Diallo shooting
The Diallo shooting refers to the tragic incident involving Amadou Diallo, a 23-year-old immigrant from Guinea, who was shot by police officers in New York City on February 4, 1999. Diallo, a computer science student and street vendor, encountered four officers from the Street Crime Unit who mistakenly believed he matched the description of a serial rapist. When approached, Diallo ran towards his apartment and, after failing to comply with their commands, was shot at 41 times, resulting in 19 hits; he was only holding his wallet. The incident sparked widespread protests led by civil rights leaders, reflecting deep community anger over police violence, especially against Black individuals. A Bronx grand jury indicted the officers, but they were acquitted in 2000, leading to further unrest and numerous arrests during subsequent demonstrations. The Department of Justice later found insufficient evidence to prosecute the officers federally. Diallo's family filed a civil lawsuit against New York City, ultimately settling for $3 million in 2004. The shooting highlighted ongoing issues of racial bias within law enforcement and prompted reforms in police practices in New York City. The impact of this incident resonated for years, contributing to ongoing discussions about race, justice, and police conduct in America.
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Subject Terms
Diallo shooting
The Event Accidental killing of an unarmed African immigrant by police officers
Date February 4, 1999
Place Soundview section of the Bronx, New York
After four white police officers shot and killed an unarmed, innocent immigrant, most African Americans were convinced that the officers were guilty of excessive violence and racial profiling.
Amadou Diallo , a twenty-three-old immigrant from Guinea, had come to New York City to study computer science. He had formerly attended a variety of schools in both Africa and Asia. In order to earn money for college, he worked as a street salesman, a common occupation among West African immigrants. His apartment building, at 1157 Wheeler Avenue, was located in a neighborhood that was plagued by criminal activities and gang violence. English was not his first language, and he sometimes had trouble understanding what people were saying.
Early in the morning of February 4, 1999, Diallo was standing next to his building when police officers Edward McMellon, Sean Carroll, Kenneth Boss, and Richard Murphy passed by in an unmarked car. As members of the Street Crime Unit, they were wearing civilian clothes. Thinking that Diallo matched the description of a serial rapist, they approached Diallo to ask questions. Although they loudly identified themselves as officers, Diallo ran up the outside steps toward his apartment. Ignoring their orders to show his hands, he reached into his coat pocket. One officer thought he saw a weapon and yelled “gun!” The officers fired a total of forty-one rounds, striking him nineteen times. To their horror, they discovered that he had simply pulled out his wallet.
Thousands marched with the Reverends Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton to protest the shooting of Diallo. In March, a Bronx grand jury indicted the officers on charges of second-degree murder. Because of the emotional pretrial publicity in New York City, a state appellate court ordered a change of venue to the city of Albany. On February 25, 2000, the jury unanimously voted to acquit the officers of all charges, having deliberated for only two days. In reaction, the demonstrations became larger and angrier. About seventeen hundred protesters were arrested for disorderly conduct during the course of the controversy.
In 2001, the Department of Justice announced that there was insufficient evidence to charge the officers with a federal violation of Diallo’s civil rights. The victim’s mother and stepfather, however, brought a civil suit against New York City, asking $61 million for wrongful death and lack of reasonable restraint. In 2004, the two parties agreed to a settlement of $3 million.
Impact
Many observers believed that the shooting death of Amadou Diallo demonstrated a common tendency for police officers to devalue the lives of blacks and to harbor negative stereotypes of black criminality. The angry protests during and after the officers’ trial, moreover, showed the extent to which many persons of African ancestry resented and distrusted police conduct. In response to the controversy, New York City instituted a number of reforms, including the disbanding of the Street Crime Unit. Anger about Diallo’s death, nevertheless, would continue well into the twenty-first century.
Bibliography
Diallo, Kadiatou, with Craig Wolff. My Heart Will Cross This Ocean: My Story, My Son, Amadou. New York: One World, 2003.
Fireside, Bryna J. The Trial of the Police Officers in the Shooting Death of Amadou Diallo: A Headline Court Case. Berkeley Heights, N.J.: Enslow, 2004.