Issues Under Fire: NYPD Tragedy; White Cop Shoots And Kill Black Off Duty Officer
While the details are still being gathered and the first stages of the investigation are underway, a familiar visceral response is once again welling up in the minds of many people of color in the Big Apple. A Black male gunned down by a White office late at night with few independent witnesses. Even more tragic is the fact that this Black man was recently married, with a new baby and by the way was an NYPD officer himself.
Here is what has been reported thus far:
Black off duty officer leaves precinct after getting off from work. Said officer arrives at his car located on Second Ave between E. 124th and E. 125th Streets, finding the drivers side window busted out and a man rummaging through his vehicle. Presumably, a confrontation ensues, the suspect takes flight, the Black officer draws weapon and gives chase. Undercover police officers in unmarked car sees Black male chasing another man with gun, makes quick u-turn, with one of the undercover officers exiting said unmarked car and firing six rounds hitting Black man/officer once in the arm and once in the chest. Black man/ officer is pronounced dead an hour later at Harlem Hospital.
Thus far, the obvious questions to be answered are:
Here is what has been reported thus far:
Black off duty officer leaves precinct after getting off from work. Said officer arrives at his car located on Second Ave between E. 124th and E. 125th Streets, finding the drivers side window busted out and a man rummaging through his vehicle. Presumably, a confrontation ensues, the suspect takes flight, the Black officer draws weapon and gives chase. Undercover police officers in unmarked car sees Black male chasing another man with gun, makes quick u-turn, with one of the undercover officers exiting said unmarked car and firing six rounds hitting Black man/officer once in the arm and once in the chest. Black man/ officer is pronounced dead an hour later at Harlem Hospital.
Thus far, the obvious questions to be answered are:
What were the other two officers doing when the White officer discharged his weapon?
What was the racial demographic of the other two officers at the scene?
What was their split second assessment of the situation? Why did the other two officers not fire their weapons?
Did the Black officer respond fast enough to the undercover officer's commands?
Were any commands actually given to the Black officer prior to the discharging of the White officer’s weapon?
Has the White officer been involved in prior shootings?
Has the White officer been disciplined for related issues?
Some of these questions will be easy to answer and the others will be where things get murky. Unfortunately, the murkiness will create the dreaded circus environment for all the usual media clowns and their surrogates to take center stage.
All New Yorkers should watch very carefully how this story plays out along with how our third term seeking mayor Bloomberg and his competent Police Commissioner deals with the investigation. We should all keep in mind that this is the type of incendiary circumstance that can tear a city apart if not handled openly, fairly and expeditiously.
To date we have had a Mayor and Police Commissioner that has held this town together with a degree of ethics and integrity that was sorely lacking by its previous administration. As horrid, a situation as this White cop on Black cop shooting appears to be, with all the possible conclusion jumping and speculating it cries out for, one must remember the biggest challenge we face is letting history push our emotions ahead of the facts. We will follow this story until its conclusion and hope said conclusion is one all in the city can live with. Click here for the podcast.
What was the racial demographic of the other two officers at the scene?
What was their split second assessment of the situation? Why did the other two officers not fire their weapons?
Did the Black officer respond fast enough to the undercover officer's commands?
Were any commands actually given to the Black officer prior to the discharging of the White officer’s weapon?
Has the White officer been involved in prior shootings?
Has the White officer been disciplined for related issues?
Some of these questions will be easy to answer and the others will be where things get murky. Unfortunately, the murkiness will create the dreaded circus environment for all the usual media clowns and their surrogates to take center stage.
All New Yorkers should watch very carefully how this story plays out along with how our third term seeking mayor Bloomberg and his competent Police Commissioner deals with the investigation. We should all keep in mind that this is the type of incendiary circumstance that can tear a city apart if not handled openly, fairly and expeditiously.
To date we have had a Mayor and Police Commissioner that has held this town together with a degree of ethics and integrity that was sorely lacking by its previous administration. As horrid, a situation as this White cop on Black cop shooting appears to be, with all the possible conclusion jumping and speculating it cries out for, one must remember the biggest challenge we face is letting history push our emotions ahead of the facts. We will follow this story until its conclusion and hope said conclusion is one all in the city can live with. Click here for the podcast.
