Jun 6, 2009 9:09 am US/Eastern
Paterson To Order Friendly Fire Commission In NY
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
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Hundreds of New York City police officers lined the streets outside a Brooklyn church for the funeral of Officer Omar Edwards on June 4, 2009.
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Officer Omar Edwards, 25, was an NYPD officer for two years before being gunned down by a fellow officer on May 28, 2009.
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At his funeral in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, Omar Edwards' partner, Officer Michael Muskin was confronted with the painful reality of his loss.
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Governor David Paterson was planning to appoint a commission to investigate all friendly fire incidents between police officers statewide.
Paterson also said he'll support an independent investigation into the shooting of Officer Edwards if he receives sufficient information that one is needed.
"I will not close the door to that. I'll take that under advisement, but right now I will rely on the District Attorney of New York County Robert Morgenthau, and the Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly," he said.
The NYPD was looking into a high tech system that would allow officers' guns to recognize each other.
Edwards was killed by another cop who thought he was an armed criminal.
Mayor Bloomberg announced Edwards was promoted to detective first grade. His widow and two children will now have better death benefits. The promotion is retroactive to May 28 -- the day he was shot.
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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