Four white New York City police officers were acquitted of all charges on Friday in the death of unarmed West African immigrant Amadou Diallo. Diallo, 22, was shot Feb. 4, 1999 by the officers outside his Bronx apartment when he reached for his wallet, which officers thought was a gun.
The officers, Kenneth Boss, Sean Carroll, Edward McMellon, and Richard Murphy were charged with second-degree murder. All four contended they fired in self defense. In all, the officers fired 41 shots, 19 of which hit Diallo.
