NYPD Sergeant Found Guilty of Manslaughter for Killing Man with Cooler in Bronx
A Bronx judge has delivered a verdict of guilty against an NYPD sergeant who was accused of manslaughter for killing a man by throwing a cooler at his head during an attempted drug bust. The incident occurred on August 23, 2023, when the sergeant, Erik Duran, and other narcotics officers were working undercover to arrest drug dealers in the Bronx.
According to prosecutors, Duran picked up a cooler filled with drinks and hurled it at Eric Duprey, who was fleeing on his motorbike. The force of the impact knocked Duprey off his scooter, causing him to crack open his head and die almost instantly. The prosecution argued that Duran had used excessive force in an attempt to salvage the botched arrest.
Duran's defense attorney argued that he made a split-second decision to protect himself and others, claiming that Duprey was going to drive his motorbike into officers or members of the public, "causing carnage." However, prosecutors countered that Duran had no right to use deadly physical force to stop and arrest Duprey.
The verdict has been hailed by advocates for police reform as a significant step towards accountability. The founders of Black Lives Matter Greater New York released a statement saying that the guilty verdict sends a message: "It draws a line." However, not everyone is celebrating, with some in law enforcement expressing outrage and claiming that the verdict is a miscarriage of justice.
Duran faces up to 15 years in prison for his role in Duprey's death. Sentencing is scheduled for March 19. The NYPD has already dismissed Duran from the force, as required by state law when a police officer is convicted of a felony.
A Bronx judge has delivered a verdict of guilty against an NYPD sergeant who was accused of manslaughter for killing a man by throwing a cooler at his head during an attempted drug bust. The incident occurred on August 23, 2023, when the sergeant, Erik Duran, and other narcotics officers were working undercover to arrest drug dealers in the Bronx.
According to prosecutors, Duran picked up a cooler filled with drinks and hurled it at Eric Duprey, who was fleeing on his motorbike. The force of the impact knocked Duprey off his scooter, causing him to crack open his head and die almost instantly. The prosecution argued that Duran had used excessive force in an attempt to salvage the botched arrest.
Duran's defense attorney argued that he made a split-second decision to protect himself and others, claiming that Duprey was going to drive his motorbike into officers or members of the public, "causing carnage." However, prosecutors countered that Duran had no right to use deadly physical force to stop and arrest Duprey.
The verdict has been hailed by advocates for police reform as a significant step towards accountability. The founders of Black Lives Matter Greater New York released a statement saying that the guilty verdict sends a message: "It draws a line." However, not everyone is celebrating, with some in law enforcement expressing outrage and claiming that the verdict is a miscarriage of justice.
Duran faces up to 15 years in prison for his role in Duprey's death. Sentencing is scheduled for March 19. The NYPD has already dismissed Duran from the force, as required by state law when a police officer is convicted of a felony.
! like, throwing a cooler at someone's head? that's not policing, that's plain ol' crazy 
! and for what? trying to stop some dude from fleeing on his scooter? come on, use your brain, not your strength 
! i mean, we all know the importance of de-escalation techniques in high-pressure situations, but apparently not our Sergeant Erik Duran 
. now he's gonna be spending 15 years in the can 
, which is a step in the right direction, imo 
. hope this verdict sends a strong message: excessive force won't fly in our society 
. On one hand, it's a huge relief that someone who took a human life was held accountable for their actions 
. I can totally see how Eric Duprey's actions were reckless and put himself and others at risk, but I also think the NYPD needs to take a hard look at its tactics and training 
. Throwing a cooler is just crazy talk 
, and it's lucky that no one else was hurt. The fact that Duran was let go from the force already shows that there are consequences for his actions 
. I hope the judge does what's best for Duprey's family and community, and also for the rest of us who trust our law enforcement to do their jobs safely 
.
. It's crazy to think about how fast things went down - one minute he's riding his motorbike, the next he's crushed by that cooler 
. The fact that Duran tried to justify his actions as a split-second decision just doesn't cut it in my book 
. I mean, come on, using excessive force like that is never okay 
. Kudos to the prosecutors for pushing through and making sure this guy gets held accountable 
! I mean, who throws a cooler at someone's head? That's just brutal 
. It's not like he was trying to stop him or anything, he literally just wanted to keep the arrest going and then boom, Duprey's lifeless 
. I'm glad they held Duran accountable for his actions though, it's about time someone faced consequences for using excessive force 
. The fact that some cops are mad about this verdict is wild too 
One minute he's riding his motorbike and the next he's dead because of some poor decision by that sergeant. 15 years in prison doesn't seem like enough considering how senseless it was all. And yeah, I can see why advocates for police reform are celebrating this guilty verdict - it does draw a line between what's acceptable and what's not. But at the same time, I feel bad for Duran's family too... he's gotta deal with the consequences of his actions now 
and I'm so down with the Black Lives Matter Greater New York statement 
it's about time we see some real change in our policing system 
15 years is a pretty harsh sentence, but I guess you gotta take away the badges when someone commits a felony like this 
.
. And honestly, 15 years in prison isn't enough time 
... but at least it's something. Fingers crossed that Duran gets the help he needs during his sentencing 
. But at the same time, I can understand why some people in law enforcement might be upset 
. It's a tough situation all around 
. That's the real justice here 
. We need more nuance here, more context. And can we please, for the love of all things good, focus on the real issue at hand: police accountability? 
This case may be a step towards that, but it's just one small piece in the puzzle. Let's not get too caught up in the outrage and celebratory nonsense 
wth is wrong with these ppl?! theyre meant to serve & protect but instead they just wanna hurt people? 
& now the guy gets 15 yrs in prison lol like that doesnt seem bad considering he took someones life 
. Cooler to the head = instant dead? 
What's goin on here? This guy gets a cooler and just throws it at some dude who's runnin down his scooter... no thinkin', no chill, straight up tryna take out the competition! 
