decided to have the judge decide guilt or innocence.

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The eight-week trial centred on whether the detectives had reason to believe they faced imminent danger and whether they made it clear to Mr Bell and the two survivors, Joseph Guzman and Trent Benefield, that they were police officers.

State Supreme Court Judge Arthur Cooperman said the charges could not be proved beyond a reasonable doubt in the case, which has generated outrage in New York's black community.