$7 Million Settlement in Shooting of Groom on Wedding Day

The 2006 shooting of Sean Bell, the unarmed black man shot in his car and killed by police officers early on the morning of his wedding day, is one of the most controversial in recent New York City history. On Tuesday, the city agreed to pay more than $7 million to his two children and two of his friends; the friends were in the vehicle and were wounded when the police opened fire. The federal lawsuit set off a debate over the use of deadly force and prompted the city to change some of its policing procedures, including alcohol testing for officers in any shooting in which someone is injured, as well as improved firearms training. The settlement ranks among the biggest in recent years involving the city's police.

Mr. Bell's children, whom he had with his fiancée, Nicole Paultre Bell, will receive $3.25 million. Mr. Bell's two friends Joseph Guzman and Trent Benefield, who were injured in the shooting, will receive $3 million and $900,000, respectively. [NYT] (Also see The New York Post and The Daily News.)

New York Times By EMILY B. HAGER