Three Years for a Cooler Toss

NYPD Sergeant headed to prison for a manslaughter conviction:

• A former NYPD sergeant was slapped with at least three years behind bars Thursday for killing a fleeing drug suspect by chucking a cooler at him — as police advocates ripped the Bronx judge’s sentencing decision as “one of the darkest days in the history of our profession.”

  Ex-Sgt. Erik Duran — the first NYPD officer convicted of killing someone while on duty in a decade — begged Judge Guy Mitchell to give him “a chance” as he apologized to the family of 30-year-old Eric Duprey, a delivery driver with a criminal record who crashed as he fled arrest during a 2023 sting operation.  

  “Your honor, I am asking for a chance to be there with my kids. I am asking for a chance, just one,” pleaded Duran, a 38-year-old married dad of three who served on the police force for 13 years. 

  But while the judge conceded that he did find Duran to be “remorseful,” he argued the sentence of 3-to-9 years in state prison would serve as a “general deterrent” to other police officers.

The "deterrence" is going to be even more police disengagement across New York City at a time when they can ill afford it.

Was this a smart move? No, not really. 

But was there an intent to use the cooler as "deadly force"? Not even close. The sergeant was just trying to trip up a fleeing felon who was driving a motorbike ON THE SIDEWALK in an attempt to flee a felony drug charge. 

Reversible judicial error? Perhaps. But we also might not have put our trust in the bench trial, especially after New Yorkers proved themselves somewhat sane (and growing intolerant of lib-tarded policy) after acquitting the former-Marine of killing that psychotic homeless asshole who was threatening subway riders.

Going to rough in the meantime.