Police shoot groom hours before wedding

SEAN BELL and his fiancee had already shared a high-school romance, then two children.

In the early hours of what was to be their wedding day, the reception hall lay waiting, covered in satin and adorned with balloons.

But the ceremony never occurred Saturday. Police shot 50 rounds at the groom’s car as he drove away from his bachelor party, killing the 23-year-old, hours before he was to walk down the aisle.

The hail of gunfire at a car full of unarmed men drew an outcry from family members and community leaders.

Two passengers, who had been celebrating with the groom at a strip club, were also injured; one was struck by at least 11 bullets.

The officers’ shots struck the men’s car 21 times after it rammed into an undercover officer and hit an unmarked police minivan, police said. Commissioner Raymond Kelly said it was too early to say if the shooting was justified.

The gunfire also sprayed nearby homes and a train station, but no residents were injured.

Police thought one of the men in the car might have had a gun, but investigators found no weapons. It was unclear what prompted police to open fire, Kelly said.

He said the incident stemmed from an undercover operation inside the strip club in Queens. Seven officers in plain clothes were investigating the Kalua Cabaret; five of them were involved in the shooting.

According to Kelly, the groom was involved in a verbal dispute outside the club after 4am. One of his friends mentioned a gun.

An undercover officer walked closely behind Bell and his friends as they headed for their car. As he walked toward the front of the vehicle, they drove forward — striking him and a nearby undercover police vehicle.

The officer who had followed the group on foot was apparently the first to open fire, Kelly said.

One officer fired his weapon 31 times, emptying two full magazines, Kelly said.

It was the first time any of the officers, all of whom carried guns, was involved in a shooting, he said.

The groom was driving. Joseph Guzman, 31, was in the front passenger’s seat and was shot at least 11 times. Trent Benefield, 23, who was in the back seat, was hit three times. Both men were taken to Mary Immaculate Hospital, where Guzman was listed in critical condition and Benefield was in stable condition.

Three officers, including the officer hit by the car, were treated and released.

Kelly said undercover officers were inside the club to document illicit activity. He said it had a “chronic history of narcotics, prostitution and weapons complaints.”