Amadou
Oh yes they've killed a Black Man
Not just any but a native Afrikan
Oh yes they've shown they are true Blue
a slaughter by authority, Police who are supposed to protect you
He they say looked like a suspect
Here they show their lack of respect
Does every Black Man have to fit their profile
let us think on this for a while
Oh mother, they've taken your son
We pray he is not the only one
Oh father what should a village do?
Avenge a son, or let god handle this one
For in their scale justice is line with enamel and steel
and there is no impression of a fair deal.
Oh yes, they've killed a Black Man
---by the Pollitikat © 1999
This poem was written in response to the shooting of 24 year old Amadou Diallo, who was killed after being shot 19 times by four police officers in the Bronx, on Feb. 4, 1999. Here the officer said they thought Diallo was reaching for a gun when he put his hands in his pocket and fired a total of 41 rounds. The gun turned out to be his wallet, which he was taking out to show officer his identification. Officers shot Amadou as he was standing in his vestibule. These officers were found not guilty.
Our officers should not be this scared on the street. Aren't they trained for these exact situations, and they should have better results than three unarmed civilian persons shot, one of them fatal. I expect the police to take extra care, because they are the police and have the capability to end someones life, we trust them to have good judgement in making such a life changing decision. Yet time and time again we allow officers to brutally kill unarmed citizens and use the fact they might have seen the person was reaching for something as an excuse for taking those lives.
How does an officer, Michael Oliver, who has never fired his gun in twelve years, fire 31 bullets at three people sitting in a parked car. He even reloaded, how did he manage that if he wasn't trying to kill someone. Also there were five officers, did all five of them have to fire, who was assessing the situation. When I try to picture the scene in my mind I cannot come up with any other scenario other than the police came walking towards the car firing their weapons, or were standing over the car and firing. They had to fire 54 times before doing checking to see what was really happening.
None of the five officers who were on the scene ran after this so called fourth man. If there was another person who ran away, and who allegedly had the weapon they were defending against, should maybe two of those officer should have pursued this person. Why did they let him get away only to take the life of the person who was not shooting. Also reporting is that forensics have confirmed only shell casings from the police officers guns were found. There were no casings from any mysterious person supposedly firing at them. If someone was firing at them where is the shell casing. There was no gun found in Sean Bell's car.
I am tired of the lies from the police, because they have a built in alibi, being officers they should take extra care. The behavior after the shooting also shows the willingness for these officers to cover up to protect one of their own, I don't put it past these officer to somehow create evidence for their defense. How many times are they going to get away with it?
The attitude of the police union seems to be that the police is more important than the community or the society. Where is the accountability. Shouldn't the police union want a better police force for the community. It is a failure of the police department not to be able to assess its officers properly before sending them into the community. Shouldn't officers go under routine evaluation to determine their ability to perform their duties. I agree it is a high pressure, stressful, and sensitive job but that is exactly why we need the best in there.
Now officers Cooper, Oliver, and Igsnora have been indicted. Igsnora and Oliver on five counts each including manslaughter in the first and second degree, as well as assault with a deadly weapon. Cooper on a single misdemeanor charge of reckless endangerment. The trial is not expected until sometime next year.
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