Sean Bell was killed in a 50-bullet police shooting on the day of his wedding to Nicole Paultre in 2006.

NEW YORK (July 28) — The city of New York has agreed to pay more than $7 million to settle a civil lawsuit stemming from the fatal 50-bullet police shooting of an unarmed man on his wedding day.

The settlement filed in Brooklyn federal court on Tuesday pays $3.25 million to the estate of Sean Bell, who was killed in 2006 outside a strip club in Queens while leaving his bachelor party. As part of the settlement, the city agreed to pay $3 million to Joseph Guzman and $900,000 to Trent Benefield, both of whom were wounded in the shooting that killed their friend.

The lawsuit had accused the city of wrongful death, negligence, assault and civil rights violations.

“We hope that all parties can find some measure of closure by this settlement,” the city’s attorney, Michael A. Cardozo, said in a statement.

An attorney for the plaintiffs, Scott Rynecki, said the settlement was hard-fought over two days and that the plaintiffs felt it was the best outcome possible.

“I think it was all about closure at this point,” Rynecki told The Associated Press in a phone interview.

Three police officers were acquitted of manslaughter and other charges in 2008. Federal authorities in February declined to bring civil rights charges against them.

The officers remain on modified duty and are facing departmental charges that could result in their dismissal.

The Bell settlement follows other multimillion-dollar payouts in high-profile civil lawsuits involving the police department.

In June, the city agreed to pay a record for a civil rights lawsuits when it agreed to settle for $9.9 million with Barry Gibbs, an innocent man who spent 19 years in prison after being framed by a police detective.

In 2001, the city and police union agreed to pay $8.7 million to Abner Louima, who was beaten and sodomized with a broomstick in a police precinct by officers. After legal fees, Louima was left with about $5.8 million.

For the past two years the Magic City Classic has held the title of the most attended HBCU classic in the country which should continue into the 2010 season.  Celebrities, tourist, college students and locals pack Legion Field, Birmingham hotels, restaurants, retail stores and bars for the ultimate HBCU classic weekend in the country. Churches also see a spike in attendance from the weekend traffic which delivers a great economic impact for the City of Birmingham.

While the magic of the Classic is all good some looking to benefit  have also discovered a level of disappointment when it come to support from classic fans.  As a promoter or business owner your task seems simple but time after time you find yourself pitted against a mental guessing game wondering if classic traffic will find your event or business.  Getting your advertising campaign started early is the key to success.  There is no doubt that people will be looking for things to do but that does not guarantee success of your event or traffic in your store.  Over the past ten years we have come across two types of  classic weekend personalities. Those that plan in advance and those that just wing it.  Those that plan in advance will know exactly what they will do for the Classic Weekend and will stick to their guns.  They have checked out local websites and talked to friends to find out what’s going on.  Only a close friend or relative will get them to change their mind.   Then there is the group that simply wings it.  This group will go with what they hear is popular for weekend and can be easily swayed if something else comes up.  They want to know where everyone else is going before making a commitment.  They may even jump from spot to spot looking for what is a good deal in their opinion.   The great thing is that you still have a shot at getting crowds from both groups to patronize you on Classic Weekend.

If you did not get started early, say July, August or early September then now is the time to start.  Look for ways to saturate your advertising as far as your budget will allow.  Do what you can and create a sensible budget that will spread your message across multiple sources and allow you to get the most out of your ad campaign.  Here are a few tips for those of you promoting events or businesses to a Classic crowd.

• Grass roots gets it! The most important thing is to get those fliers and posters out so hit the streets.  Fliers passed out four to six weeks in advance has some value to patrons.  They will post it, save it or log it in order to consider it for their weekend plans.
• Get on as many email list as you can.  Start with your personal list and then check out the Weekend Radar, First Impressions and any other list you can jump on to make sure the digital community is aware of your event.  Again consider multiple weeks of email advertising as the classic approaches.  Waiting until the last week to start an e-campaign could deliver a lack of support since email list are static in size. Meaning, unlike a website which can increase in traffic over a short period of time most email list take time to build up.  Email list do offer the hope that people will forward the email to friends and family but don’t bank on this as a sole means of getting the word out.
• Facebook helps!  I am a big fan of Facebook but remember this is a weekend for friends to flock together so groups will go out and make plans together.  Out of the 3000 people on your Facebook page, what percentage will participate is important and so is understanding that the people on your list may have other groups they are more loyal to.  Facebook should not be your only advertising option.  Make sure your friends come to support you by calling or emailing them directly and asking them to post your flier on their social pages as well.
• Get on the radio!  The week of the event is a great time to get on the radio.  Two weeks out is even better but starting the week of the event is good as you will target locals and people that are coming to town just for the game and weekend events. During the Classic radio rules with quick reminders of events as tourist and locals tune into the local stations to capture all the hype.   Remember however, you should set a budget and stick to it.  Radio sales people will get all they can out of you if you are unsure of what to spend so setting a sensible budget and sticking to it will keep things in order.  Morning and traffic jam time slots are more expensive but could be well worth it if you need a really large turnout.
• Try TV only if it fits in your budget.  People will be on the go during the week of the Classic so again radio and mobile connectivity will be the most popular outlets for people seeking classic weekend information.  The week out of the event is not a good look for television advertising but four to six weeks out should be good if you have the financial resources.
• Go to church! Church folks like to have a good time, especially during classic weekend so don’t be afraid to invite your church members to your event.
• Speaking of churches, pastors remember people are also looking for a place to wind down and seek the Word so Classic Weekend advertising is also an option for you.
• Tailgating is where it’s at!  There will be over 100,000 people around Legion Field so having enough people to promote to won’t be an issue.  Having enough information to pass out will be!  Make your way over to the field and share your marketing material with game day tailgaters and patrons.  Putting out 5,000 to 20,000 fliers should be an easy task on the day of the game so go for it!

Get in the guide!

Urbanham.com has partnered with the Birmingham View, Upgrade and the The Sword to bring you the Classic Weekend Event Guide.  This pocket sized event guide will be a great resource and keepsake for Classic Fans and event goers and we encourage promoters and business owners to make sure you get in the guide!   We will distribute between 25K – 50K of the event guides leading up to the Classic.  The deadline to get in the guide is October 7, 2009 so make sure you call today. For more information on advertising your business or event in the Classic Weekend Event Guide or on Urbanham.com call (205) 218-7416.

More Classic Information

For online access of events taking place Classic Weekend make sure you check out the Urbanham.com calendar and search on the Magic City Classic category.   Promoters this is a free place to post your events online and one of the most visited websites during the Classic for the past 6 years.

Visit the official website at www.themagiccityclassic.com for information on official classic events and important game day information.

Origianlly posted on Urbanham.com