Cop guilty of manslaughter in stairwell shooting

The chokehold death of Garner, an unarmed 43-year-old man, sparked street protests, a review of police procedures and calls for a federal civil rights investigation. On Monday, Liang testified in his own defense that his finger was on the side of weapon and not on the trigger when he took it out. Volpe ultimately plead guilty during the trial and is serving a 30-year federal prison term.

The seven men and five women of the jury reached their decision on their second full day of deliberations after requesting white boards and the NYPD’s firearm and tactics guide.

On Thursday, Peter Liang was convicted of manslaughter and official misconduct in the fatal shooting of Akai Gurley in 2014.

Scott Rynecki, attorney for Gurley’s domestic partner Kimberly Ballinger, said there is still more to be done.

A NY cop has been convicted of manslaughter after shooting an unarmed black man dead in 2014. He is scheduled to be sentenced April 14. Organisers had already called for a demonstration on Friday at police headquarters regardless of the jury’s decision.

Liang had been on the job only 11 months when the incident occurred during a routine patrol with his partner on November 20, 2014. Liang also was convicted of official misconduct, a misdemeanor.

He declined to comment as he left the courthouse after the verdict.

The verdict was announced Thursday night; soon after, the NYPD announced that Liang has officially been fired from the police force. The NYPD’s controversial Project Impact assigns rookie officers to foot patrol in higher crime precincts such as East New York. He faces internal disciplinary proceedings, but Gurley’s family said he should also be held accountable.

“I think it’s clear to you that he knew someone was there”, Assistant District Attorney Joseph Alexis said in his closing argument, adding that the shooting was “no accident”. Following the verdict, Liang was dismissed by the NYPD.

Some say, however, that the conviction will hamper the ability of police officers to do their work. The bullet ricocheted off a wall and struck Mr Gurley in the chest as he entered the stairwell on the floor below.

The key moment of the trial was perhaps the emotional testimony of Mr. Liang himself, who said he was startled when he heard a sound in the stairwell, causing him to flinch before his weapon fired. But he testified that he did not help Gurley’s girlfriend in efforts to revive him, saying he thought it was better to wait for paramedics.

Liang told jurors that he was distraught when he realized that his accidental shot had hit someone.

While Liang’s trial unfolded, two other NY police officers, Patrick Espeut and Diara Cruz, were shot and wounded during a similar stairwell patrol in a different public housing complex.