Brooklyn, NY – The president of the union representing New York City police officers says a jury came to the “absolutely wrong decision” when they convicted an officer of manslaughter in the shooting death of a man in a darkened stairwell of a public housing building.
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Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association President Patrick Lynch says the Thursday evening verdict in Peter Liang’s trial was a “bad verdict” that will have a “chilling effect” on officers nationwide. He says 28-year-old Akai Gurley’s death was a tragedy, not a crime.
The rookie officer was patrolling the stairwell with his gun drawn in 2014 when he fired and struck Gurley. Prosecutors said Liang’s actions were reckless.
Liang was also convicted of official misconduct.
He declined to comment as he left the courthouse after the verdict.
He left the courthouse? They let him go home till sentencing???
The man is right. What a tragic verdict ..for civilized mankind.
The youngster had his weapon out and leveled in front of him as he wandered around a staircase. He was aiming at …. apparently nothing. When he shot the man, his first reaction was to speed-dial the union.
Would the police let me go if I killed a policeman when my gun just went off on its own as I walked around with it pointed in random directions?
Justice was served; these rogue cops are not above the law. To #2 - If it was a frum Jew who was killed by that reckless cop, your opinion would be the complete opposite.
It was a tragedy….His biggest fault wasn’t calling for help to perform CPR.
But 15 years is too much, I think 2-5 is more just.
To:#5-There is a cop from the 70th Precinct in Brooklyn, who is serving a 30 years sentence, for shoving a broom up a prisoner’s rear end. The cop has already served 16 years, and is not scheduled for release for at least ten more years (four years off for good behavior). The latter cop tortured a man, whom he thought had punched him. Hence, if that cop can receive close to thirty years for torturing a prisoner, there is no reason why that reckless housing cop can’t do up to fifteen years, for killing a man, because of his recklessness. If a citizen killed a cop in the same manner, the PBA would be screaming for blood. Unfortunately, many of these cops think that they are above the law.