NCJ Number
182886
Date Published
2000
Length
11 pages
Annotation
This analysis of the killing of Amadou Diallo by New York City police officers in February 1999 concludes that this event was neither an act of racist violence nor some fluke accident and that instead, it was the worst-case scenario of a dangerous and reckless style of policing.
Abstract
The police officers thought that Diallo was a serial rapist drawing a pistol against them. However, Diallo was an innocent man who was unarmed. Understanding trends in policing in New York City in recent years requires understanding that recent United States Supreme Court decisions have expanded the circumstances under which police officers can stop and frisk persons. Mayor Giuliani and Police Commissioner William Bratton in 1994 ordered their elite Street Crimes Unit to start confiscating illegal weapons from pedestrians. The plainclothes group embarked upon an active campaign of stopping and frisking city residents, often illegally, in the poorer neighborhoods. Minorities bore the brunt of the crackdown; their cries of police harassment received little attention. However, the case of Amadou Diallo demonstrates that policymakers should dispense with confrontational stop-and-frisk tactics before police injure or kill more innocent people. Reference notes