Ferrer: Diallo Shooting Was Not a Crime
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
The Democratic front-runner in the race to replace Mayor Bloomberg told the NYPD’s sergeants’ union yesterday that the fatal shooting of an unarmed African immigrant six years ago was not a crime.
Mr. Ferrer, who when he was running for mayor in 2001 participated in demonstrations against police brutality and called for the dismissal of the four officers involved, was asked at the union event whether he thought the death of Amadou Diallo was “a crime or a tragic accident?”
“I don’t believe it was a crime,” Mr. Ferrer said. “Do I believe there was an attempt by many, in a lot of different places, to over-indict? Sure.”
The exchange was reported by New York 1 last night.
“This terrible tragedy divided our city and took an innocent life,” Mr. Ferrer said in a statement in response to the story. “I submitted myself to voluntary arrest in protest of these failures, and I believe I was correct. The jury acquitted all four officers in this case, and we must accept the verdict.”
