NEW YORK—The police shooting that left one unarmed black man dead in Queens, N.Y. in November 2006 the night before his wedding, has not stopped reverberating through communities in New York City.
After the three police officers were acquitted in April for mistakenly thinking that someone in the man's car had a gun, mass protests shut down parts of New York City and got high profile advocates and politicians arrested for civil disobedience.
The latest chapter in the saga is the New York City Police Department announcement Tuesday of the findings of a report that indicate the need for revising police procedures. The report was authored by the think tank, the Rand Corporation.
"In January 2007, New York City Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly wanted to make sure that his department was doing everything necessary to minimize the unnecessary discharge of firearms," reads the report
The young man gunned down in November, Sean Bell, was killed in a hail of 50 bullets.
Major recommendations include having police training include "reflexive-shooting scenarios" in which a stimulus or the sounds of guns going off are included—for example "he's got a gun."
Recommendations also include the use of tasers—essentially 50,000 watt stun guns.
"The only less lethal weapon to which patrol officers in New York City routinely have access to is oleoresin capsicum, or pepper, spray," reads the report. However OC spray is relatively rarely used.
"Taser-device use is still controversial," the report concedes.
Tasers have spiked controversy for being too bulky for officers and for on rare occasion killing suspects only meant to be stunned.
"[Tasers] may be a little cumbersome, but we believe that it's necessary at this time," said Police Commissioner Ray Kelly in an NY1 News report.
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