Ousmane Zongo
Encyclopedia
Ousmane Zongo was a Burkinabè
arts trader living in New York City
. He was accidentally shot and killed by New York City Police Department
officers while unarmed in a chance run-in with police during a warehouse raid on May 22, 2003.
Police had targeted the Manhattan storage facility while investigating a CD and DVD pirating operation. Zongo repaired art and musical instruments at the same location but was never linked to the pirating scheme. The shooter, officer Bryan Conroy, was disguised as a postal worker. He was guarding a bin of CDs when Zongo appeared to turn on a light. For some reason a chase ensued that ended when Zongo ran into a dead end. Conroy shot Zongo four times, twice in the back. The NYPD later admitted Zongo had nothing to do with counterfeiters. Prosecutors contended that Zongo ran from Conroy because he was frightened and confused when Conroy, who was not in police uniform, drew his weapon.
The case drew parallels to that of Amadou Diallo
, an unarmed immigrant from Guinea
who was shot and killed by New York City Police Department officers in the Bronx
in 1999. Al Sharpton
led protests against alleged police brutality
and racial profiling
and was involved in getting Zongo's family from Burkina Faso
to attend court proceedings.
, automatically losing his job with the NYPD.
Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso – also known by its short-form name Burkina – is a landlocked country in west Africa. It is surrounded by six countries: Mali to the north, Niger to the east, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, and Côte d'Ivoire to the southwest.Its size is with an estimated...
arts trader living in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. He was accidentally shot and killed by New York City Police Department
New York City Police Department
The New York City Police Department , established in 1845, is currently the largest municipal police force in the United States, with primary responsibilities in law enforcement and investigation within the five boroughs of New York City...
officers while unarmed in a chance run-in with police during a warehouse raid on May 22, 2003.
Police had targeted the Manhattan storage facility while investigating a CD and DVD pirating operation. Zongo repaired art and musical instruments at the same location but was never linked to the pirating scheme. The shooter, officer Bryan Conroy, was disguised as a postal worker. He was guarding a bin of CDs when Zongo appeared to turn on a light. For some reason a chase ensued that ended when Zongo ran into a dead end. Conroy shot Zongo four times, twice in the back. The NYPD later admitted Zongo had nothing to do with counterfeiters. Prosecutors contended that Zongo ran from Conroy because he was frightened and confused when Conroy, who was not in police uniform, drew his weapon.
The case drew parallels to that of Amadou Diallo
Amadou Diallo
Amadou Diallo was a 23-year-old Guinean immigrant in New York City who was shot and killed on February 4, 1999 by four New York City Police Department plain-clothed officers: Sean Carroll, Richard Murphy, Edward McMellon and Kenneth Boss. The four officers fired a total of 41 shots...
, an unarmed immigrant from Guinea
Guinea
Guinea , officially the Republic of Guinea , is a country in West Africa. Formerly known as French Guinea , it is today sometimes called Guinea-Conakry to distinguish it from its neighbour Guinea-Bissau. Guinea is divided into eight administrative regions and subdivided into thirty-three prefectures...
who was shot and killed by New York City Police Department officers in the Bronx
The Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
in 1999. Al Sharpton
Al Sharpton
Alfred Charles "Al" Sharpton, Jr. is an American Baptist minister, civil rights activist, and television/radio talk show host. In 2004, he was a candidate for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. presidential election...
led protests against alleged police brutality
Police brutality
Police brutality is the intentional use of excessive force, usually physical, but potentially also in the form of verbal attacks and psychological intimidation, by a police officer....
and racial profiling
Racial profiling
Racial profiling refers to the use of an individual’s race or ethnicity by law enforcement personnel as a key factor in deciding whether to engage in enforcement...
and was involved in getting Zongo's family from Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso – also known by its short-form name Burkina – is a landlocked country in west Africa. It is surrounded by six countries: Mali to the north, Niger to the east, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, and Côte d'Ivoire to the southwest.Its size is with an estimated...
to attend court proceedings.
Lawsuit
Zongo's family filed a wrongful death suit and were awarded US$3 million. Conroy did not receive any jail time but was convicted of criminally negligent homicide and was given five years probationProbation
Probation literally means testing of behaviour or abilities. In a legal sense, an offender on probation is ordered to follow certain conditions set forth by the court, often under the supervision of a probation officer...
, automatically losing his job with the NYPD.