Police officers Edward McMellon, Sean Carroll, Richard Murphy and Kenneth Boss were part of an aggressive street-crimes unit whose motto was "We Own the Night." That motto had deadly overtones Thursday, as the four fired 41 bullets at an unarmed man in the Soundview section of the Bronx.

While the smoke is still clearing on what really happened in the shooting of Amadou (Ahmed) Diallo, the sheer number of shots fired at an unarmed man raises serious questions. Diallo, hit 19 times, died at the scene.

While the probes continue, the four officers will be on a form of restricted duty, which is routine in a shooting. The street-crimes unit to which the four officers belong seizes 40% of all guns that cops take off the street, despite making up only 1.5% of the NYPD. The unit should add four more guns to that list. These officers must be grounded.

The horrifying facts cannot be ignored.

According to the medical examiner's office, Diallo died of multiple gunshot wounds — shot 11 times in the legs, five times in the left side of his torso, once in the back, once in the arm and once in the chest. Bullets perforated his aorta, spinal cord, lungs, liver, spleen, kidneys and intestines.

The NYPD has been tested before, during the Abner Louima torture case and the case against former Officer Francis Livoti for the choke-hold death of Anthony Baez. And each time, the department eventually moved against its own to pass the test.

The city faces a similar challenge now. Once again, it must show that it is on the side of the law, not just the lawmen.