New York injustice,unforgettable QUESTIONABLEFACTS

I just don't understand. Recently, I logged onto various online newspapers to get my daily dose of what is happening in our world. One particular article caught my attention and since then, I have not been able to rid the story from my mind.

Here's the lowdown. Two years ago, Amadou Diallo, a West African immigrant was gunned down outside his Bronx apartment after returning home from work when four plain-clothed policemen mistook him for a rape suspect. The officers pumped 41 bullets into his body, claiming afterward that they thought he was drawing a gun. Actually, he drew oolh.ing. The only thing found on his body was his wallet.

As if this brutal incident was not disturbing enough, Police Commissioner Bernard B. Kerik recently decided that the policemen involved will be relieved from any punishment, and simply ordered them to undergo retraining in tactics. It must be wonderful to be a part of the police force in today's society.

This decision practically gives the police power like that of a medieval feudal duke, the power of high and low justice. This, however, is noTmedieval times. This is a democratic society in which the po- lice force is supposed to be servants of its people, not its ruler.

I will admit that I did not know Diallo and was not there during the killing. However, I understand that be was an unarmed man whose life was taken away from him as he posed no danger for the policemen. I cannot judge Diallo, but I can judge the policemen's actions.

It takes far fewer than 41 bullets to drop someone. The rate of fire the police used strongly suggests that the officers lost control of themselves and let their emotions impair their judgments, which is exactly what we do not need from people who exercise the law on our behalf, especially with firearms.

These officers are obviously incapable of performing their necessary duties without using poor judgment. The fact that they were not charged for murder and fired immediately suggests that the police department believes their members to be above the law.

Police should be punished for making mistakes like this. If any other individual messed up on their job like these men did, a second chance would not even be conceived, and the consequences would be far more severe than a slap on the wrist.

The four officers who chose to kill Diallo knew they had an entire government system to defend them. Diallo on the other hand, had no one. The most frightening aspect of this event is the strong doubt it casts on our ability to trust those who are trained to protect us.

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