Black Mount Vernon Cop's Death Goes Uncharged

To Officer Ridley’s family I’m sorry for your loss. I’m a retired Black Sergeant from a large west coast sheriff’s department. I’ve worked various assignments which included plainclothes and undercover assignments. I also employed the below listed survival skills when working these assignments and never encountered any problems. So I can speak from experience.

Early in the academy we were taught off duty officer survival skills. We were taught to carry our identification in our weak hand rear pocket. We were taught to only become involved in an off duty incident if the situation was life threatening and police action was necessary.

We were taught to use language that other law enforcement personnel would recognize as coming from someone in law enforcement.

We were taught when off duty you did not have the things you would normally have when working, for instance a uniform, a raid jacket which would identify you to responding officers you were a member of the law enforcement community.

During shift briefing as a supervisor I would go over these off duty survival skills on a regular basis to ensure that my subordinates were aware of the hazards of becoming involved in an off duty incident, especially when I would learn of an incident of this nature.

I view this incident as a lack of training on all involved. The officers who shot and killed Officer Ridley will have to live with this for the rest of their lives. There will not be a day in which they will question themselves on whether or not they could have done it differently. I think that some of them may even leave law enforcement because of this incident.

This is my opinion and I hope you understand and respect it.

Rest in Peace Officer Ridley.

why bernie? what do you mean? besides using the CAPS key.

Dave,

Next time write the word BLACK in all-caps (see example). It might help hammer home the point you're trying to make and that these other posters clearly aren't understanding.

There are so many issues that are to be determined in regards to race. This is clearly not one of those circumstances. This is outrageous! Absolutely abhorrent of the the Westchester Police Department. Look at this man's background, civil services and age. He's young and honorable. Put him in plain clothes trying to stop a fight and he's the reason it started and obviously expendable. A real shame.

I suggest whenever a black off duty cop sees something a white teen or off duty cop that's fishy to fire till slide lock and we'll see what happens.

this will happen again.

Despite early hopes that race would remain a non-issue, the Rev. Al Sharpton eventually suggested that all police view young black men as expendable.

wow, that is some good slanted writing right there. how the hell would race remain a non-issue? i don't like al shapton either but sometimes these types of "accidents" are very obviously due to race.

Why would you want someone "accidentally" gun down regardless? You may not like Al but he does have a family and loved ones. Just because you don't like him doesn't mean he don't mean something to someone. That is the same attitude that take innocent lives, young ones at that, everyday. I'm not a fan or supporter of Al but sadly in situations like this it has become to common that young black men deaths go without justification. A young black officer gunned down and the shooters get to go on with their lives as normal feeling "it's a justified shooting." So the killing of another officer by other officers is fine. Oh wait, as long as it's a black officer who was doing his job and causing harm to no one is fine. This was murder and nothing short from it. When officers see a young black man the first thing they do is put their hands on their guns without even wanting to know the situation. How did they know the homeless men wasn't harming him? And why is it that blacks are shot "multiply" times. C'mon, 50, 40, 30 bullets, one bullet kills a 500lb horse. Multiply shots of one person by four people is murder. As soon as these cops seen black skin, "Let shoot and kill first then figure out the situation later once when done shot a n***** 40-50 times". Did the cops even try to at least figure out what was going on or did they just stay back and fire because a black had a gun. Even a black cop ain't safe. In this case, the black officer was a hero trying to help even when he was off-duty, the murders are the ones who are cowards. Sadly, black skin has become target practice for cops.

Really sad story.

It's really sad and it's going to end up that off duty cops just keep driving when they see something like that. Just like doctors who don't want to get sued for helping someone outside a hospital.

Why can't someone just "accidentally" gun down Al Sharpton?

"Despite early hopes that race would remain a non-issue, the Rev. Al Sharpton eventually suggested that all police view young black men as expendable."

Similar to the way that all people, black and white, who are even the least bit educated view the Rev. Al Sharpton as a racist, race-baiting instigator.