Two of the three NYPD officers who were allowed to resign with their pensions following a department judge's ruling that they had acted inappropriately in the 2006 killing of Sean Bell signed their walking papers yesterday. Marc Cooper, who fired five bullets at Bell, told the Post that he plans to "pursue higher education" with his annual payments of $55,000. "In the Police Department, you learn that you don't make any comments until after you receive your first pension check," Cooper said.
Former Detective Michael Oliver, who fired 31 bullets at Bell, will receive $40,000 a year, with payments beginning in two years. He declined to comment to reporters, but was "grimly smiling" in the Post's photo (we're not sure how "forbidding or uninviting" the smile is). Lt. Gary Napoli, who fired no shots at Bell but was the supervising officer, is scheduled to resign today.
Gescard Isnora was fired from his position as a detective after a department trial ruled that he was primarily responsible for Bell's death. Isnora was the first officer to open fire on Bell and his friends, and caused "contagious firing" among other officers at the scene. He will not receive a pension.
