This story could make officers across the country think about before the actions they take. A white officer in New York thought that a black officer was a criminal.
There are some black officers who have this fear that they will be mistaken for a criminal simply because they are of the black race. Although this took place about five years ago, it’s a situation that officers across the country think might happen again.
The officers involved in the shooting worked for two different departments. One could have been wearing dark clothing, making it hard for the other to see him. However, this shouldn’t be an excuse for the officer to immediately shoot someone. The officer who was shot was working off duty.
He was trying to help locate a someone who had broken into a car. While he was doing his job, he was thought to be a criminal himself because he was running from an officer who told him to stop. The officer did begin to turn toward the other officer, but he failed to put his weapon down, and when the officer saw the weapon, he shot the man. This officer was one who had a family and a promising career.