By AUSTIN FENNER
June 10, 2008
A man who survived the 50-shot barrage of police bullets that killed his friend Sean Bell rejected yesterday an offer by Manhattan prosecutors to drop criminal charges against him stemming from protests of a judge's acquittal of the officers.
Joseph Guzman chose instead to be tried on charges that could send him to jail for 15 days, said his lawyer, Michael Hardy.
"It gives him more of an opportunity to say why it's important for him to be arrested for justice for Sean Bell," Hardy said.
Guzman was in court with about 200 other demonstrators arrested in May when they tried to block bridge and tunnel entrances following the acquittal of three cops who killed Bell on his wedding day.
"I'm big on respect and none has been shown," Guzman said.
He is scheduled to return to court on July 28, when he could learn if prosecutors will pursue the case after he rejected their time-served plea offer.
Bell's fiancée, Nicole Paultre-Bell, Trent Benefield, who also survived the shooting, and the Rev. Al Sharpton are due in court on protest charges July 8.
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