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A new ad for Jay-Z's Rocawear clothing line featuring the family of an unarmed man allegedly shot and killed by three police officers has been accused by a law enforcement group of attempting to influence the jury in an upcoming trial.
The photos show the somber family of groom Sean Bell, who was shot to death by undercover NYPD detectives in November 2006 outside the New York club where his bachelor party had just been held. The wedding was scheduled for a few hours later.
Bell's widow Nicole Paultre-Bell - who wed him posthumously - is seen in the ad holding the couple's two daughters Jada, 5, and Jordan, 1, with her wedding ring clearly showing. Above the photo are her words: "We are going to be here to the end, ?til justice is served."
"This was a planned publicity stunt timed to influence the jury," said Michael Palladino, president of the Detectives Endowment Association, according to Showbizspy.com.
Paultre-Bell's lawyer, Sanford Rubenstein, denies that her client intended to influence the trial. "You can easily go negative with anything. She sees it as something uplifting," Rubenstein said.
Jameel Spencer, chief marketing officer for Rocawear, said the goal of their advertising is to tell stories of people who overcome adversity. "It embodies the spirit of how Rocawear was born - how hip-hop was born," said Spencer. "We're trying to highlight different stories. Nicole, she really embodies the overall spirit of that. She's someone who?s suffered a great loss. When that happens, you want to curl up in a ball and die. That's a tough thing. The day you're supposed to get married and something horrible happens."
Detectives Michael Oliver and Gescard Isnora are charged with manslaughter and could face up to 25 years in prison. Detective Marc Cooper is charged with reckless endangerment. Their trial is scheduled to begin today.
