NYPD Officer Killed in Friendly Fire Incident

My heart breaks for all parties involved - this is the first officer killed in the line of duty since 2007 -- lots of prayers for the family of the victim.

Link to Story

EAST HARLEM (WABC) -- Deadly case of mistaken identity strike the NYPD. An off-duty officer who was chasing a suspected car thief in East Harlem is shot and killed by a fellow officer late Thursday night.

As you could imagine -- a tremendous amount of chaos and confusion on Thursday night after the shooting.
The fatal shooting happened around 10:45 p.m. on East 125th Street, between First and Second Avenues in East Harlem.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg called it a "sad night for the city, NYPD and all New Yorkers."

Officer Omar J. Edwards, 25, had just gotten off of work. According to Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly, Edwards was in plain clothes -- no longer wearing his bullet proof vest.

Edwards reportedly spotted a man rummaging through his car and went after him with his gun drawn.

Another group of plainclothes officers -- an anti-crime unit -- driving down 125th Street saw Edwards with his gun out near the entrance of RFK Bridge.

"When they observed Officer Edwards with his gun out...pursuing a second man, they made a U-turn on 125th Street and drove west towards the officers. After exiting the vehicle, the officer fired six times from his 9mm glock -- striking Officer Edwards twice," NYC Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said.
Kelly said the bullets struck Edwards in the arm and in the chest.

Mayor Bloomberg said Officer Edwards never fired his gun.

Commissioner Kelly said the terrible confusion of the moment had deadly consequences. Edwards is a black police officer and the officer who shot him is white. The officer who fired the shots has been identified by a police official as Andrew Dunton.

Dunton is a four-year veteran of the NYPD and part of the anti-crime unit.
About the Anti-Crime Unit:

They work in plain clothes and their primary responsibility is to disrupt crime trends.

The officers may follow a suspect around for two to there three hours if they are suspicious the person will commit a crime.

Anti-crime officers are usually selected for their observational skills.

Edwards died Thursday night at 11:21 p.m. at nearby Harlem Hospital.

Officer Edwards' car was on the scene of the shooting Friday morning.

Apparently, a thief was trying to get into his car through the window, causing the initial chase.

Officer Edwards was not only a police officer, he was a husband and a father of two young children. He and his family lived in the Ocean Hill section of Brooklyn.

His friends and family are very distraught by his tragic death.

The father-inlaw of the victim said, he died doing what he loved to do.

"It's a terrible tragedy...a 25-year-old police officer dedicated his life to protect the rest of us is dead...there's nothing we can say that will bring him back," said Mayor Bloomberg.

Edwards was a member of housing bureau impact response team. He joined department in July of 2007.

"On behalf of the entire police department, I extend my condolences to the friends and family of Officer Edwards," said commissioner Kelly.
Friends of Officer Edwards say he had just gotten married to his longtime girlfriend a month ago. Their two children are just 1-1/2 and seven months old.

The last New York City police officer killed in the line of duty was Russel Timoshenko. The 23-year-old officer was shot during a traffic stop in Brooklyn in July 2007.

Earlier in 2007, a gunman shot and killed two unarmed auxiliary police officers, Nicholas T. Pekearo, 28, and Yevgeniy Marshalik, 19, in Greenwich Village.

Re: NYPD Officer Killed in Friendly Fire Incident

How horrible DH worked in an anti-crime unit and now is in Narcotics and wears plain clothes all the time. This is my biggest fear...mistaken identity!

I'm a little confused as to why the police officer fired 6 shots after exiting the car. Did they not identify themselves as police officers? Did the cop that got shot not identify himself as a police officer?

Re: NYPD Officer Killed in Friendly Fire Incident

Posted by jellybean1420

How horrible DH worked in an anti-crime unit and now is in Narcotics and wears plain clothes all the time. This is my biggest fear...mistaken identity!

I'm a little confused as to why the police officer fired 6 shots after exiting the car. Did they not identify themselves as police officers? Did the cop that got shot not identify himself as a police officer?

Re: NYPD Officer Killed in Friendly Fire Incident

sweet Jesu! prayers to the families of all involved.

especially the fallen officers little ones

Re: NYPD Officer Killed in Friendly Fire Incident

Posted by MrsPJB2007

I heard that Al Sharpton is already pressing for an investigation and wants to make this a racial issue. As if the cops involved don't feel guilty enough, they will have to endure this scrutiny.

Message edited 5/29/2009 1:15:44 PM.

Re: NYPD Officer Killed in Friendly Fire Incident

MY DH was there last night. Not when it happened but later on. Very very sad situation.

I absolutely HATE how the news always makes this racial. I'm not defending anyone however, I could not IMAGINE what it must be like to be in a situation, your adreneline, the fear, the uncertainty, etc. These weren't experienced officers, they were on the job 2 years. They aren't experienced. It's a horrible horrible tradgedy, I sincerely doubt race had ANYTHING to do with this. It's sad for all.
My heart goes out to the poor officer who lost his life and the other officer who has to live the rest of his life with this!!!!

Re: NYPD Officer Killed in Friendly Fire Incident

that officer must feel terrible, what a tragedy

Re: NYPD Officer Killed in Friendly Fire Incident

wow, that is so sad for everyone involved for all of them, but especially the fallen officers children and wife

Re: NYPD Officer Killed in Friendly Fire Incident

what a tragedy for all involved. how sad for the fallen officer's family and haw sad for the office who must live with this the rest of his life. my thoughts and prayers go out to all parites involved. as for al sharpton......what can one say for stupidity

Re: NYPD Officer Killed in Friendly Fire Incident

I read about this on CNN and I have so many questions about it all.. its very sad that an officer died by the hand of another officer..

Re: NYPD Officer Killed in Friendly Fire Incident

This is a nightmare, worst case scenario.

These guys patrol a neighborhood and see a guy with a gun chasing someone else, not knowing he was a cop. They technically followed protocol. But I think part of it was inexperience on both sides.

I feel horrible for the families loss but I feel equally as bad for the cop who shot him.

Re: NYPD Officer Killed in Friendly Fire Incident

as soon as i heard that a whitie officer killed a lack officer, i knew shartpon would be in in the middle. when the roles are reversed, u don't hear from him

Re: NYPD Officer Killed in Friendly Fire Incident

I'm confused is it protocol to shoot someone six times that has not used their weapon. This sounds really horrible.

Re: NYPD Officer Killed in Friendly Fire Incident

What I think is important to remember is that Nobody can imagine what goes through a person's mind when they draw their gun. You have a split second to make a decision and sometimes that decision is not the right one.

But to make this an issue about race is a disgrace. Each day the NYPD puts thier lives on the line to serve each and every one of us. The crap they have to deal with, I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy.

I mourn for the family who lost their son. But, I also mourn for the cop who has now lost his life. Every move he has ever made will be played out in the news. His family will be dragged through the mud and Sharpton will stand there and pontificate his nonsense.

Re: NYPD Officer Killed in Friendly Fire Incident

Re: NYPD Officer Killed in Friendly Fire Incident

why were shots fired when they were not shot at....

if there were to say NYPD, etc... the cop that died could of said i'm NYPD too.. where is all that information??

Re: NYPD Officer Killed in Friendly Fire Incident

Re: NYPD Officer Killed in Friendly Fire Incident

Al Sharpton is the devil.

Re: NYPD Officer Killed in Friendly Fire Incident

Re: NYPD Officer Killed in Friendly Fire Incident

Message edited 5/31/2009 9:58:58 AM.

Re: NYPD Officer Killed in Friendly Fire Incident

Message edited 5/31/2009 9:56:37 AM.

Re: NYPD Officer Killed in Friendly Fire Incident

The truth is, we'll never know if it was racial or not. We don't know what went through the mind of the officer who fired his weapon. We'll never know. It's not like he'll come out and say "I have subconscious stereotypes and feelings about black men with guns drawn, so I instinctively shot one when I saw it in front of me." Or maybe not. Maybe he really though the other officer was a perp. I saw on the news last night that the officer was shot in the back. Don't know if that means anything to anyone.

Al Sharpton is calling for an "investigation." I don't think there needs to be an investigation. Investigate what? It's a horrible situation for both officers. I feel so, so badly for the slain officer, his son and wife. So sad. It makes me want to cry.

Re: NYPD Officer Killed in Friendly Fire Incident

Re: NYPD Officer Killed in Friendly Fire Incident

Posted by jellybean1420

Posted by Snickers

The truth is, we'll never know if it was racial or not. We don't know what went through the mind of the officer who fired his weapon. We'll never know. It's not like he'll come out and say "I have subconscious stereotypes and feelings about black men with guns drawn, so I instinctively shot one when I saw it in front of me." Or maybe not. Maybe he really though the other officer was a perp. I saw on the news last night that the officer was shot in the back. Don't know if that means anything to anyone.

Al Sharpton is calling for an "investigation." I don't think there needs to be an investigation. Investigate what? It's a horrible situation for both officers. I feel so, so badly for the slain officer, his son and wife. So sad. It makes me want to cry.

I doubt very much that the cop who fired his gun said "oh a black guy with a gun, let's shoot him!" They were patrolling a black, high-crime neighborhood. They saw a black guy with a gun chasing another person.

From what reports have said, the cops DID identify themselves as police officers. The off-duty cop should have immediately froze and dropped his gun. We will never know why he didnt... Maybe he didnt hear them in the confusion.

It was a horrible situation for everyone involved. I am sure the cop who fired his gun wants to kill himself for what he's done.

Re: NYPD Officer Killed in Friendly Fire Incident

Posted by Snickers

Posted by jellybean1420

Posted by Snickers

The truth is, we'll never know if it was racial or not. We don't know what went through the mind of the officer who fired his weapon. We'll never know. It's not like he'll come out and say "I have subconscious stereotypes and feelings about black men with guns drawn, so I instinctively shot one when I saw it in front of me." Or maybe not. Maybe he really though the other officer was a perp. I saw on the news last night that the officer was shot in the back. Don't know if that means anything to anyone.

Al Sharpton is calling for an "investigation." I don't think there needs to be an investigation. Investigate what? It's a horrible situation for both officers. I feel so, so badly for the slain officer, his son and wife. So sad. It makes me want to cry.

I doubt very much that the cop who fired his gun said "oh a black guy with a gun, let's shoot him!" They were patrolling a black, high-crime neighborhood. They saw a black guy with a gun chasing another person.

From what reports have said, the cops DID identify themselves as police officers. The off-duty cop should have immediately froze and dropped his gun. We will never know why he didnt... Maybe he didnt hear them in the confusion.

It was a horrible situation for everyone involved. I am sure the cop who fired his gun wants to kill himself for what he's done.

Clearly, you take this very personally, hence the eyerolling. You're also a mind reader? You know what the cop was thinking at that very moment and you also are sure that he is suicidal right now. Wow. I'm impressed.

I never said it was racial. I said we will never know if was racial. You got really defensive really quickly which gives me the impression that you may see some truth to what i was saying.

God bless all parties involved.