‘Blue eyes/ Brown skin/ It seems like we can never win. Sean Bell’s gone and Omar rests/ the boys in blue/ all want us dead.’

Those were the words written on a large white cutout last Thursday morning on the downton 2 train when I got on at 96th street. A middle aged African American man dressed in all black held the cutout; and although I wasn’t able to get his name, I knew where he was headed; the Bedford Stuyvestant section of Brooklyn where the NYPD was holding a memorial service for slain officer Omar Edwards.

It was a day of mourning. The NYPD lost lost one of its finest. A wife lost her husband and two young children lost a father they may never remember.

As the late night shooting spread across the internet and onto morning news broadcasts, Blacks looked at the death of Edwards as business as usual. But this time, the murder of a Black male had a different angle; Edwards was killed by a fellow cop.

In the days following Edwards’ murder, numerous quotes arose from unnamed Black officers who indicated they were not shocked by the shooting of one of their own. ‘We are not only fighting crime, but fighting the perception when we are out of our uniform that we are criminals as well,’ said one unnamed police officer to the NY Daily News.

Just last year, a Black NYPD police sergeant was stopped by two white officers and when he informed them he was a sergeant, they accused him of being a liar and got physical with him. Events like these where Blacks feel like they aren’t respected even in their uniform, make many uncomfortable in a job they’ve always dreamed of doing.

After the shooting, Rev. Al Sharpton called for a federal investigation, protests occurred in front of police stations, and even Harlem native, Congressmen Charles Rangel, said President Obama should fear walking through Harlem.

It was just but a few months ago that officers in San Francisco killed Oscar Grant and now admit there was no reason to fear him. A few years ago, Sean Bell was shot 50 times and New Yorkers will never forget the death of African immigrant Amadou Diallo in the narrow hallways of his Soundview apartment building.

The one common emotion in all of these deaths was fear. Amadou Diallo took out his wallet while Sean Bell allegedly rammed his car into a police vehicle. But did the same level of fear hit Officer Dunton that hit those cops on those fateful nights? Was the officer in question a racist or just acting ‘upon his experience’ on the job and employing the ‘kill or be killed’ mentality?

No one knows; and no will ever know what went through the mind of the officer in question. But, for a cop, who has patrolled the streets of Harlem and helped clean them up for years, is it fair to label him a racist? Every day, officers throughout the city get phone calls on their radio describing a Black and Latino suspect. Though this does not justify the murder of Edwards, it allows you to understand how powerful life experiences can be.

Throughout the years, many have called for people of the same color to patrol their own community. But its frankly impossible with the lack of Black and Latino cops on the force. And who’s to say that a Black man wouldn’t have made the same decision? Do we really expect more compassion and empathy from our own?

The death of Omar Edwards was a tragic incident because he was trying to fight crime when one was committed against him by a fellow member of his fraternity. For years, the NYPD has failed the minority residents of this city on these issues; and for a death of one of their own to push them into action is shameful.

Its time for the NYPD and other police departments across the country to stop trying to handle issues like race and the stereotypes that come with them internally. Its time to come to grips with the fact that the killings of all innocent Blacks have been because of a certain mindset cemented in their minds. There must be no more denials from Commissioner Kelly on the clear fact that minorities are viewed a certain way by cops.

The time has come for independent experts to train them on these issues. There also has to be an internal discussion with officers in the force of all colors. Despite how uncomfortable the conversation of race is in this country; and will be amongst fellow officers, its the only way similar situations will never occur again.

May 28th was a night of firsts. It was the first time Omar Edwards went after a suspect. Unfortunately for him, it was also the first time Officer Dunton happened to shoot his gun in the line of duty. Let’s hope it was a night of lasts’ as well.

If you’d like to subscribe to this blog, click here