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Death by racial prejudice: the
case of Amadou Diallo
"Human rights, democracy, it is for whites - or at least for those with the means to defend themselves." These were the words of Alpha Oumar Diallo, commenting on the case of his nephew Amadou Diallo, who used to study the Quran and loved the Chicago Bulls. Amadou is now buried beside his grandfather in Hollande Bourou, Guinea. Shot with 41 bullets Amadou Diallo was only reaching for his wallet when four white police officers approached him, seeking a rape suspect in his Bronx, New York apartment building in February 1999. But reaching into his pocket proved fatal: the officers fired a total of 41 bullets into his body. Later, it was discovered Diallo had no weapons on him. And he was no rape suspect. The 22-year-old's horrific death caused anger and pain, not just to his family, but to fellow Muslims, African-Americans, and civil rights leaders. To many, it was yet another example of white police racism against blacks. Officers found not guilty A jury of 12, two blacks and 10 whites, later acquitted the four officers of killing Diallo in February 2000. They had been charged with two counts each of second-degree murder and one count of first-degree reckless endangerment. Had they been convicted of the most serious charges, they would have faced 25 years to life in prison. The verdict touched off angry protests in New York and Washington, but to date, nothing like the riots following the verdict of Rodney King in Los Angeles in 1992. Links to helpful information about the Amadou Diallo case and related topics: 2.The New York Law Journal's page on this case 3. Court TV Online's coverage of the Diallo case 4. Salon's coverage of the Diallo case 5. Capital Region Justice for Diallo Committee - a coalition of local groups concerned with issues of race, police brutality, and criminal justice. This organization was formed in response the shooting of Amadou Diallo.
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