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Today in History: Police Officers Kill Unarmed Immigrant Amadou Diallo

2/4/2026

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Summary

Story summary

On February 4, 1999, four plainclothes NYPD officers shot and killed Amadou Diallo, a 23-year-old unarmed immigrant from Guinea, firing 41 rounds and striking him 19 times. The officers claimed they mistook Diallo for a rape suspect, igniting widespread outrage and protests over police violence and racial profiling in New York City and beyond.

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Story summary

On February 4, 1999, four plainclothes NYPD officers shot and killed Amadou Diallo, a 23-year-old unarmed immigrant from Guinea, firing 41 rounds and striking him 19 times. The officers claimed they mistook Diallo for a rape suspect, igniting widespread outrage and protests over police violence and racial profiling in New York City and beyond.