Results tagged “andrewdunton”

African-American groups continue to turn up the heat on officials to dig further into the friendly-fire shooting of NYPD Officer Omar Edwards in the wake of a grand jury's decision not to indict Officer Andrew Dunton. Now the group 100 Blacks in Law Enforcement Who Care is taking their plea for justice to Governor Paterson, issuing the governor an ultimatum that he appoint a special investigator into the Edwards case or else lose their support in next year's election. A spokesman for the group said, "We're suspicious of the incestuous relationship of the DA's office and the NYPD when it comes to conducting fair and impartial investigations in cases like these...If he will not support us on this, then we will not support him." Paterson had assembled a panel to investigate the shooting soon after it took place in May. A spokesman said the governor is awaiting its findings before taking any further action. Paterson cannot afford to lose any support from important voting blocks going into his bid to stay in office; polls have already shown that he has lost major support from black voters who are becoming more likely to support Andrew Cuomo should he run.

Black leaders expressed frustration yesterday after a grand jury voted not to indict Officer Andrew Dunton in the fatal "friendly fire" shooting of fellow Officer Omar Edwards one rainy night in Harlem at the end of May. The Black Law Enforcement Alliance called the decision "disturbingly predictable," and demanded that investigations of police shootings be independent of the Police Department and the district attorney’s office: "The relationship between the police and the local prosecutors is incestuous and threatens public confidence in the integrity of the process."

A grand jury has voted not to indict an NYPD officer who fatally shot another officer chasing a thief through Harlem one rainy night at the end of May. Omar Edwards had just finished his shift and was not in uniform when he found a man breaking into his car. After a scuffle, he gave chase with his gun drawn, but was intercepted by plainclothes officer Andrew Dunton, who ordered him to drop his weapon. Edwards was fatally shot as he turned to face Dunton, and there are conflicting witness accounts as to whether Edwards identified himself as NYPD.

Today, the funeral of Omar Edwards, the off-duty police officer who was fatally shot by a fellow officer a week ago in Harlem, will take place at Our Lady of Victory Church on Throop Avenue in Brooklyn. Edwards is being given an "Inspector's Funeral," and will be posthumously promoted to detective first-grade. The Daily News explains the promotion will allow Edwards's widow and two young children to "collect death benefits based on a higher salary. Edwards' salary was $41,965 as a police officer. His benefits will be calculated based on a detective's pay of $104,081."

Sources tell NY1 that three witnesses heard the officer who fatally shot an armed, plainclothes off-duty officer In Harlem Thursday night identify himself as NYPD. Those three witnesses include the two other cops who arrived on the scene with officer Andrew who fired and the car break-in suspect that slain Officer Omar Edwards was chasing, Migueal Goitia. According to the Post, Goitia [earlier identified with the last name alias "Santiago"] has been hospitalized several times for unknown reasons since his arrest.

The family of Omar Edwards, the rookie off-duty police officer who was shot by a fellow cop in Harlem on Thursday night, were grieving yesterday. A family friend told the Daily News that Edwards' mother said, "My son is dead, my son is dead. They killed my son." The friend also said Edwards' wife Danielle is "in pieces right now....For the sake of the kids, the family is trying to remain strong." The Reverend Al Sharpton, who has already called for a federal investigation of the shooting, is holding a vigil and rally in Harlem this morning.