For those of you that don’t know or still haven’t heard: Peter Liang was charged, and convicted, for second degree manslaughter and police misconduct due to the jury’s belief that he was reckless in his accidental shooting of Akai Gurley, an innocent civilian who was killed when Liang’s bullet ricochetedoff a wall and struck him in the heart. It is uncontested that this event was a terrible accident, and an absolute tragedy.

I could not be more upset to hear of another loss of a black life at the hands of the police, but here’s something that gets me heated: Peter’s case has been compared to the numerous instances that have been popping up around the country regarding police brutality. To me, Peter Liang’s actions should not and cannot be regarded in the same light as the officers who have used excessive force.

It’s scary to me that, especially with these continued comparisons, Liang’s conviction has and will satisfy and appease people who have been outraged by the lack of police accountability. I have already seen several articles, such as this one from the New York Daily News,highlighting the case in a way that describes Peter Liang as an officer finally being held accountable for a black victim’s death, and that the jury is finally demanding change. This is absolutely unacceptable and a distraction from the police officers who truly need to be held accountable. He should not be scapegoated for the terrible crimes that so many police officers, including his fellow NYPD Police Officers, have committed.

I shared on my Facebook post earlier this week, Jess Fong explains that she and the thousands of protesters standing in support behind her, recognize that the system is unjust and that Liang’s sentencing should be proportionate to his actions rather than the “sins of a nation”. She also describes their support for and belief that Black Lives Matter, and how she feels truly sorry for the tragedy of Akai Gurley’s death. I am someone who is also deeply pained by the treatment of black lives in this country, especially at the hands of police; watching Eric Garner’s death made me queasy and outraged, as did hearing the news of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, and countless other individuals whose stories may never reach mainstream media. As my close friends and family can attest to, I more than anyone, want justice and to witness the police being held accountable for excessive force and brutality.

Let me reiterate: Peter Liang’s case was not one of excessive force. The situation was a complete tragedy, and he may not have handled the situation well (prosecutors believed he should have started CPR immediately) once he realized what had happened (his partner testified he fell to the ground crying), but this is not an example of a cop abusing power.

Abuse of power is a police man forcibly pushing a man’s face into the ground when he is not resisting arrest. Abuse of power is choking a man for longer than is necessary. Abuse of power is not providing relief and ignoring several gasps of “I can’t breathe”. Regardless of whether you believe a choke hold is a form of excessive force, it is an action thatis banned by the NYPD and should not have been used in the first place.

I continue to contrast the tragedy of Eric Garner with Akai Gurley because unlike Peter Liang, Daniel Pantaleo, the police officer who put Garner in a chokehold, was able to keep his job. Pantaleo, though reassigned, was not immediately fired or dismissed for his actions. Unlike Liang, who felt poorly trained for CPR as a rookie officer, Pantaleo had been on the force for four years and did not attempt to resuscitate Garner after he suffered a heart attack. The fact that Pantaleo had no way of knowing for sure that Garner had gone into cardiac arrest is inextricably linked to the fact that he did not check Garner’s pulse before emergency response arrived minutes later. If Liang’s lack of CPR action led to his misconduct, I have no reasonable explanation as to why Pantaleo (or any of the other numerous officers at the scene) was not charged for misconduct and/or negligence.

Future members of the jury, please educate yourself. Do not contribute to an unjust and oppressive system. Be aware of racial biases and perceptions, and work to fight them rather than ignore them. Yes, you can believe that Peter Liang deserved five to 15 years in prison for his mistake. But if you think this isn’t an example of two men (Gurley and Liang) becoming victims to a racially prejudiced criminal justice system, think again.