NYPD sergeant faces sentencing after manslaughter conviction for hurling cooler at suspect
NYPD Sgt. Erik Duran faces sentencing Thursday after he was convicted of manslaughter for throwing a cooler at a fleeing suspect who later died.
He was found guilty in February for the 2023 death of Eric Duprey.
Duran, 38, faces up to 15 years in prison.
Deadly NYPD encounter
On Aug. 23 2023, Duprey sold drugs to an undercover officer in the Bronx, then fled on a motorized scooter when officers tried to arrest him, police said.
According to authorities, Duprey was traveling at 30 mph, driving on the sidewalk and not wearing a helmet.
Video shows Duran throwing a picnic cooler at Duprey's head as he flees. Duprey then swerves and slides under a vehicle.
Duprey, 30, died from blunt force trauma to the head.
Duran was suspended after the incident and later charged with manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide.
Manslaughter trial
During his testimony, Duran said he was worried Duprey was going to crash into other officers and was trying to protect them by throwing the cooler at Duprey.
Prosecutors argued Duran was trying to "save an arrest," not lives, and called his actions "reckless, unreasonable [and] unnecessary."
Duran was convicted after a bench trial, meaning there was no jury and the judge rendered the verdict.
The criminally negligent homicide charge was waived.
