Reacting to the New York City judge's ruling to clear the three police officers in the shooting death of 23-year-old Sean Bell, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama stressed looking ahead to "assure that those kinds of tragedies don't happen again".

During an Indianapolis presser focused on rising gas prices, Obama called Bell's death a "tragedy" but said it was important to "respect the verdict that came down".

"I said at the time that without the benefit of all the facts before me, it looked like a possible case of excessive force," Obama said, "Now the judge as made his ruling and we're a nation of laws and so we respect the verdict that came down. I think the most important thing for people who are concerned about that shooting is to figure out how do we come together and assure that those kinds of tragedies don't happen again."

Bell died in a 50-shot barrage outside a Queens strip club in November 2006 on the morning of his wedding. The three officers involved were accused of excessive force, though ultimately the prosecution failed to convince the judge that Bell and his friends did nothing to provoke the officers who were engaged in a sting operation at the club.

Today Obama called on community leaders "to find out what changes in procedure need to take place in preventing these kinds of tragic shootings. "Resorting to violence to express displeasure over a verdict is something that is completely unacceptable and is counterproductive," Obama said.

In his radio show today, Rev. Al Sharpton challenged all candidates to take a stand on the case as federal prosecutors begin their investigation. Specifically, he said, Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., should get involved. "I also challenge Senator Clinton to address the need for federal intervention," Sharpton said. [MORE]