Jury Finds NYPD Cop Guilty Of Manslaughter In Shooting Of Innocent Man

The NYPD fired a second officer in connection with Peter Liang’s conviction Thursday of manslaughter in the 2014 death of an unarmed East New York man during a routine patrol.

Peter Liang now faces up to 15 years in prison for the death of Akai Gurley, a 28-year-old father who was struck in the chest by a bullet that ricocheted off the wall in the stairwell of a Brooklyn public housing project.

Police officer Peter Liang reacts as the verdict is read during his trial on charges in the shooting death of Akai Gurley, Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016 at Brooklyn Supreme court in NY in New York.

Gurley’s family and friends expressed gratitude after the conviction.

Liang was found guilty of the most serious charge, and according to the Washington Post was sacked from the department. He acknowledged not helping Gurley’s girlfriend try to revive him, but Liang explained he thought it was wiser to wait for professional medical aid.

The shocking verdict was a powerful message from the jury that the public’s opinion on police killings has radically changed in the wake of Eric Garner, Walter Scott, Michael Brown and other tragedies around the country. NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton immediately declared the shooting an accident, and called Gurley a “total innocent”.

“We have to work constantly to do them the right way, and that means in a way that’s respectable to the residents of that development, in a way that is communicative, and understands the needs of the development”, Mr.de Blasio said, explaining how vertical patrols would work under his new model.

Prosecutors said Liang’s actions were reckless.

Liang, who cried on the stand, testified that his finger was on the side of his drawn pistol as he entered the stairwell. A grand jury declined to prosecute the officer.

Two high-profile deaths of unarmed black men at the hands of police in the summer of 2014 sparked mass protests against police tactics and accusations of racism.

Prosecutors said Liang handled his gun recklessly, must have realized from the noise that someone was nearby and did nearly nothing to help Gurley.

“We went through testimonies of both Liang and Landau, and we went through testimonies from the experts of the police department and witnesses and we went through the laws that the judge presented to us”, Screen said.

Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson said the Liang verdict had nothing to do with those other cases.

Internal disciplinary proceedings were initiated against Liang’s partner, who was not charged criminally and testified in the case.

“What we are saying, and what we said in this case, is that we have to have police officers who follow the training they’re given”, he added.