Police brutality has dominated mainstream media following the 2014 execution of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. Since, there’s been an influx of black men murdered by police and their stories subsequently covered in media. These are murders that the general public ought to be informed of but are seemingly hand-picked leaving others in the shadows, avoided and obscured.

In the very same week as Alton Sterling and Philando Castile’s murders by law enforcement, 37-year-old Delrawn Small was killed by Officer Wayne Isaacs of the NYPD. The shooting was captured on a nearby surveillance camera showing the victim approaching the off-duty officer’s car and moments later, stumbling away from the vehicle and falling to the ground. The entire incident occurred afront Mr. Smalls’ family.

The shooting, according to Officer Isaacs, was in response to Smalls approaching his vehicle and repeatedly punching him in the head. The motive behind the supposed altercation has not been uncovered and as we’ve seen in so many other similar cases, the officer was placed on paid leave.

It’s tragic to see police officers abruptly taking the lives of individuals and predictably asserting the “fear for my life” narrative in an attempt to protect themselves. Even more tragic is their most important duty-to protect and serve-being substituted for the preservation of their own livelihoods.

This shooting is just as worthy of national media coverage as the others we’ve seen as of late. It shows that there may be something more sinister at play in our police departments, a culture of superiority that ought be addressed just as we’ve addressed and continue to discuss racism.

A Black Lives Matter rally was held by Smalls’ nephew, Zayanahla Vines, shortly after his death. Upon being asked what justice he wished to achieve for his uncle’s death he answered, “Throw [Isaacs] in jail, just like you would throw me in jail if I did that”. This is where I’m afraid the greatest disparity lies between public servants and citizens. Justice for the latter may be too large a request even in the case of unwarranted death.