A police officer expressed remorse for causing the death of a man before being handed a prison sentence today.
Erik Duran threw a cooler full of drinks and ice at Eric Duprey, causing the 30-year-old to crash his motorized scooter into a tree in the Bronx, New York City. Mr. Duprey, who was not wearing a helmet, sustained a fatal head injury at the scene.
Prosecutors revealed that Duran, 38, threw the cooler in anger after Mr. Duprey fled during a police operation. Duran, a married father of three and a former sergeant with the New York City Police Department (NYPD), was found guilty of manslaughter. He was sentenced to three to nine years in prison after apologizing to the victim’s family in court.
Duran admitted feeling remorseful for the incident, stating that he never intended for harm to come to Mr. Duprey. Despite his defense that he was trying to protect fellow officers from the oncoming scooter, the judge deemed his actions unjustified, emphasizing that Duran acted out of anger.
During the sentencing, a woman in the gallery exclaimed, “Nobody’s above the law,” reflecting the sentiment of Mr. Duprey’s family present at the hearing. Pearl Velez, the victim’s partner, expressed her refusal to accept Duran’s apology.
The defense argued against imprisonment for Duran, citing the tragic outcome of a split-second decision on August 23, 2023. They portrayed Duran as a law-abiding individual who aspired to improve his community through his service in the NYPD.
The Sergeants Benevolent Association, representing Duran, rallied support to spare him from prison, with their president lamenting the impact of the sentence on law enforcement officers. The verdict, he claimed, instilled in officers the fear of losing their freedom while carrying out their duties.
