AMY GOODMAN: Amadou’s mother, Kadiatou Diallo, joins us now from Washington DC. We welcome you to Democracy Now!, Kadiatou Diallo.

KADIATOU DIALLO: Thank you Amy.

AMY GOODMAN: It’s good to have you with us. You just happened to be in New York City this weekend for the premier of a movie about Amadou, called The Death of Two Sons, when this took place in Jamaica, Queens. Is that right?

KADIATOU DIALLO: It took place in East Village, on 2nd — 2nd Avenue, in New York City, at the African Diaspora Film Festival. We were screening a film there, and the audience, after the film was finished, we open for question and answers. There was a gentleman who came right from the rally of reverend Al Sharpton. And he informed me that this incident took place in Queens.

AMY GOODMAN: And your response?

KADIATOU DIALLO: I was shocked. I could not believe it. Having to live the tragedy and trauma of losing my son in police bullets, 41 bullets, February 4th, 1999. We were sure that it’s going to be tough, but I dedicated my life to join the community and ask for positive changes.

Ever since then, I have through the Amadou Diallo Foundation Inc., traveled across the country to speak about sensitivity and speak about police brutality. I have contributed so much with other mothers, who— whose children has been also victimized by the police, to name a few — Mrs. Baez, whose son Anthony Baez was also killed in the Bronx, and Mrs. Bush, the mother of Giddeon Bush, whose son was also killed. We wanted to talk to, in a different way, tell the story so that we can bring the community at large with all ethnicity to face this crisis and speak on common cause to help us, is the problem. Is not the case apparently, because look at what happened now.

AMY GOODMAN: Kadiatou Diallo, If you could remind our audience what happened, and the similarities, and of course there are many differences. Your son, 22-years old, in New York City, died in a hail of 41 police bullets. In this case —- and that was four police officers. This is five. And Sean Bell died in a hail of 51—-50 bullets.

KADIATOU DIALLO: Yes. Amadou Diallo was working that day. He came, a little before midnight in the Bronx, at 1157 Wheeler Avenue. And he got in the apartment and spoke with his roommate. And he said he was tired, but he wanted to go out and find something to eat. Then, he got out. Four police officers belonging to the street crime unit on—were driving an unmarked car all were in civilian clothes armed with nine millimeter weapons, and loaded with 16 bullets each. They saw my son in the vestibule, at the entrance of the vestibule where he lived. And they came right at him and draw—with their guns drawn and started shooting at him. That’s what happened. Which lead to the death of my son, an innocent young man. Who have a future, was working hard as a vendor in Manhattan to save money to pay his way to college.

I heard that Bell also was out that night and celebrating a wonderful, wonderful time with his friends, which was a bachelor party, because he was going to get married. According to the report, what I read. The similarity of the case, I think to me is that one thing is fore — and foremost, is that Bell was a young man, black man in the night, middle of the night. The officers were in civil — they were undercover officers, and driving unmarked car too. So, I don’t know about the other details of the shooting, but I do know the fact that Bell was a young black man, 23 years old, the stereotyping exist.

What I’m speaking about throughout the country is that young black male has been profiled before my son was killed and after. It’s still happening. We have to call for change.

AMY GOODMAN: Mrs. Diallo, last night, on a lot of the news programs, the police were represented in force. And one of the theories that was put forward that I heard repeated over and over again on the networks, is this theory of contagious shooting. That it’s something that’s uncontrollable. That, when one officer fires, it’s something that just becomes automatic and other officers fire. And it’s a phenomenon, the police officers were saying and the Commissioner, that they are looking at now called contagious shooting. Your response.

KADIATOU DIALLO: It’s interesting. I don’t think if this incident was in Manhattan—I truly believe that if this incident happened in Manhattan, with a white male driving at night like Sean was driving with his friends, I don’t think they would have contagious actions. Coming back to the fact that any—they portray the black male as dangerous and wild. Each time the encounter happen that is the case. We have to face the fact that young black male is stereotyped as violent criminal in most cases whenever shooting cases happen, between black male and police officers.

If in their mentality, they are facing the threat, what they call threat is the black male that they are apprehending, this led to the tragedy that is happening all the time. So I call—I really salute the Mayor for the response he did, which was different then the former administration when my son was killed. He is talking with the community leaders and the Police Commissioner, Raymond Kelly. I remember is in record, when he took he said this time, cases like Amadou Diallo will never happen under my watch. So, why this happen again? This is my question.

AMY GOODMAN: There were five police officers in this case, apparently two African-American, and two Latino, one white officer. The white officer was the one who fired 31 times, a many year veteran of the police force. We don’t know a lot about them or what they are saying. And it goes back to something you also dealt with and I was wondering if you would explain this. Something in New York that’s known as the 48-hour rule.

KADIATOU DIALLO: Uh huh.

AMY GOODMAN: What is that?

KADIATOU DIALLO: The 48-hour rule, I learned after talking with many elected officials, was a time given to officers when they, whenever they are involved in shooting case that they cannot talk. They would not be interviewed, they will not be tested for drug or alcohol. We proposed a package, under the leadership with Ruben Diaz, from the representative of the Bronx, a package bill was called the Diallo and Baez Bill. We went to Albany to lobby for the Bill to be passed so that every—any time a police officers use their gun to innocent person, they would be subject right away of being tested for drug and alcohol. The Bill died in the House.

AMY GOODMAN: We also know, according to Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly, that two officers were inside the club and were drinking. I think they said had two drinks.

KADIATOU DIALLO: Yes. I mean if they—if they— you remember another case, as soon as he was killed, his record was opened up. Even the sealed record, they opened it up and talk about his past. If the officers who responsible for the crime does not be subject, does not put them into the same level. Like which mean they have to answer the same questions and be submitted to testing. It’s unfair, it’s unbalanced I think in my view.

AMY GOODMAN: Apparently, they say they just have to be approved by a— they don’t have to be tested, but just have to be approved by a supervising officer.

KADIATOU DIALLO: That’s interesting.

AMY GOODMAN: Well, this case is going to go to a grand jury, according to the Queen’s District Attorney. What do you see unfolding? We have seen over the last few days, major protests taking place. In the case of your son, you had Congressman Charles Wrangle arrested, you had the former Mayor David Dinkins, arrested at Police Plaza, demanding that there be justice.

What do you see happening here? And do you have any words of advice?

KADIATOU DIALLO: First and foremost, my heart goes out to the Bell family. And I pray for the two young males who are in the hospital to be recovered their health, and be able to testify as to what happened. I have seen Reverend Sharpton standing up like the way he stood up for us when my son was killed, and other elected officials went with him to meet with the Mayor. I expect for them to continue to put pressure, so that the community will receive justice.

To the family, I hope that they can have proper representation, because it’s a long road. It’s a difficult one. You remember when the indictment was given to the four officers who were responsible for killing my son. After the indictment, we were hoping that the trial would happen in the Bronx where the crime happened. And the judge, one judge you know give the officers, granted them a change of venue. I hope that this will not happen. Because had the trial happened in the Bronx, I think the outcome of the criminal case, when my son was — when the officers who killed my son were tried, would be different, because they were acquitted of all charges. Because, you remember Amy, the trial was moved to Albany where I was told —- excuse me—- there was no conviction against police officers in Albany.

AMY GOODMAN: We’re — Kadiatou Diallo, we have to wrap it there. And, I want to thank you very much for being with us. I am sure we will come back to you over the case that is happening today. And we will continue to cover it.

KADIATOU DIALLO: Thank you, Amy.

AMY GOODMAN: Thank you very much. Kadiatou Diallo, mother of Amadou Diallo, shot 41 times by New York police on February 4th, 1999.