Dear Editor: These incidents are tragic because they are so avoidable. Mr. Carr was killed by another male black while participating in a protest/riot over a recent shooting of a black suspect by the police in Charlotte, S.C. The police shot and killed a convicted felon with a stolen gun who posed an immediate threat.

Those protesting that and similar incidents should choose their battles wisely. The mantra of “Hands up, don’t shoot” (referring to the Ferguson shooting) was chanted over and over again at the protests. Those words and actions in Ferguson never happened as revealed by AG Eric Holder’s investigation. Yet, the crowds have adopted it as their slogan.

Sadly, the anti-police narrative began early in the Obama Administration. The president’s comments about the Cambridge Police Department’s confrontation with his friend Skip Gates were premature and certainly not helpful.

Unfortunately, he has made similar anti-police remarks since then continuing the false narrative that the police are killing young black men at an alarming rate. The truth is that the police shoot and kill more white suspects than any other race by a very large margin.

PAUL MURPHY

Dyker Heights

Editor’s Note: Paul Murphy is a retired Lieutenant of the New York City Police Department.