Sean Bell, an unarmed African American, was shot and killed by undercover New York City Police Department (NYPD) officers in the borough of Queens on November 25, 2006.

[1] The incident sparked fierce criticism of the New York City Police Department from members of the public and drew comparisons to the 1999 killing of Amadou Diallo.

[6] Bell was a pitcher on the baseball team for John Adams High School in Ozone Park, and also studied acting in Flushing, Queens[7] and worked odd jobs after the birth of his daughter, Jada, on December 16, 2002.

According to the[12] New York Daily News, witnesses claimed the officers failed to warn Bell before opening fire, beginning to shoot as soon as they left their cars.

"[14] Isnora, the officer who initiated the shooting, claimed later that he saw a fourth man in the car who fled the scene, possibly with the alleged weapon.

[15][16] Critics suggest that Isnora fabricated the alleged presence of a fourth man to justify the shooting and to avoid being convicted by a jury.

None of the witnesses whose accounts are in the report speaks of someone who may have fled — perhaps possessing a gun — and there are no indications that the police at the time were seeking anyone who may have left the scene.

[19] In an interview on Larry King Live, Al Sharpton, accompanied by Paultre, stated that according to his conversations with eyewitnesses, none of the three men mentioned a gun while leaving the club.

"[citation needed] In criminal cases also any contract entered between an accused and a witness to give testimony in his/her favor is treated as invalid.

[17][28] New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg said, "it sounds to me like excessive force was used,"[29] and called the shooting "inexplicable" and "unacceptable".

[30] NYC police commissioner Raymond Kelly put the five officers involved on paid administrative leave and stripped them of their weapons, a move the New York Times called "forceful".

Police sources called the drug dealer's account credible but could not rule out the possibility that he falsely identified Bell to garner favor with authorities.

[44] The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, Second Department, denied a motion by the detectives' attorneys to move the trial to a venue outside of Queens.

Then-District Attorney Richard Brown faced some criticism from activists who believe he did not question the police officers involved quickly enough.

A key defense forensic witness was Alexander Jason, a crime scene analyst and ballistics expert who disproved several of the prosecution's main points relating to the physical evidence.

After performing tests with an NYPD pistol, Jason demonstrated that the 31 shots fired by one detective (Oliver) could have been done in about 12 seconds – not several minutes.

After the ruling was made, the family, led by Sharpton and several others, went to Bell's graveside in Port Washington, Long Island for a memorial service.

Hundreds of Black people took to the streets in Manhattan and Brooklyn as part of the citywide "slowdown" effort led by Sharpton and his National Action Network.

Guzman said the settlement did not change the underlying reality that the lives of Black and Hispanic men were not worth much in New York and that the incident was bound to be repeated.

Rappers David Banner, Nicki Minaj, Prodigy, Immortal Technique and the Jamaica, Queens-based rap group G-Unit, The Game and Chamillionaire have each referenced the case in their songs.

G-Unit dedicated the opening track of their album T.O.S: Terminate on Sight to Bell and also paid tribute to him in the thank-you section of the liner notes.

"[citation needed] Bell is one of the names mentioned in "Hell You Talmbout", a 2015 protest song by Janelle Monáe and the Wondaland artist collective.

Chamillionaire referenced the case on the Mixtape Messiah 2 disc at the end of the song "Ridin' Overseas"[59] (featuring Akon) where he says, "Rest in peace to Sean Bell, Chamillitary man".

Pharoahe Monch's cover of the Public Enemy song "Welcome to the Terrordome" includes a reference to Bell as well as to Amadou Diallo and Timothy Stansbury in the introduction.

[62] The New York City Council voted in December 2009 to designate Liverpool Street from 94th to 101st Avenues in Queens as "Sean Bell Way" in his memory.