'Big city payout, few convictions in other NYPD cases before Bell'

Their eight-week trial ended in an acquittal, but the detectives at the center of the Sean Bell shooting aren't off the hook yet.

Detectives Michael Oliver, Marc Cooper and Gescard Isnora are still vulnerable to federal charges, disciplinary action from the NYPD and civil suits.

The Rev. Al Sharpton, Sean Bell's parents and his fiancée have no intention of allowing interest in the case to fizzle. Sharpton Saturday called the criminal acquittal a "comma" in the story of Bell. "We are going to bring the period and the exclamation point," Sharpton said.

Here's a look at several other notorious cases involving city cops and their divergent outcomes:

ANTHONY BAEZ

Officer Francis Livoti placed Baez, who was asthmatic, in a fatal choke hold in 1994 after a football tossed by the 29-year-old hit the cop's police car.
Criminal charges: Livoti was charged with criminally negligent homicide, but was acquitted at trial.

Federal charges: Federal prosecutors indicted Livoti on civil rights charges. He was convicted in 1998 and sentenced to 7½ years in prison
NYPD: During a departmental hearing, Livoti was found guilty of violating guidelines by using an illegal choke hold to subdue Baez. He was fired.

Civil payout: The city settled the Baez family's wrongful death suit for $3 million.

ABNER LOUIMA

The Haitian immigrant was sodomized with a stick in the bathroom of the 70th Precinct stationhouse in Brooklyn in 1997.

Criminal charges: The Brooklyn district attorney's office turned the case over to the federal government, which could impose stiffer sentences.

Federal charges: Officer Justin Volpe pleaded guilty to charges of sexually brutalizing Louima. Volpe was sentenced to 30 years in prison. Officer Charles Schwarz was convicted of perjury and served five years in prison. Officers Thomas Bruder and Thomas Wiese were convicted of conspiracy to obstruct justice, but their sentences were overturned on appeal. Sgt. Michael Bellomo was acquitted.

NYPD: Volpe, Schwarz, Bruder and Wiese were fired. Bruder and Wiese unsuccessfully sued to get their jobs back. Bellomo is still a cop.

Civil payout: The city and police union settled with Louima for $8.75 million.

TIMOTHY STANSBURY

In 2004, Housing Officer Richard Neri fatally shot 19-year-old Timothy Stansbury as he walked across the roof of a Brooklyn housing project.

Criminal charges: A grand jury declined to indict Neri, who claimed he fired accidentally.

Federal charges: Federal prosecutors decided not to bring civil rights charges.

NYPD: Neri was suspended for 30 days after a departmental trial. He was assigned to a desk job.

Civil payout: The city settled a wrongful death suit for $2 million.

AMADOU DIALLO

In 1999, Diallo, an unarmed West African immigrant, was shot dead by four cops who fired 41 bullets at him in the Bronx.

Criminal charges: Officers Sean Carroll, Richard Murphy, Edward McMellon and Kenneth Boss were acquitted of murder charges by an upstate jury in 2000.

Federal charges: The Justice Department decided not to file civil rights charges.

NYPD: An internal investigation found the officers had not violated any guidelines. They were all put on desk duty. Carroll retired from the NYPD. Murphy and McMellon became firefighters. Boss is still a cop. He has sued without success to get his gun back and return to active duty.

Civil payout: The city paid the Diallo family $3 million to settle a wrongful death lawsuit.

 

~ source: NYDailyNews ~