Loaded Language

“Judge Acquits Detectives in Bell's 50-Shot Killing
By MICHAEL WILSON
Three detectives were found not guilty in the 2006 shooting of Sean Bell, who died on his wedding day in a hail of police bullets.”

This was the synopsis of an article that reported on the outcome of the trial of three New York City detectives for the shooting of Sean Bell. It appeared in the email notice for the electronic version of the New York Times (04/26/08).

They sound pretty displeased with the verdict. The inclusion of “50-shot killing” in the title and the descriptive “died on his wedding day in a hail of police bullets” appear designed to cultivate in those reading the synopsis a sense that a great travesty of justice had taken place in the judge's acquittal. I don’t know whether that’s the case or not; the judge rendered his verdict and I assume that it will be challenged by those who disagree with it. But the NYT seems to think that this is so.

What does the fact that fifty shots were fired have anything to do with the police officers guilt or innocence? One shot wrongfully fired would render them just as culpable. The inclusion of the detail in the title infers that the police were way out of line. They misread the perceived threat and abused their power. This is bolstered by the descriptive “died in a hail of bullets on his wedding day.” The "wedding day" marker also appears calculated to promote Mr. Bell as innocent victim. One would assume from the description that Mr. Bell was on his way to the ceremony and got into a violent altercation with out of control police that left the bride standing at the alter. The clock had passed midnight so that it was technically his wedding day, but the incident took place in the wee hours of the morning as the groom-to-be was leaving a “bachelor party” at a strip club known for its unsavory activities (hence the presence of the detectives). Of course, if what the police did was a crime then its context doesn’t mitigate its criminality (though, ironically, context appears to have played a large in role in the judge’s decision). But to use the term “wedding day” seems calculated to heighten the innocence of the slain and the guilt of slayers.