Fatal shooting of Amadou Diallo
The third episode of the show is about the murder of Amadou Diallo, an immigrant from Guinea, sparked outcry in New York City. Diallo was killed by police in 1999 while in a vestibule outside his apartment building when New York City police officers mistook his wallet for a gun. It was claimed he matched the description for a sexual assault suspect.
He was shot 41 times, inciting outrage throughout the city over racial profiling and police brutality. Diallo’s mother (Kadijatou Diallo), emerges in Trial by Media as a central figure who pushed for justice in the wake of her son’s death. The police officers, charged with second-degree murder, were later acquitted in a trial.