March 21. 2 00 7
PagcA2
Officers Indicted in Groom Shooting
shots. The judge set bail for the
two officers who fired the most
bullets and released the other
without bail.
S h o o tin g surv iv o rs Joseph
Guzman, in a wheelchair, and Trent
B enefield, using a crutch, at
tended with Nicole Paultre Bell,
(AP) - Three New York City who was engaged to Bell and le
police officers charged in a 50- gally took his name after he died.
Queens D istrict Attorney Ri
hullet barrage that killed an un
chard
Brown on M onday un
armed groom on his wedding day
sealed
the indictm ent charging
appeared before a judge Monday
and had their first en co u n ter D etectives M ichael Oliver, who
since the shooting with the vic fired 3 1 times, andGescard lsnora.
a decorated undercover officer
tims and their families.
In a packed, ten sio n -fille d who fired 11 times, with first-de
courtro o m , the th ree o ffic e rs gree and second-degree m an
stood with their hands clasped as slaughter.
If convicted o f the most seri
they pleaded not guilty in the
Nov. 25 shooting that killed 23- o u s c h a rg e s , th e d e te c tiv e s
year-old Sean Bell and wounded would receive mandatory prison
time — up to 25 years.
two of his friends.
O liver also was charged with
The officers fired 46 o f the 50
endangerm ent for a bullet that
smashed through the window ot
an occupied house. And a third
officer, Detective Marc Cooper,
was charged with a m isdem eanor
for a bullet that struck a train
station across the street.
The case renew ed allegations
that the NYPD is too quick on the
trigger and sparked protests by
activists who say the departm ent
is too quick to judge black men
harshly, aclaim city officials deny.
Bell was black, as are Guzman and
Benefield. Cooper, 39, and lsnora.
28, are also black. O liver, 35. is
white.
Sean Bell was killed after his
bachelorpartyatastripclub. Union
representatives and lawyers for the
•officers have said theirclie its were
convinced that Bell and his friends
were going to retrieve a gun from
his car to settle a dispute.
NYPD held
criminally
accountable
Sean Bell's parents William and Valerie Bell attend a news conference Monday outside Queens
Criminal Court in New York. (AP photo)
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Potter to Hop ‘Flight of Friendship’ Boyfriend Guilty of Murder
Portland citizens to help restore New Orleans
M ayor Tom Potter will ac
com pany 75 Portland citizens
April 1-4 on a “Flight o f Friend
ship” to help New Orleans re
cover from the devastating ef
fects o f Hurricanes Katrina and
Rita.
The effort is sim ilar to one
undertaken shortly after Sept.
11, 2001, w hen a g roup o f
Portlanders reached out to New
Yorkers to help spur tourism again
in that city.
Participants this time will work
with Mercy Corps, which has
been in New Orleans since the
storms to help rebuilding efforts,
and provide financial and moral
support and focus on recovery
efforts along the G ulf Coast.
O f particular concern are resi
dents o f New Orleans' 9th Ward
neighborhood, which was devas
tated by flooding after the hurri
canes. Flight o f Friendship and
S M A R T (S ta rt M ak in g A
Reader Today) will donate hun
dreds o f books for chi Idren to the
Tom Potter
$100 REWARD
For Return of I-Pod in Black Velvet Case. Featuring Dave Chappell- R&B-Jazz
Music. Lost on 17th of March in North East Portland. Contact: 503-288-0033
9th W ardCom m unity C en
te r and w ill sto ck the
shelves for a new book
lending center.
The group also will meet
with New O rleans M ayor
Ray Nagin, and visit with
em ergency preparedness
officials to learn what les
sons can be applied to Port
land.
M ayor Potter will ac
com pany attorney Nick
F ish an d G o v . T ed
Kulongoski, as well as sev
eral o th er business and
com m unity members.
A nyone in terested in
joining the flight or for more
in fo rm a tio n can v is it
www.llightolfiiendship.com.
A Portland man who was so
angry over a breakup that he
stabbed his form er girlfriend is
guilty o f murder.
A M ultnom ah C ounty ju ry
M onday rejected d efense a rg u
m ents that Gi lberto Pedroso was
reasonably d istre sse d and only
guilty o f m anslaughter w hen he
stabbed C laudia Rhone 17 tim es
on the lawn o f her north P o rt
land a p a rtm e n t co m p lex last
M ay 2.
Defense attorney Joe Calhoun
argued that Pedroso was affected
by an “extrem e em otional distur
bance.” For m onths, he was so
obsessed with Rhone that he kept
watch on her unit at 216 N. Sumner
St. -- even sleeping under her
window, Calhoun said.
Pedroso, 64, is scheduled next
Claudia Rhone
month to be sentenced to life in
prison with the possibility o f pa
role after 25 years.
State Reps Want Troops Out
Discover the joy that comes from infant
adoption, foster parenting, and mentoring!
Explore the possibilities at an information
session at The Boys
(AP) - After two hours of emo ers to send a message, on behalf of
tional debate, which included one their constituents, that Oregonians
lawmaker reading the names of Or- no longer support the four-year-
egonians killed in Iraq and Afghani old Iraq war and want U.S. troops
stan, the Oregon House backed a withdrawn.
"Our troops have done their job.
resolution Tuesday urging Presi
dent Bush and Congress to with It's long past time to bring them
draw troops from Iraq as soon as home," said Rep. Chip Shields, D-
Portland. chief sponsor of the mea
possible.
Approval o f the nonbinding sure.
resolution came after sponsors said
The resolution was opposed
it was important for state lawmak- by most o f the cham ber's Repub-
licans, who argued that it would
have no practical effect but could
underm ine morale among U.S.
troops by m aking them think
people back home don't support
them.
Bu, Shields and other support
ers said the memorial was a legiti
mate way for the Legislature to
"stand by" troops and their fami
lies by bringing troops home as
soon as possible.
& Girls Aid Society.
Il,r Jlortlanb CObscrucr Established 1970
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R eporter : Sarah Blount
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This big decision in your life begins with a
simple first step: find out what the process
W ITH O U T PERMISSION IS PROHIBITED.
The Portland Observcr-Oregons Oldest Multicultural Publication-is a member o f the National Newspaper Association-Founded in 1885.
and The National Advertising Representative Amalgamated Publishers. Inc. New York. NY. and The West ( oast Black Publishers
looks like, what the requirements are, and how
Association, Serving Portland and Vancouver.
you can get involved.
“My goal is to be a fie ld surveyor. ”
Children - vulnerable at all ages - are waiting
______ S
for a safe and nurturing adult like you to change
Spring classes start April 2nd.
their lives forever.
RSVP Now: 503.542.2392
lake your dreams come true,
It feels good to improve the life
of another human being.
A Foster Parent
QarkCollege
The Next Step
018 SW Boundary Court
Portland, OR 97239
The Boys&Girls Aid Society
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