A badge is not a license to kill or make reckless mistakes.  The four white NYPD officers who shot and killed Amadou Diallo say they regret their actions, that they mistook the West African's wallet for a gun.  But should their regret have earned them a walk?  Absolutely not.

These four men failed in their duty, and for that there should have been some consequences.  Instead, the jury sent Officers Carroll, McMellon, Boss and Murphy home to their families - even though Diallo's family will never welcome him home again.

Chief prosecutor Eric Warner argued that the officers failed to properly identify themselves, assumed Diallo as a criminal, then "made a conscious decision to shoot" him.  Diallo, Warner said, "never had a chance."

We don't know if it's true that the accused officers stopped and frisked young men without cause, but we do know what most African-Americans would think when chased by four white men in street clothes.  Whether they identified themselves as police officers or not, most would be apprehensive. 

It's also important to remember that Amadou Diallo didn't grow up in America, and like many people from places where police forces are corrupt or brutal, he might've reacted with fear even if the officers did flash badges.  Add to that his apprehension at being a black man pursued by a group of whites and you have a recipe for disaster.

At best, the officers who sent Diallo to an early grave failed to understand and anticipate the reactions of people on their beat.  At worst, they made a cold-blooded decision to execute an unarmed man.  There should have been consequences either way, because without some kind of penalty for failure, other officers will be just as quick to fire next time. 

And the wallet they "mistake" for a gun could be yours.