February 4: Amadou Diallo Gunned Down By NYPD. (1999)
January 04, 1999 – On This Date In Hip-Hop, Amadou Diallo was gunned down by the NYPD. The 22-year-old was shot 19 times by plain clothes police officers outside of his apartment after they mistook him for a rape suspect. Diallo was unarmed and was shot at 41 times after reaching for his wallet to identify himself.
The cops were acquitted of any wrongdoing however the city paid out 3 million for wrongful death.
Diallo has been name dropped in songs by Pharoahe Monch, Black Thought, KRS-One, M.O.P., R.A. The Rugged Man and Papoose to name a few.
I had just heard about this a year ago, this was fucked up.
Brutal. R.i.p!