$7 Million Settlement Reached in Sean Bell Killing

Does a big money settlement really provide some measure of closure for a family that is suffering from the inexcusable death of a loved one?  That is a question that Sean Bell’s family is now facing with the recent settlement in the lawsuit that arose from Bell’s 2006 shooting death at the hands of New York City police detectives.  Many of you will remember Sean Bell.  He was the unarmed 23-year old African-American man who was gunned downed by plainclothes detectives on the night before his wedding, following an altercation with detectives outside of a nightclub.  Bell was killed in the incident and two of his friends were wounded.  The exact circumstances that lead to the shooting are still contested.  However, what was most egregious  about the incident was that the officers fired over 50 shots in just a few seconds.  As a result of the incident the officers were indicted on multiple charges and Bell’s family brought a civil lawsuit against the city.  In considering the veracity and pure excessiveness of the incident, a settlement was reached on Tuesday which requires the City to pay more than $7 million to Bell’s and the other victims’ families.    

As a system, the law is tasked to punish wrongdoers and provide some type of restitution to those parties that have been injured.  And in situations where life is lost, often times monetary judgment payments are the only means to try to compensate a victim’s family for such a significant loss.   After years of fighting for justice in the courts, I am sure the Bell family is relieved to reach some type of resolution.  However, in a situation such as this, where the injury is so reprehensible and was committed by those that are employed to serve and protect, the law cannot rectify the situation and often times monetary payments cannot mitigate or repair the permanent damage done or relieve the pain caused.  However, at the very least, we can be hopeful that such an outcome will lead to greater checks and balances and serve as a measure to prevent senseless conduct like this from occurring again.