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I was visiting New York last week, to say hello to some old friends. While I was there, I sat back and reminisced with folks, caught up on all the latest happenings and was even able to make some new friends in the process.

I also heard a story that was sad and arguably all too common when it comes to stories involving the police and communities of color in New York.

Off-duty police officer Omar Edwards approached his vehicle Thursday night to find someone breaking into it. In plain clothes, he ran after the burglar with his gun drawn. Officer Edwards was black.

As he ran down the street, an unmarked police crime unit spotted Edwards. One of the officers from the mobile unit, who is white, got out of the car and fired his gun at Edwards.

Shots were fired from this officer's gun six times, leaving Edwards hit three times. Officer Edwards died an hour later at Harlem Hospital from the gunshots. His gun was never fired in the incident.

Some are concerned that race may have been an issue in the shooting, while others are calling this a case of friendly fire.

No one knows if either Officer Edwards or Andrew Dutton, the officer from the mobile unit, announced themselves as police officers. An investigation is currently underway to determine whether or not proper protocol was used in the incident. Al Sharpton, a man all too familiar with incidents such as these, has called for an independent federal investigation on the matter.

Being in New York again brought back a lot of memories for me, but this is one memory that I'd rather soon forget.