Mayoral candidate Mark Green yesterday accused rival Fernando Ferrer of being “politically expedient” for trying to “convict” the four cops who accidentally killed Amadou Diallo in The Bronx in 1999.
In a meeting with Post editors, Green criticized Ferrer for saying police brass should fire the four cops who were acquitted on all charges last year connected to the shooting of Diallo.
“The people who want to shout the loudest and hijack the debate will not tell me what to do as mayor,” Green said.
“There are people shouting at me now that I should say the Diallo cops should be fired,” Green told The Post. “One candidate wants to convict them before a trial.”
“I refused to say they should be fired because it’s politically expedient.”
Green aides later confirmed their boss was referring to Ferrer, the Bronx borough president.
Ferrer spokesman John Del Cecato blasted back, saying, “Mark Green will do anything to avoid taking a position on the issue.”
“First he said it was too early to render judgment. Now he’s saying it’s too late,” Del Cecato said.
“Four officers demonstrated tragically bad judgment that cost an innocent man his life – and should cost them their badges and guns.”
While Ferrer and mayoral candidate Alan Hevesi have said the Diallo cops should be kicked off the force, Green and City Council Speaker Peter Vallone said the decision should be left to the police commissioner.
During his hour-long Post interview, Green also gave qualified praise to Mayor Giuliani, saying he’d continue Giuliani’s quality-of-life initiatives if elected.
“I really look with sadness on the first squeegee man who thinks . . . when Green’s mayor, we’ll be unionized and back,” Green said.
He added: “The first obligation of the next mayor is to continue crime reduction, and I will.”