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A FORMER NYPD officer convicted in the accidental shooting death of an unarmed man in a darkened stairwell was spared prison time today, and a judge reduced his manslaughter conviction to a lesser charge.
Peter Liang was sentenced to five years’ probation and 800 hours of community service in the 2014 shooting of Akai Gurley, who was walking down a stairway in a public housing complex when the rookie officer fired a bullet into the dark — by accident after being startled, he said. The bullet ricocheted and killed Gurley, 28.
“Given the defendant’s background and how remorseful he is, it would not be necessary to incarcerate the defendant to have a just sentence in this case,” Brooklyn state Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun said in sentencing Liang, also 28.
A jury had convicted him in February of a manslaughter charge carrying up to 15 years in prison. But Chun reduced the offense to criminally negligent homicide, which carries up to four years in prison.
Liang, speaking softly, said he never meant to fire the gun and apologised to Gurley’s family.
“My life is forever changed,” he added. “I hope you give me a chance to rebuild it.”
Liang was the first New York City police officer convicted in an on-duty shooting since 2005, and the verdict prompted an outpouring of demonstrations on both sides of a closely watched case. The shooting happened in a year of debate nationwide about police killings of black men. Gurley was black; Liang is Chinese-American.
As the sentencing approached, dozens of demonstrators gathered outside the courthouse — some supporting Liang, others the Gurley family.
Brooklyn prosecutors had recommended Liang serve no time, based on his record and the circumstances of the trial.
“As a result of this conviction, Peter Liang will never be a police officer again,” Brooklyn Assistant District Attorney Joe Alexis told the judge. “He’s not someone who needs to be locked up to protect society.”
Some members of Gurley’s family had said they felt betrayed by prosecutors’ recommendation and had hoped Chun would sentence Liang to prison anyway.
“On that night, because of the recklessness of that night, I’m without my partner, our daughter is without her father, a mom is without her son,” Gurley’s domestic partner, Kim Ballinger, said in court.
Gurley’s girlfriend, Melissa Butler, who was with him when he died, told Liang: “When you stole Akai’s life, you stole mine as well.”
After hearing the sentence, Gurley’s relatives wept and hugged outside the courthouse.
“There’s no justice. Akai Gurley’s life does not matter. Black lives do not matter,” said his aunt, Hertensia Petersen. But, she vowed, “justice will be served, one way or the other.”
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Although there is much disproportionate and excessive force used by US police on occasions, this seems like a situation of genuine accident from an inexperienced police officer. It was an absence of malice. It was a terribly tragic accident.
That’s right. He never meant to harm anybody by shooting his gun in the dark. That man probably jumped in the way of the bullet.
Your account is inconsistent with the reported known facts. You need to contact the investigators with your new information.
I knew the officer wasn’t white since it wasn’t mentioned in the headline.
Girlfriend and domestic partner. Players gonna play
When an unjust death occurs it’s a tragedy. The question is always intent. No idea on the background here but if a bullet ricochets???!
Why do the family think he shot gurley because he was black?
Because the only reason a black person ever ever gets shot by a cop in the US is because the cops are racist.. even if the officer himself is black. Black people, by virtue of their skin color, are always innocent or simply in the wrong place at the wrong time….or evidence was planted.. or the forensics are lying..
@Paddy
Indeed, I actually think it’s more racist to be of the opinion that black people can’t control or be accountable for their own actions than admitting that they committed a crime. Imagine being black and being patronised constantly, people telling you how nothing bad that happens to you can be your fault. It’s just a charade to get rid of white guilt.
Too many people see prison as solely a tool for punishment and vengeance. It’s not just about that as this case shows. This was an accident, the man is remorseful and is no threat to society. This was an appropriate sentence given the circumstances.
So so shocking. ..black people never use guns but they are constantly used against them by the obviously racist police
This was no accident. He simply put down an innocent man like a dog. Hopefully he’ll be arrested again & found guilty that lands him in jail for life….
Thosj. He fired into a dark hallway and the bullet did not strike him directly but ricocheted and struck the victim. For your claim that he “put an down innocent man like a dog” he would have had to deliberately aimed directly at the deceased. As the hallway was in darkness he could not have seen the deceased to aim at him.
That dude is Neo ID he can kill someone intentionally by ricochet.
*if*
Moronic comment Thosj
I was wondering why they had a jury convict him of manslaughter only to be overruled by the Judge? Why have a jury in the first place.
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