NYC To Pay 3 Million to Diallo Family

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New York City has agreed to pay 3 million dollars to the family of an African immigrant who was fatally shot by police five years ago. Amadou Diallo was killed when police mistook his wallet for a gun. The incident spurred outrage nationwide over police brutality. Beth Fertig of member station WNYC has more.

The shooting of Amadou Diallo made headlines largely because of two numbers. Forty one bullets were fired at the unarmed immigrant. And he was struck 19 times. Diallo had been standing in the doorway of his Bronx apartment building when he was approached by police.

The killing of a young black man by four white officers heightened racial tensions in New York City. In announcing the settlement, Mayor Michael Bloomberg seemed to be looking for closure.

BLOOMBERG: I don't think any amount of money is ever going to bring back in cases like this the deceased, it's just not a substitute for human life. But it was a chapter out of our history and I'm just glad we were able to come to a financial settlement with the family.

The settlement was announced just as both sides were preparing to go to trial in March. Diallo's parents were seeking 81 million dollars in their negligence suit against the city. But after the acquittal of all four officers in the criminal case, Diallo's mother, Kadiatu, said she wanted to avoid another painful trial.

DIALLO: The purpose of the justice for Amadou was not the amount of the money. It was about bringing, highlighting this case and for it to have worldwide attention.

But the settlement was greeted with disappointment on Diallo's old block in the Bronx, which is now named after him. Laverne Holly said Diallo's family was shortchanged.

HOLLY: The city is responsible for his death. The police officers that were involved they all got off. And he should have got a lot more money than 3 million dollars.

In contrast, police brutality victim Abner Louima settled his case against the city for almost 9 million dollars. The Haitian immigrant was sexually assaulted in 1997 in the bathroom of a Brooklyn stationhouse.

But the Diallo family's attorney, Anthony Gair, said that was a completely different case. Like a lot of states, New York has law limiting the amount of money that can be awarded in a wrongful death. And Diallo was a 24 year old street vendor.

GAIR: Amadou Diallo earned less than 10 thousand dollars a year and had no one dependent on him for support. To my knowledge and I'm sure the city will agree if you ask them, this is the largest amount ever paid under New York State's death law for the death of a single individual with no next of kin dependent on him for support.

The Diallos say their case was also about forcing changes in New York City's police department. The four officers who shot Diallo were part of the Street Crime Unit - a special force expanded by former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani to crack down on drugs and guns. But the unit was accused of stopping and frisking too many black and Latino men and it was dismantled by the Bloomberg administration. Kadiatu Diallo says those issues all came to light because of her son.

DIALLO: All the little changes that happened and the community and police relations that is now going on will have to do with the death of Amadou, even though it officially has not been said is about Amadou but it is about Amadou.

Diallo says she will continue to honor her son's legacy. She says some of the settlement will be used for a foundation she started to provide scholarships for immigrants. For NPR News I'm Beth Fertig in New York.