NY1 VIDEO: In April 1997, Police Officer Anthony Pellegrini shot and killed 16-year-old Kevin Cedeno in Washington Heights after confusing a concealed machete for a shotgun. The incident instantly became a heated political issue in a racially divided city and grew even more intense after revelations that Cedeno was shot in the back.

NY1 FOLLOW-UP: In December 1997, federal prosecutors announced that they would not pursue civil rights charges against Pellegrini. Cedeno's family filed a civil suit against Pellegrini and the NYPD, but that case never made it to court and was closed administratively in 2003 without any settlement.