Arun Venugopal

New York, NY —

Mayor Michael Bloomberg says the city's top priority is still the development of the West Side rail yards.

He's dismissed suggestions by Sen. Charles Schumer that the city should let the Port Authority take the lead in developing the Moynihan Station.

The mayor added that the ...

New York, NY —

Juveniles who get arrested on the weekend will no longer be at risk of remaining detained until Monday.

Starting next month the city is starting weekend processing for youth, which already takes place for adults. The city's criminal justice coordinator John Feinblatt said kids who commit ...

New York, NY —

Six locations around the city, thousands of protesters and nearly 200 arrests.

It was the opening round in a campaign of civil disobedience yesterday, organized by the Rev. Al Sharpton and members of Sean Bell's family.

Their goal is to pressure federal investigators into bringing civil rights ...

New York, NY —

The City Council wants the Police Department to provide more information on stop and frisk incidents and shootings involving police officers.

At a public hearing yesterday, several council members claimed the NYPD was resisting efforts to become more transparent and that comprehensive information could easily be ...

New York, NY —

WNYC's Arun Venugopal talks with Weekend Edition Host Brian Zumhagen about the reaction to the acquittals in the Sean Bell shooting, and what's next for the NYPD detectives involved.

Guests, including: Patricia Williams, professor of law at Columbia University, writes the Mad Law Professor column for The Nation magazine, Eugene O'Donnell, professor of law and police science at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, WNYC’s Arun Venugopal and Cindy Rodriguez, Richard Aborn, president of ...

New York, NY —

It's been exactly 17 months since the fatal shooting of Sean Bell and this morning New Yorkers will finally learn the fate of the 3 officers on trial. Over the last couple days, WNYC's Arun Venugopal has walked the streets Jamaica, Queens - where the ...

New York, NY —

A shocked, angry response from supporters of Sean Bell outside the Queens Courthouse today, when they heard the 3 officers charged in his death were acquitted of all charges. Joining us to explain why the Judge ruled the way he did is WNYC's Arun Venugopal, ...

New York, NY —

A new public service campaign says New Yorkers looking for social services can now just "3-1-1 it."

That's because the city's customer service line is being expanded to offer information on agencies and nonprofits that provide health and human services. Jennifer Jones Austin is with the ...

New York, NY —

The Seattle Police Department's aggressive efforts to draw officers and recruits from New York is off to a very impressive start. The Seattle PD paid for a large billboard on the West Side Highway, and spokesman Mark Jamison said all 700-plus seats at an entrance ...

New York, NY —

To say yesterday's closing arguments in the Sean Bell trial were intense would be just the beginning. Over seven hours, attorneys for the three cops charged in Bell's death made impassioned pleas for the clients' innocence that hinged on race and justice. Not to be ...

New York, NY —

After seven weeks of emotional testimony, closing arguments are underway in the trial of three detectives charged in the shooting death of Sean Bell 18 months ago.

WNYC's Arun Venugopal is at Queens Criminal Court and he describes how the attorney for Det. Gescard Isnora defended ...

New York, NY —

Both sides in the trial of the three police officers charged with the fatal shooting of Sean Bell present their closing arguments today.

The prosecution is likely to expand on earlier statements that an argument involving Sean Bell and his friends, in front of the ...

New York, NY —

Emotions ran high at a 9/11 Community Health Forum held downtown yesterday. A number of attendees spoke of their chronic health problems and the lack of federal health funds.

Joseph Zadroga, father of the late first-responder James Zadroga, said the government should have been aware ...

New York, NY —

The trial of the three New York City police officers charged with the fatal shooting of Sean Bell is coming to an end, with closing arguments set for Monday.

And although a verdict is likely weeks away, black leaders are planning for what one of ...

New York, NY —

It was a long, muffled recording, presented by lawyers defending the police officers charged with the fatal shooting of Sean Bell. But as WNYC's Arun Venugopal reports, the police interview of Bell's friend, Trent Benefield, may actually help the prosecution.

Benefield was interviewed in the hospital, ...

New York, NY —

The defense produced its first witness in the trial of the 3 officers charged with Sean Bell's fatal shooting. The witness, Officer Michael Carey, shot 3 times that night but wasn't charged. WNYC's Arun Venugopal has more.

Officer Carey said the undercover, Gescard Isnora, clearly identified ...

New York, NY —

After nearly six weeks of arguments, the prosecution in the trial of the three officers charged with Sean Bell's fatal shooting has rested its case. Now, it's the defense's turn.

The prosecution's 50th and final witness was the trauma surgeon who operated on Bell's friend, ...

New York, NY —

A trauma surgeon told the court that Sean Bell's injured friend, Joe Guzman nearly died after being shot by police. WNYC's Arun Venugopal has more on the prosecution's final witness.

Dr. Albert Cooper said Guzman's injuries were life-threatening. Guzman was shot at least 13 times - ...

New York, NY —

There was damaging testimony for the defense today in the trial of three detectives charged in the police shooting of Sean Bell. Joseph Guzman is on the stand being cross-examined now. During direct he described how he was shot 16 times by police as he ...