Sharpton among hundreds arrested in shooting protest

NEW YORK (CNN) -- The Rev. Al Sharpton was among hundreds of people arrested Wednesday during citywide protests over the case of Sean Bell -- the man shot to death by New York police on his wedding day in 2006.

Demonstrators called on the federal government to intervene in the case.

Bell, 23, died in a 50-bullet barrage in November 2006, hours before he was to be married. Three New York City detectives involved in the shooting were acquitted of all charges on April 25. The acquittals sparked outrage in New York and elsewhere.

Sharpton and some of Bell's relatives planned to meet privately on Thursday with New York Gov. David Paterson, The Associated Press reported.

The protests, dubbed a "Day of Civil Disobedience" by Sharpton, were coordinated demonstrations at various locations around New York City. Watch Sharpton arrested »

Hundreds of protesters crowded streets and blocked bridges, chanting and praying. The congestion briefly shut down the Brooklyn Bridge and caused some traffic delays in lower Manhattan.

"In the spirit and teaching of Dr. King, we come to nonviolently say it's come to this point, and we raise it to this level of attention and ask the federal government to step in," Sharpton said minutes before his arrest.

The New York Police Department said more than 200 people were arrested, while Sharpton's attorney, Sanford Rubenstein, put the number at about 270. Most were cited for disorderly conduct, police said.

Bell's fiancee, Nicole Paultre Bell, and Joseph Guzman, who was wounded by police during the incident, were among those arrested on Wednesday.

Some protesters told the AP the demonstration was a preview of more to come, and that demonstrators planned to paralyze the city until federal authorities look into the case.

"We're going to keep coming until we get federal indictments. It's wrong," Frank Rodriguez, a military veteran who took part in one of the protests, told the AP.

U.S. attorney spokesman Robert Nardoza said the case was under review, but he declined to comment further, according to AP.

Bell was killed just before dawn on his wedding day. He and several friends were winding up an all-night bachelor party at the Kalua Club in Queens, a strip club that was under investigation by a NYPD undercover unit looking into complaints of guns, drugs and prostitution.

Undercover detectives were inside the club, and plainclothes officers were stationed outside.

Witnesses said that about 4 a.m., closing time, as Bell and his friends left the club, an argument broke out. Believing that Guzman was going to get a gun from Bell's car, one of the undercover detectives followed the men and called for backup.

What happened next was at the heart of the trial that ended April 25.

Bell, Guzman and Trent Benefield got into the car, with Bell at the wheel. The detectives drew their weapons, said Guzman and Benefield, who testified that they never heard the plainclothes detectives identify themselves as police.

Bell was in a panic to get away from the armed men, his friends testified.

But the detectives thought Bell was trying to run down one of them, believed that their lives were in danger and started shooting, according to their lawyers.

A total of 50 bullets were fired by five NYPD officers. Only three of the officers were charged with crimes.

No gun was found near Bell or his friends.

CNN's Nkechi Nneji and Deborah Feyerick contributed to this report.

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