A police detective who dropped his cover and touched off the fatal shooting of Sean Bell in 2006 has been found guilty of violating NYPD guidelines by a police trial commission, sources close to the case tell NBC New York.
The departmental trial was held earlier this month for Detective Gescard Isnora and Officer Michael Carey in the 2006 shooting of Bell and his two friends.
Isnora says he believed Bell's friend had a gun. He said he came out of his undercover role and fired because he had no other choice.
Department officials had previously said that Isnora wrongly fired and wrongly dropped his cover. They say Carey wrongly fired because Isnora did. Carey was acquitted by the commission, according to the New York Post.
The trial commission has decided Isnora violated NYPD guidelines, sources said Wednesday. He could ultimately lose his job.
The trial commission's recommendation now goes to the police commissioner, who ultimately decides whether and how to discipline the officers.
Isnora was previously acquitted of criminal charges, along with three other officers.
