NEW YORK (AP) — A spokesman for the New York Police Department says an officer convicted of fatally shooting a man in a darkened stairwell of a public housing building has been fired.
Spokesman Peter Donald says Peter Liang (lee-ANGZ) was dismissed from the police force after the verdict was delivered Thursday evening.
Liang was convicted of manslaughter and official misconduct in connection with the death of 28-year-old Akai Gurley.
But an uncertainty remains: Brooklyn state Supreme Court Danny Chun has yet to rule on Liang’s lawyers’ request to dismiss the charges. They made it before the verdict.
The rookie officer was patrolling the stairwell with his gun drawn in 2014 when he fired.
Prosecutors said Liang was reckless and did little to help Gurley.
The 28-year-old Liang said he fired by accident after a noise startled him. His lawyers argued it was a tragedy, not a crime.
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7 p.m.
A New York City police officer who shot an unarmed man in a pitch-dark public housing stairway has been convicted of manslaughter.
Jurors delivered their verdict Thursday in Officer Peter Liang’s (lee-ANGZ) trial. It’s been closely watched by advocates for police accountability.
The rookie officer was patrolling the stairwell with his gun drawn in 2014 when he fired. The bullet ricocheted off a wall and hit 28-year-old Akai (ah-KEYE’) Gurley on a lower floor.
Prosecutors said Liang handled his gun recklessly and did almost nothing to help Gurley.
The 28-year-old Liang said he fired by accident after a noise startled him. 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.
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5 p.m.
Jurors deliberating the fate of a rookie New York City police officer who fatally shot an innocent man in a dark public housing stairwell have asked for white boards and the departmental firearms guide.
The jury made the request Thursday in the second full day of deliberations at the manslaughter trial of Officer Peter Liang (lee-ANG’).
Liang says he accidentally fired the gun after being startled by a noise while patrolling the stairwell in 2014. Prosecutors say he was reckless and did little to help the dying victim, Akai (ah-KEYE’) Gurley.
Gurley was taking the stairs with his girlfriend instead of waiting for an elevator.
Liang faces up to 15 years in prison if he’s convicted of manslaughter and other charges.
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