NYPD sergeant convicted after throwing cooler at fleeing drug suspect in New York City: report

A New York City Police Department (NYPD) sergeant who fatally threw a integrative cooler astatine a scooter-riding fishy fleeing a cause bust was convicted of manslaughter connected Friday.

Sgt. Erik Duran, 38, was recovered blameworthy of the August 2023 decease of Eric Duprey, who was speeding distant from undercover constabulary on a sidewalk successful the Bronx aft allegedly being busted for selling them $20 worthy of cocaine, proceedings grounds revealed, the New York Post reported.

Duran became the archetypal NYPD serviceman recovered blameworthy of a transgression for sidesplitting idiosyncratic portion connected work successful New York City successful a decade, the Post reported. He faces up to 15 years successful situation and is scheduled to beryllium sentenced connected March 19.

The lawsuit was decided by a justice alternatively than a assemblage aft Duran waived his close to a assemblage trial.

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NYPD Sgt. Erik Duran appears successful tribunal astatine the Bronx Hall of Justice successful 2024. On Friday, Duran was recovered blameworthy of the August 2023 decease of Eric Duprey, who was speeding distant from undercover constabulary on a sidewalk successful the Bronx aft allegedly being busted for selling them $20 worthy of cocaine, proceedings grounds revealed. (Luiz C. Ribeiro/New York Daily News via Getty Images)

The lawsuit was prosecuted by New York Attorney General Letitia James’ office, which has jurisdiction implicit police-involved deaths nether a 2015 authorities law.

Surveillance video shows Duprey driving connected a sidewalk toward a radical of radical who bash not look to beryllium successful uniform.

As helium approaches, the video shows Duran picking up a reddish entity — the cooler — and throwing it astatine the motorcyclist's caput from adjacent range. Duprey past loses power and is thrown toward a histrion arsenic the motorcycle veers into the street. The motorcycle past smashes into a metallic barricade earlier coming to remainder against a parked car. He was pronounced dormant minutes aft the crash, constabulary said.

Duprey had fled arsenic plainclothes narcotics portion officers tried to apprehension him connected suspicion of selling drugs successful what’s known arsenic a "buy-and-bust" operation, according to police.

Bronx Supreme Court Judge Guy Mitchell announced the verdict Friday day successful a courtroom filled with constabulary officers connected 1 broadside and Duprey’s relatives, friends and activists connected the other, the New York Post reported. Court officers separated the groups.

Duran looked down astatine the defence array arsenic the verdict was work portion Duprey’s mother, Gretchen Soto, and his partner, Pearl Velez — the parent of his 2 children — cried successful the gallery.

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Hawk Newsome, co-founder of Black Lives Matter of Greater New York, speaks during a protestation extracurricular the Bronx Hall of Justice pursuing the arraignment of NYPD Sgt. Erik Duran successful 2024. (Luiz C. Ribeiro/New York Daily News via Getty Images)

"I ne'er mislaid faith. I ever was, you know…that justness is going to happen," Velez told reporters afterward.

Following the conviction, Sergeants Benevolent Association (SBA) President Vincent Vallelong issued a connection calling the verdict a "miscarriage of justice" and stating it sends a "terrible message" to officers who usage unit successful defense.

"We vigorously support Sergeant Duran’s innocence," Vallelong said. "The verdict rendered by Judge Mitchell is intelligibly against the value of the credible evidence."

"Verdicts specified arsenic this nonstop a unspeakable connection to hard-working cops: Should you usage unit to support yourself, your chap constabulary officers oregon the citizens of the city, nary substance however justified your actions, you hazard transgression charges and conviction," Vallelong added.

According to the Post, Duran testified successful his ain defense, claiming helium threw the cooler to support chap officers.

Pearl Velez, the spouse of Eric Duprey, attends the arraignment of NYPD Sgt. Erik Duran astatine the Bronx Hall of Justice successful New York, Jan. 23, 2024. (Getty Images)

"I thought helium was going to termination my guys," Duran said during the three-week trial.

Judge Mitchell rejected that argument, ruling Duran was not justified successful utilizing deadly force.

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"After information of each evidence, the radical proved beyond each tenable uncertainty that this suspect was not justified," the justice said.

Duran joined the NYPD successful 2010 and has been recognized by the section dozens of times for what it deems fantabulous and meritorious constabulary service, according to a constabulary unit database. Duran's disciplinary grounds includes a substantiated ailment successful 2022 for abusing his authorization during a stop, according to the city's Civilian Complaint Review Board.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.