Politics on the Hudson

Gov. David Paterson has created a task force to “examine the issues and implications arising from police-on-police shootings and confrontations, especially between on-duty and off-duty officers and between officers of different races, nationalities and ethnicities, and how to prevent such incidents in the future.”

Presumably the cases the task force will review will include that of Christopher Ridley, 23, an off-duty Mount Vernon officer who was shot as he struggled with a mugger in downtown White Plains on Jan. 25, 2008. The Journal News gave this account in a recent story of what happened: “Authorities say Ridley’s gun went off and four county police officers fired on him after he failed to respond to orders to put the gun down. A Westchester grand jury cleared the officers of any criminal wrongdoing.” More recently, the list has included the death of New York City Police Detective Omar Edwards.

From the governor’s news release: “The Task Force will examine police-on-police shootings across the State of New York specifically examining how training, tactics, policies and procedures, technology and equipment, and sociological and psychological factors may contribute to such shootings and confrontations. Members of the Task Force will solicit the input of a broad and diverse range of contributors including law enforcement officials, community representatives, scholars and other relevant experts.

Its final report is due six months from when it begins work. Read the executive order here.