Arun Venugopal

New York, NY —

A star witness in the trial of the three officers who fatally shot Sean Bell took the stand today. WNYC's Arun Venugopal has more on the testimony of Trent Benefield, who was shot three times that night.

Trent Benefield said he had no idea who walked ...

New York, NY —

A group of senior citizens seniors gathered in front of City Hall yesterday, calling on the city to delay its restructuring of elderly services.

Bobbie Sackman, of the Council of Senior Centers and Services, says the restructuring could result in some centers being closed.

SACKMAN: Seniors will ...

Nicole Bode, reporter for the New York Daily News, and WNYC reporter Arun Venugopal update the latest in the Sean Bell trial.

New York, NY —

Another witness to the shooting of the Sean Bell testifies police didn't identify themselves before opening fire. WNYC's Arun Venugopal has more from the courthouse.

Bell's friend Gene Nelson, said Bell exchanged heated words with a stranger in front of the club Kalua, and that ...

Michael Wilson, metro reporter for the New York Times, and WNYC's Arun Venugopal discuss what's happening in the ongoing Sean Bell trial.

New York, NY —

He's been variously referred to as "The Man in Black" or "The SUV Guy," and yesterday, he finally took the stand in the Sean Bell trial.

WNYC's Arun Venugopal has more on the prosecution's latest witness, and his often questionable testimony.

The defense sees Fabio Coicou ...

New York, NY —

Crime scene investigators continue to take the stand in the trial of three New York City police officers charged in Sean Bell's death. WNYC's Arun Venugopal has more on the latest graphic evidence to be introduced.

The court watched as various blood soaked items of ...

Adam Lisberg, New York Daily News staff reporter, talks about this weekend’s construction crane accident and WNYC's Arun Venugopal calls in from the scene.

New York, NY —

The accident left four construction workers dead and dozens injured.

WNYC's Arun Venugopal has more.

The city had issued 13 violations over the last couple years to the construction site and according to Mayor Michael Bloomberg, there's nothing unusual about that.

BLOOMBERG: The violations had nothing to do ...

New York, NY —

The bodies of all three of the people missing since the fatal crane accident on Saturday were found today. Two of them are construction workers: Santino Gallone and Clifford Canzona.

A number of construction workers from across the city showed up in hardhats near the site ...

New York, NY —

The Rev. Al Sharpton made a rare appearance at the trial of the three officers charged with Sean Bell's death.

Sharpton said he was disturbed by testimony from a crime scene investigator, who said the gun of undercover detective Gescard Isnora had dried blood on it.

SHARPTON: ...

In anticipation of Eliot Spitzer's official resignation speech, Brian and WNYC political director Andrea Bernstein continue to get updates from Albany and analysis from WNYC reporter Arun Venugopal live at the Governors office. We are also joined by Ben Smith, a columnist and blogger for Politico.com, and John Fund, an ...

New York, NY —

The governor may be down but he still has his supporters. Carlos Guzman is a building porter who showed up in front of dozens of members of the press, outside the Spitzers' high rise. There he held a sign saying "Governor Spitzer, please do not ...

New York, NY —

It wasn't much of a journey - a couple hundred feet at most.

But, it's not often that you see an entire staircase being moved by crane. And for all its bruises, the "survivors staircase" has a real following.

Thousands of people who ran to safety on ...

WNYC's Arun Venugopal updates the Sean Bell trail.

New York, NY —

The court got its first unsettling glimpse inside of Sean Bell's car as it looked after the shooting.

The photos were taken after Bell and his friends were removed from the Nissan Altima. They show large blood stains all over the front passenger seat, as well ...

New York, NY —

The prosecution in the trial of the 3 New York City detectives charged in the death of Sean Bell continues to make its case. But as WNYC's Arun Venugopal reports, recent testimony seems to be serving the defense as well.

Detective Hispolito Sanchez was an undercover ...

New York, NY —

The 2nd week of the trial of the 3 New York City detectives charged in the death of Sean Bell resumes today, with the prosecution trying to build upon its case.

WNYC's Arun Venugopal has more.

Today, the court will be hearing from Detective Hipolito Sanchez, 1 ...

WNYC reporter Arun Venugopal recaps this week's progress in the trial on the shooting of Sean Bell.

New York, NY —

REPORTER: Michael Mastromarino harvested and sold the bones and tissue of dead people, without the consent of their families.

Anthony Dumaine is the son of one victim, whose cancerous body was harvested after his death in 2003.

DUMAINE: Sickening. Really sickening. I just don't understand how people ...