Task force: Race a factor in 'friendly fire'

A governor's task force formed after a black New York City officer was killed by another officer last year has concluded that racial bias is a consistent factor in simulated "friendly fire" scenarios, backing up statistics that show policemen of color are more at risk of being shot by other officers.

The analysis of officer-on-officer shootings nationwide began after the deaths of New York Police Department Officer Omar Edwards, who was shot while chasing a suspect in Harlem last year, and Mount Vernon Officer Christopher Ridley, who was killed in 2008.

The report released yesterday recommends that police departments make scenario-based training mandatory and expand diversity training to draw on the experiences of officers who have been mistaken for offenders, among others.

The recommendations "are worthy of consideration by police agencies nationwide," said Police Commissioner Ray Kelly in a statement. Gov. David A. Paterson called the report "groundbreaking work" and pledged to consider adopting its recommendations in the coming weeks.

"We're going to be looking at it very closely, and if there is anything that should be adopted ... it will be," said Suffolk Police Commissioner RichardDormer.

The task force's report states that 10 of 14 officers killed in such incidents since 1995 were officers of color; nine of 10 officers killed while off-duty by fellow policemen since 1981 were black or Latino. The last fatal shooting of a white off-duty officer by another officer was in 1982.