The Rev. Al Sharpton clutches the hand of Daikou Diallo (right), Amadou Diallo's father, during a vigil outside the Albany courthouse Monday. (Court TV)

				DIALLO SHOOTING TRIAL
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ALBANY, N.Y. (Court TV) —Despite the previous night's snowstorm, over 100 protesters led by the Rev. Al Sharpton gathered in front of an Albany courthouse Monday as jury selection began in the Amadou Diallo shooting trial.

Four white plainclothes officers — Sean Carroll, Richard Murphy, Edward McMellon and Kenneth Boss — are charged with second-degree murder in the 1999 shooting death of Diallo. The West African immigrant was gunned down in the vestibule of his Bronx home when, the defense says, the undercover officers thought he was reaching for a gun. Diallo did not have a gun; he was armed only with a beeper and a wallet. The officers fired 41 bullets; 19 struck Diallo.

Sharpton and various Diallo supporters chanted, "No justice, no peace" and "Amadou, we love you" as light snow fell outside the courthouse. The protesters, who traveled upstate from New York City, had promised protests since a New York appellate court moved the trial from the Bronx to Albany last December. Citing pretrial publicity, the court ruled that the four officers could not get a fair trial in the Bronx and ordered the case moved up to Albany. But some of Diallo's supporters, including Sharpton, felt the officers should be tried in the Bronx, which is 38 percent African-American and 42 percent Hispanic, instead of Albany, which is 89 percent white. Sharpton said the protests would remain peaceful.

"[We] come to Albany in peace," Sharpton said. "Those who come in hate need not come here. We will never be the hateful ones or the violent ones. We will not become like the ones we fight."

More busloads of protesters are expected as jury selection continues this week. About 2000 Albany residents were summoned for jury duty. By the end of last week, several potential jurors had dropped out due to scheduling and other conflicts and the jury pool was down to 700.

Patrick Lynch, President of the Policeman's Benevolent Association and a spokesman for the four officers on trial, said that the defendants are looking forward to telling their side of the story at trial and proving their innocence.

"They [Carroll, Murphy, McMellon and Boss] should get a fair trial. It's about time they got a chance to get a fair trial," Lynch said. "They want to go to trial, tell jurors exactly what happened, and then put this behind them so that they can return home to their families."

The defense for Carroll, Murphy, McMellon and Boss claims that the shooting was an accident, not murder. The officers, who at the time of the killing were looking for a Bronx serial rapist, have claimed that they approached Diallo because he was acting "suspiciously" and claimed that they identified themselves while asking him to halt. For some reason, the defense says, Diallo did not obey the command and began reaching for an object.

Claiming the vestibule was dimly lit, the officers claim they reasonably thought Diallo was reaching for a gun and fired to protect themselves.

Jury selection is reportedly moving swiftly. Opening statements could take place Wednesday or Thursday.

— Bryan Robinson

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