Your truth isn't necessarily mine...

I just find it very difficult; difficult to believe their so called "truths". I find it too hard to keep my mouth shut about this situation, because I'm so tired of seeing this shit happen. No one saying anything because they're too afraid of what is going to happen to them. The look of guilt that I saw on the faces of the NYPD as I took pictures of the gathering of the funeral for Omar Edwards. First and foremost, this man was a husband, a father, a son, a brother, a brotha...putting his life on the line. I wonder what made him want to be a cop. Seems to me that the NYPD is on the prowl, recruiting just like the military. Promising those that grew up in the ghetto a better life. Most of the new cops that I see on the street look like babies. Probably because they are. What irritates me most is the complete lack of care, concern, or sensitivity to this situation. Close the case on this one and keep another dirty secret. The skeletons in the NYPD's closet. Now, I'm not going to make assumptions, because I was not there. However, I am not going to be intimidated to state my feelings. Regardless of what really happened, this is a tragedy. Even if they do decide to do an investigation, his family is never going to get over this. Ever...even as the pain slowly starts to dissipate. I find myself asking a lot of questions, since there are so many holes in this story. No, I'm not jumping to conclusions, just speaking through different eyes. Reading in between the lines. Trying to absorb as much information as possible, so that my conclusion is not biased. This is my truth. How I see it. Regardless of whether or not you're offended, I can only continue to be who I am, and refuse to just accept what everyone else tells me is the case.

So, Mayor Bloomberg promoted Edwards to detective after his death? A lot of good that's going to do now. Okay, it's something, so don't just think that because I say that, I'm negative, or in most cases, people like to call me "an angry Black woman". Quite frankly, I don't think that Edwards was even on the NYPD's radar for becoming a detective when he was alive, so why is it that only after he was killed by one of his "brothers" that the promotion was made. Was that supposed to make his wife feel better? Just because you label him a hero, does that make up for his children who will never know their father? Is that supposed to be some condolence for the mother and father that had to bury their son? Is that promotion supposed to be some kind of "motivation" for other cops...if I get shot, maybe then I can get a promotion. How about a thorough investigation? How about a public apology for being so negligent? I have a feeling that his wife won't be seeing any of that "promotion" money to help feed her children. I have a hard time believing that anyone from the police squad is going to even go and visit her once the heat is off the situation.

So many people saying that we need to give the other officers the benefit of the doubt. Okay, whateva...most importantly, two out of the three cops there were under investigation. Officer Andrew Dunton (who killed Edwards), has received 4 civilian complaints in 4 1/2 years. Sergeant John Anzelino just completed a monitoring program for cops who have had too many complaints against them. This was his second time in the program. Anzelino has incurred more than 13 civilian complaints since joining the police force in 1996. An NYPD supervisor has described Anzelino's record "as more than a red flag", considering only 10% of the force receives a complaint in a 12-month period. So, obviously, once I read that, I knew that it was even more shady than I had originally thought. From some other witnesses account of the situation, Edwards didn't even have his gun drawn. He had Goita in handcuffs on the ground, with his gun on his waist. Since he was arresting someone, when the cops told him to turn around, how was he supposed to do that? And then the question that still remains....how is it that the fatal shot that killed Edwards was in the back? If he was facing all three cops before Dunton shot, why was the entrance wound of the bullet in the back? How are we now hearing that there were only three shots fired, instead of the six that were actually shot? Correction, news. Three shots hit Edwards, though six were fired.

Now, whether or not there is going to be an investigation, debate, cover-up...whatever, we cannot deny that there are a lot of holes in this particular story. Just like with Sean Bell last year. It's time to wake up. This could have been avoided, but now I know exactly why I don't trust the cops. Even the so-called good ones. I see the other side of the police living in Bed-Stuy. Harassing people...profiling...walking around like their balls are big. And they can continue to stop me, ask me what I'm doing...whatever they see fit. I know my rights...

Ignorance is bliss...

Ironic how this was in the newspaper after having a conversation with a friend about how I wasn't really feeling Kanye West. I don't want to take away from what the guy has done for himself. I just find it very difficult to witness someone with so much self-proclaimed intelligence act like a fool. After his mother passed, I saw an immediate transition in the way that Kanye acts. I know his mom was the most important thing to him, so I'm sure he went on a "spiritual journey" when recording "808's and Heartbreaks". I just feel like he's been more of a disappointment, than someone who has used his platform for the betterment of his people. Of course, this is all just my opinion. When I state my opinion, I'm not a "hater". I'm just being honest. Yes, hip-hop has always been about MC's talking about how fly they were. That's part of it. But that's also part of the craft...not part of their everyday, all day lifestyle...if you're really that dope, dude, you don't have to keep telling everybody that. Humble yourself. Come back down to Earth, and maybe speak to women about the effects of plastic surgery. Maybe mentor a child and show him how to get into production. Maybe stop talking about how much money you got, what labels you're wearing, and how everyone's on your jock. In his track, "Goldigger", he says, "and when he get on, he'll leave your ass for a white girl." Trying to be funny and talk about all the rest of them. Crazy thing about it is that "Mr. Gayfish" was just seen perusing through the world with his new, white, barely legal girlfriend...who surprisingly enough was a stripper. Of course, again, he took the "credit" for getting her out of that. Just shut your mouth, read a book, and stop thinking you're the greatest, dude. There are so many other artists out there before and after your time that deserve more credit than you do. And you don't hear them bragging constantly about how great they are. They did it for the love...you? I don't know what you're on...but it's not cute anymore...

Accident? Let's call it for what it really is....

Black cop killed by white officer: Horror in East Harlem as off-duty rookie is shot pursuing suspect

BY Alison Gendar, Erica Pearson, Barry Paddock and Leo Standora
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS

Friday, May 29th 2009, 12:32 PM

Keivom/News

Police respond to scene in East Harlem on Thursday night where off-duty cop Omar Edwards was fatally shot by NYPD while in pursuit of carjack thief.

An off-duty rookie cop chasing a suspected car thief in East Harlem with his gun drawn was shot and killed Thursday night when an officer mistook him for a criminal.

"Police! Stop! Drop it!" cops from the 25th Precinct shouted at Omar Edwards, 25.

As he started to turn toward him - the gun still in his hand - an officer opened fire, sources said.

The officer involved in the shooting is white, Edwards is black and had no visible NYPD identification on him, sources said. It was unclear if Edwards identified himself.

"This is always a black cop's fear, that he'd be mistaken for a [suspect]," a source said.

His father couldn't fathom how such a fatal mistake could happen.

"If a police officer sees someone with a gun, you don't just fire without asking questions or trying to apprehend the person," said Ricardo Edwards, 72. "If the person was firing at a police officer, I understand."

"It's a horror for everyone involved. No one comes out unscathed," a police source said.

One dejected cop said Edwards "just became a new father. He took some personal time so he could take the baby to North Carolina to meet his folks."

Edwards' mother, Natalia Harding, said her son had just married his girlfriend, Danielle Glen, last month at City Hall. They have two kids - 11/2-year-old Xavier and 7-month-old Keanua.

"I'm hurt that they took my son. That's my baby they took from me. And all I got was his last hug and kiss when he went to work [tonight] and he said, 'Ma, I'll see you when I come home,' " Natalia Harding said between sobs Friday morning at her Brooklyn apartment.

NYPD Commissioner Raymond Kelly said Edwards, who had been on the force less than two years and worked out of a Manhattan housing unit, had left work about 10:30 p.m.

He was in street clothes as he walked toward his car parked about a block away on Second Ave. between E. 124th and E. 125th St., where he saw Miguel Goitia rummaging through the vehicle. The driver's side window was busted out.

Edwards grabbed Goitia, who managed to slip out of his sweater and escape Edwards' grip, Kelly said.

Gun drawn, Edwards gave chase.

At the same time, three plainclothes officers in an unmarked car saw Edwards running down the street. The car made a U-turn, and one of the officers, a white cop with more than four years on the job, got out and fired six shots - hitting Edwards twice, once in the left arm and once in the chest, Kelly said.

Edwards did not fire his weapon.

Maalik Lane, 20, who was walking nearby, said suddenly he heard shots.

"More than five, boom, boom, boom, boom. Then there were just a lot of police blocking the streets."

Mayor Bloomberg, at a press conference at Harlem Hospital, said he expressed his sorrow to Edwards' wife.

"Nothing that you can ever say will bring back the deceased. He was there protecting the rest of us. We will find out what happened," Bloomberg said. "This is a tragedy. We'll see what we can learn from it."

Cops discovered Edwards was one of them when rescue crews cut open his shirt to treat the bleeding and saw a police academy shirt. They then searched his pockets and found his shield, sources said.

Investigators said the anti-crime cops arrested the car-theft suspect Goitia.

Edwards' mother said her son's dream was to be a cop.

"Ever since he was a little kid, he wanted to be a police officer. Something I didn't want, but it was his choice and he loved what he was doing. He loved helping other people," Harding said, noting she always worried about his safety.

My thoughts on this "accident":

I'm really over the idea that this could have been an accident. Too many fatalities are happening with the NYPD. I just find it very interesting that there has never been an "accident" like that where there's a reversal, meaning that I have yet to hear of a Black cop accidentally killing a white cop. It sickens me that people believe that racism and racial profiling no longer exist. Unfortunately for many people, I guess if they ignore the issue, they see it as irrelevant. Sometimes people only learn to care when it hits close to home. Whatever the case, or your opinion is, I believe that racism still does exist, and it's become more and more apparent with these cases. This case, in particular, has left a family in shambles...a newlywed, two young children, a son...they will never get over this, yet they're expected to because it was just an unfortunate "accident".

I've been following this story for the past couple of days, and one question continues to play over and over again. How was it that the shot that killed Omar Edwards was in the back? That means that he wasn't even facing the other cops when he died, although their "account" of the incident was different. Ok, maybe Omar should have stated that he was a cop. Maybe he should have just dropped his weapon. Whatever the case may be, Officer Edwards did NOT fire his weapon. I thought that cops were only supposed to shoot when their lives are in danger...a last resort. This case, to me, seems ruthless.

Reading articles about this, I see that they interviewed the homeless junkie that Edwards was chasing. Goita was attempting to steal a GPS system out of a car when Edwards spotted him. I don't trust Goita's story for a minute. Quite frankly, I think that someone threw him $50 to "recollect" his side of the story, which oddly enough doesn't match the evidence. Goita wasn't arrested...just questioned. And then, off to get high....

People wonder why I'm so wary of the cops. Honestly, it's because I see this happening every day. Not necessarily the murder, but the harassment, the skewed sense of power that they hold onto...playing God. I see the contrast in how people are treated when it comes to this. Call me jaded, negative, naive...whatever. This is my truth...so, let's take the rose tinted glasses off and see it for what it really is...murder.