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Wake Held For Slain NYPD Officer

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Jun 2, 2009 8:16 pm US/Eastern

Wake Held For Slain NYPD Officer

Racial Overtones Set Aside As Friends, Family Come To Mourn

Reporting
Sean Hennessey

NEW YORK (CBS) ―

Click to enlarge 1 of 5: Officer Omar Edwards, 25, was an NYPD officer for two years before being gunned down by a fellow officer on May 28, 2009.
CBS
Click to enlarge 2 of 5: A neighbor of fallen NYPD officer Omar J. Edwards talks to CBS 2 HD after hearing news of the 25-year-old's death.
CBS
Click to enlarge 3 of 5: Commissioner Raymond Kelly said 25-year-old, off-duty police officer Omar J. Edwards died after being shot within blocks of the Harlem police station on Thursday night.
CBS
Click to enlarge 4 of 5: Officer Omar Edwards, 25, was an NYPD officer for two years before being gunned down by a fellow officer on May 28, 2009.
CBS
Click to enlarge 5 of 5: Officer Omar Edwards (right) seen in this photograph with his wife.
CBS

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numSlides of totalImages

Tributes, Remembrances Pour In For Slain NYPD Cop
(6/1/2009)
Wake To Be Held For NYPD Officer Edwards
(6/2/2009)
Paterson, Sharpton Reach Out To Slain Cop's Family
(6/1/2009)
Calls For Inquiry, Reform Grow After NYPD Shooting
(5/31/2009)
Heartfelt Tributes Held For Slain NYPD Cop
(6/1/2009)
NYC Mayor On Rangel's Obama Remarks: 'Plain Wrong'
(6/1/2009)
Vigil Planned For Slain Off-Duty Brooklyn Cop
(5/30/2009)

There were tears and tributes in Brooklyn on Tuesday night for a New York City police officer killed by a fellow cop. Hundreds were attending a wake for Officer Omar Edwards, gunned down while chasing a suspect last week.

A line of mourners came to say goodbye to an officer taken away in the prime of life. Edwards was just 25-years-old, a two-year member of the NYPD, and was recently married.

"He's a wonderful man. It's a sad thing that this has to happen. I'm very sorry," said Evekyn Patterson, a member of Edwards' church.

It was a day for the NYPD, with every shield draped in black; a time when his brothers in blue and those Edwards knew came to honor the father of two, whose wife came with the two boys now without a father.

"I have young kids too and this is a kid. It could be one of my kids too, so I come to pay my respects to the family," said mourner Norma Harris.

There were flowers from the housing bureau, Edwards' last post before he died. Members from the department's football team came and brought their teammate's jersey while friends came wearing his picture.

"It's just a tragedy all around. Good man, good family man, good guy doing the right thing. Horrible set of circumstances," said Father James Sweeney of Our Lady of Presentation Church.

Edwards was killed Thursday night in East Harlem by fellow officer Andrew Dunton. Edwards had just gotten off work and was chasing someone who had broken into his car. Police say his service weapon was drawn when he was approached by undercover cops, who shouted for him to drop the weapon. He didn't and instead turned with his gun. Six shots rang out, three hitting the young officer and killing him.

The racial overtones of a white cop accidentally killing a black one were set aside as a community came together to say goodbye.

The department is in the middle of reminding its force the steps to take to avoid further incidents similar to this latest case that the force hopes is the last.

There will be another wake for Edwards on Wednesday. His funeral is scheduled for Thursday.

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