Community leaders and organizations gathered in Soundview to remember the life of Amadou Diallo, who was shot and killed by police 24 years ago in a case of mistaken identity.
Mourners stood outside of the building where Diallo was shot while coming home from work. Diallo was stopped by plain clothed police officers, who later said they thought he was a suspect in a rape case. When Diallo went to reach for his wallet, officers fired their guns 41 times, hitting him with 19 of the shots.
All officers involved were acquitted in the case.
"The struggle may be long, but the victory is certain. You have to be able to continue to call for these things and to be able to call for these things. We need to make sure that the improvement is being consistent, and for us to be proactive, and not reactive,” said Rev. Kevin McCall, founder of the Crisis Action Center.
News 12’s Greg Thompson was the vigil as community members called for a change in the policing system.