Diallo: Murder or Mistake?
	Amadou Diallo was shot to death by the New York City Special Crimes Unit on February 4, 1999.  In the aftermath, the New York Times and other media sources created such a propaganda war the facts of the shooting were so distorted and biased against the police department that the truth was lost somewhere in the middle.  Yes, Amadou Diallo was shot to death unnecessarily, and yes, the police used what could be called excessive force (forty one bullets is a good few too many), but there is no denying that Diallo was acting suspiciously, made a mistake in his reaction to the officers, and the officers responded in the manner they were trained.  
	For all of the variables of the case to come together was highly unlikely.  The four officers were searching the area for a rapist matching Diallo’s description.  Diallo was attempting to enter an apartment building (although some sources state that he was in his apartment, the police were seeking him out in particular, and that he was shot to death inside his own home – which is not the correct story).  When he saw the officers, he acted more suspiciously by hurrying to get inside.  When the officers approached him, Diallo, instead of keeping his hands in sight and turning to face the cops, plunged his hand into his jacket pocket without giving verbal warning that he was reaching for his wallet.  If he had waited until instructed to give identification or simply turned around with hands visible, the officer nearest him would not have had cause to believe he had a gun.  As the nearest officer retreated for cover firing three bullets and voicing his suspicion, believing Diallo was in possession of a firearm, he fell, causing other officer who had exited the car to believe that his partner was shot.  He proceeded to shoot at the suspect.  Seeing one officer down, both shooting at a suspect, the other two officers exited the car to assist their partners.  The bullets in the officers’ guns were of a special type that left Diallo standing against the wall, so they continued to fire because ricochets were coming back from the entrance and they believed that he was still firing upon them.  In the aftermath, they found only his wallet and a beeper.  Diallo had been shot nineteen times and, without a doubt, was dead.  
	The author felt that the blame was totally and wrongly placed on the officers.  I agree.  If Diallo had complied with their requests, the situation might have ended quickly instead of being drug out for months in the newspapers.  If the officer had not fallen backward, his partners might not have been prompted to leave the car and begin firing their weapons as well.  If the bullets had been a different type, Diallo would not have been left standing and the officers would have stopped shooting before all forty-one shots were fired.  If forty-one shots had not been fired, it would not have created the media circus that ensued, providing the enemies of mayor Rudolph Guiliani with the perfect opportunity to discredit him and his use of the police force to minimize crime.  The author feels that the media was used by Guiliani’s critics to remove him from office.  
	The media drew publicity vultures to the scene, including Al Sharpton.  He used the shooting to further his own cause, as did many others.  Speaking out against “police oppression and prejudice” and organizing arrests, marches, and demonstrations, Sharpton took over the family, refusing to allow Mayor Guiliani to apologize formally to Diallo’s mother.  He also encouraged the family’s $81 million lawsuit.  Although he did not gain the total amount of support he had hoped, Sharpton still managed to mangle the case beyond the media’s bias.
	Overall, a collection of mistakes led to the shooting of Amadou Diallo.  Somewhere in New York City the night of February 4, 1999, a rapist was lurking waiting for a victim, four cops were searching the streets for him and happened upon Diallo, matching the description of the rapist.  The officers approached, clearly stating their intentions.  Diallo put his hand into his pocket instead of lifting them into sight.  The officers were mistaken in believing that he possessed a weapon and opened fire, but were only following protocol for such a situation.  Full blame cannot rest on Diallo or on the four officers.  Blame cannot rest on only those five men, as well.  Blame must rest partially on a community that allows rapists to roam its streets, a government that encourages poverty (thereby encouraging crime) and on any number of other factors that played into the horrible shooting death of Diallo.  Yes, it was a tragedy, but not typical and not unpreventable at many stages of its occurrence.  May his memory serve to remind people to not act suspiciously if under suspicion and to pay attention to what you are doing if there is even one officer striding toward you.