A New York Police sergeant has been found guilty of manslaughter for killing a man with a cooler in an attempted drug bust in August 2023. The defendant, Erik Duran, was convicted on Friday by a Bronx judge, not a jury.
According to the state's attorney general's office, Duran used excessive force during the arrest when he threw the cooler at Eric Duprey's head. Duprey died almost instantly after being hit. Duran's defense team argued that the sergeant made a split-second decision to protect himself and others, but prosecutors claimed he had no right to use deadly physical force.
The verdict comes with severe consequences for Duran. He has been dismissed from the NYPD department due to his conviction of a felony, as is required by state law. The Sergeants Benevolent Association has called the verdict a "miscarriage of justice" and claims that it sends a wrong message to hardworking cops.
Critics of the police say that the sentence does not bring Duprey back but still holds some significance: it draws a line between the actions taken by those wearing badges and the harm they cause. The New York Attorney General's office acknowledged this, saying that though the verdict cannot reverse Duprey's death, it brings justice to his memory.
The trial marked a significant moment in the investigation into killings by law enforcement. It is the first NYPD officer to stand trial for killing someone while on duty since at least 2021. Duran now faces five to 15 years in prison and has until March 19th for sentencing.
According to the state's attorney general's office, Duran used excessive force during the arrest when he threw the cooler at Eric Duprey's head. Duprey died almost instantly after being hit. Duran's defense team argued that the sergeant made a split-second decision to protect himself and others, but prosecutors claimed he had no right to use deadly physical force.
The verdict comes with severe consequences for Duran. He has been dismissed from the NYPD department due to his conviction of a felony, as is required by state law. The Sergeants Benevolent Association has called the verdict a "miscarriage of justice" and claims that it sends a wrong message to hardworking cops.
Critics of the police say that the sentence does not bring Duprey back but still holds some significance: it draws a line between the actions taken by those wearing badges and the harm they cause. The New York Attorney General's office acknowledged this, saying that though the verdict cannot reverse Duprey's death, it brings justice to his memory.
The trial marked a significant moment in the investigation into killings by law enforcement. It is the first NYPD officer to stand trial for killing someone while on duty since at least 2021. Duran now faces five to 15 years in prison and has until March 19th for sentencing.
it's crazy how a split-second decision can lead to someone's death, you know? i was watching the trial footage and it looked like duran was just so reckless with that cooler... like he didn't even think about what would happen if he threw it at duprey's head. anyway, i feel for duprey's family, they must be going through hell right now 
... I mean, I get why they gotta hold cops accountable, but at the same time, it's like, you can't bring back Eric Duprey, right? 
I guess what bothers me is when people say it's a "miscarriage of justice" and that it sets a bad precedent for cops... like, we can have better than this. We need to find ways to balance safety with accountability.
. Anything less feels like just another cop getting off scot-free 
.
that the judge didn't sentence him to life in prison, considering how reckless he was with Eric Duprey's life. I think it's a slap on the wrist all around - dismissing him from the NYPD is weak, and the max sentence of 15 years is far too lenient 
.
. Like, the fact that they're holding someone accountable for their actions on the job is already a step in the right direction, you know? 
It's like, we can't change the past, but we can make sure it doesn't happen again, right?
It's like, we need to be consistent with these efforts...
.
.
I think this verdict is a good starting point, but it's not like we're seeing real justice here 
. Erik Duran's actions were reckless and preventable, and the fact that he got off with just 5-15 years in prison seems way too lenient to me 
. I mean, you'd be lucky if someone didn't give you life for what they did to Eric Duprey 
. Like, come on guys - the fact that Duran got caught and held accountable is a good thing! It shows us that we value human life over police protection 
.
. We need to hold our law enforcement accountable for their actions, especially when it comes to excessive force 
.
. We need to make sure our officers know that they can't just use their power to take lives 
.
, and I'm still thinking about these delicious Korean BBQ tacos they had... I mean, have you ever tried bulgogi beef with kimchi slaw on a taco shell? Game changer! 
. There are still so many systemic issues that need to be addressed, like police reform and community trust 
. We need to keep pushing for real change, not just sympathy or empty apologies 
.
about this verdict... did you see that chart of NYPD officer fatalities in the US? 
It's like, every year we're losing someone due to excessive force... according to the NYT, there were 243 reported police killings between 2020-2022 alone 
. That's like 2 people dying EVERY DAY on average. It's heartbreaking 
. We need more accountability and transparency in law enforcement! 
it's just awful that a life was lost like that. The verdict might be seen as a big deal by some, but to me, it's just about keeping our communities safe without losing anyone else to unnecessary force 
. I get why the Sergeants Benevolent Association is upset, they do seem like good people trying to support their own 
, but at the same time, we need to make sure that those in power are held accountable for their actions 
, and it's not just about Erik Duprey's case, it's about setting a standard for how law enforcement should handle these situations 
I don't know how Erik's family is handling this but as for me, I'm just thinking about how much I wish we could go back in time and do things differently... 5-15 years is a long time for one mistake 
️! And yeah, the SBA is gonna try to spin this as some kind of "miscarriage of justice", but let's be real, it's just a case of someone getting outgunned (literally!) by the cops 
. But, yeah, the Sergeants Benevolent Association thinks this verdict is all wrong? That's just gonna perpetuate a culture of recklessness in law enforcement 
. Like, who needs training when you can just wing it? And now he's gonna spend some quality time in the slammer... I mean, not that I'm saying that's the worst place to be, but still. It's about time someone held those with power accountable for their actions 
. If Erik Duran thought he had to use deadly force to protect himself, maybe he should've considered de-escalating the situation instead of resorting to brute force 
. And let's be real, if the cops are gonna do the job right, someone's gotta be held to a higher standard