On April 19th, a New York State Supreme Court in Brooklyn sentenced former NYPD officer Peter Liang to five years of probation for the shooting of unarmed Black man Akai Gurley. Liang said his finger was never on the trigger, but prosecutors dispute that saying pressure must be applied for the bullet to discharge. [26] His lawyers submitted an appeal to Judge Danny Chun while Liang remained free without bail. It was frustrating to the utmost extent, which is why I never even came near to one of those protests. 027-86699610 58377363@163.com qq3310059649 — -- A former New York City police officer who shot an unarmed man to death won't face any jail time after a judge today reduced his manslaughter conviction to criminally negligent homicide. During the trial, Liang and his partner said they did not really learn CPR in the academy even though they were certified. . Actor Kenny Leu ( Midway) leads the movie A Shot Through the Wall, inspired by the story of former New York City police officer Peter Liang, who was convicted of criminally negligent homicide in 2016 after killing unarmed Akai Gurley at a Brooklyn housing project, when a bullet from Liang's gun . Still, building trust in her own community wasnt easy. Peter Liang. [32][33][34], New York City Police Commissioner Bill Bratton declared the shooting to be an accident and that Gurley was a "total innocent. AsAmNews has Asian America in its heart. Officer Liang is awaiting sentencing, but, as with any defendant convicted of manslaughter by a firearm, Officer Liang should serve prison time. See Rivkah Reyes Now At 30. Alexander Leissle. Peter Yew was a 27-year-old engineer who, in 1975, was brutally beaten by police officers in Manhattan's Chinatown, when he attempted to intervene after he saw them beating a 15-year-old kid whom. The documentary had its national television debut on PBS Independent Lens April 12 and remains available for streaming for free until May 11 and on the PBS video app. Peter Liang Won't See Jail Time as Manslaughter Charge Reduced, who said he didnt feel qualified to administer CPR, Ex-Cop Peter Liang Apologizes to Akai Gurley's Domestic Partner in Meeting, a judge reduced Liang's manslaughter conviction, who apologized to Ballinger for shooting Gurle. She persevered because she saw this as an important moment in Asian American history which would remain pivotal years from now. ", "Chinese social media platform plays a role in U.S. rallies for NYPD officer", "Peter Liang To Be Sentenced Tuesday for Manslaughter Conviction", "NYPD cop Peter Liang gets community service for killing Akai Gurley", "Bratton: Fatal Police-Involved Shooting of Unarmed Man at Brooklyn Housing Complex 'Unfortunate Tragedy', "Man killed by NYPD rookie planned to surprise mom in Florida", "Residents of Brooklyn Housing Project Stay Wary After Officer Is Indicted", "Living in fear at the dark & deadly hellhole houses", "Akai Gurley's Death Shines Harsh Light On Vertical Patrols In Public Housing", "In Tears On Stand, NYPD Cop Recalls Fatal Shooting of Akai Gurley", "Officer Peter Liang, on Stand, Breaks Down as He Recalls Brooklyn Killing", "Here's What It'd Take To Convict The NYPD Cop Who Killed Akai Gurley", "Rookie cops often assigned to dangerous 'vertical patrols', "Tragic justice served in manslaughter conviction of NYPD Officer Peter Liang for Akai Gurley's killing", "Stairwell shooting cop trained to have gun drawn: fellow officers", "NYPD Officer Pleads Not Guilty in Shooting Death of Unarmed Man", "Liang's appeal to focus on jurors handling his gun", "Officer's Errant Shot Kills Unarmed Brooklyn Man", "Panicked rookie NYPD officer fatally shoots unarmed 28-year-old man in Brooklyn's Pink Houses project", "NYPD officer breaks down during testimony about Akai Gurley shooting", "Lupica: Shooting of Akai Gurley doesn't make East New York into Ferguson, or officer into a criminal", "In Princeton, Chinese Protesters Charge NYPD with Scapegoating Officer Liang", "Liang case underlines issue of race in NYC", "Peter Liang is unlucky to be an Asian New York cop", "A Police Killing Puts Heavy Expectations on a Prosecutor", "Grand Jury To Hear Case Of Unarmed Man Shot By New York Cop In Stairwell", "De Blasio doubts Liang conviction will have chilling effect on police", "Relatives Mourn Akai Gurley, An Innocent Man Killed By The NYPD", "Memorial for Akai Gurley, Unarmed Man Shot by NYPD, Set for Today", "Residents See Little Change Since Cop Killed Innocent Man In Darkened Stairwell", "Dangerous NYPD Assignment In The Spotlight At Officer's Trial After Bronx Shooting", "Shootings in Public Housing Project Highlight Risks of Stairwell Patrols", "Is Police Officer Peter Liang a Scapegoat? That direction ended up playing the role of impartial observer. Instead she chose to highlight a bit more understanding of why people were taking certain positions.. One officer testified that cops are taught to beware of a possible ambush on vertical patrols specifically. Asian America New York City, Peter Liang to Pay Over $4 Million Settlement to Family of Akai Gurley The NYC Law Department told NBC News that the city will pay $4.1 million, the Housing. The first week of the trial for Peter Liang, the NYPD officer who shot and killed 28-year-old Akai Gurley in a Brooklyn stairwell in November 2014, rounded out with a close look at Liang's. Assistant District Attorney[70] Joseph Alexis claimed the killing wasn't an accident and that Liang chose to place the finger on the trigger. "[48], New York City councilwoman Margaret Chin stated that she was satisfied with the grand jury indicting Liang but had also asked for leniency in Liang's sentencing. But recent events have shown how minorities can support each other, she said. A daily dose of Asian America's essential stories - in under 5 minutes, 2022 NextShark, Inc. All rights reserved.Terms & Conditions. One woman left screaming and crying while another said she was having a panic attack. Kenny Leu as Officer Mike Tan in "A Shot Through The Wall." Image. Still she admits producing the film elicited strong emotions in her as well. A jury convicted Liang of second-degree manslaughter in February for Gurley's death. Days after former New York Police Department (NYPD) Officer Peter Liang fatally shot Akai Gurley, an unarmed black man, in a Brooklyn housing project in November 2014, Cathy Dang headed to East New York to meet with people organizing on behalf of Gurley's family. A Shot Through the Wall, a 2021 independent film, was based on the incident. In other words, to defend Liang is to affirm the . The money will be placed in a fund for Gurley's four-year-old daughter, Akaila, which she won't have access to without court approval until she turns 18, according to the Daily News, which quoted Scott Rynecki, the attorney representing Kimberly Ballinger, the mother of Gurley's daughter and Gurleys domestic partner. Anastasia Savira, Echolocation (still), 2023. Down the Dark Stairwell plays next at a film festival in New Zealand. Former NYPD officer Marc Calcano knows first hand the inherent dangers of conducting vertical patrols. He believed Liang would be much more productive spending time in community service.[68][9][69]. The rookie NYPD Officer Peter Liang who gunned down an unarmed man in a poorly lit stairwell of public housing broke down on the stand Monday as he recalled the deadly shooting. They played a supportive role in the movement, taking a step back to actively elevate Black organizers. Peter Liang became an officer in June 2013, which likely meant there was one training officer for about a dozen rookies. Murdaugh is heckled as he leaves court, Judge makes damning comments before sentencing Murdaugh for life, Pavement where disabled woman gestured at cyclist before fatal crash, Insane moment river of rocks falls onto Malibu Canyon in CA, Fleet-footed cop chases an offender riding a scooter, Mark Gordon arrives at Crawley Police Station after remains found, Two Russian tanks annihilated with bombs by Ukrainian armed forces, Missing hiker buried under snow forces arm out to wave to helicopter. Before the conviction of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for the death of George Floyd, there was Peter Liang. [15] Patrick Lynch, head of the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association of the City of New York, characterizes them as "among the most dangerous projects in the city" with dimly lit stairwells presenting a particular danger. Liang, who is Chinese American, was convicted of second-degree manslaughter and one count of official misconduct for the shooting of Akai Gurley, a 28-year-old black man and father, during an. Officer Liang is not merely a bad apple, though thankfully he has been stripped of his gun and will likely face a grand jury in coming months. He died within a few minutes. Before the conviction of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for the death of George Floyd, there was Peter Liang. The bullet ricocheted off of a wall before it hit Akai Gurley in his chest. Over the weekend, thousands gathered to protest the sentencing of Peter Liang, a former NYPD officer convicted of manslaughter for killing Akai Gurley, an unarmed black man. We're revolutionising personalised healthcare. "Peter Liang is one individual within a larger, corrupted criminal injustice system that doesn't value black nor brown lives," she said. [73], In August 2016, New York City reached an agreement with Gurley's family for $4.1 million, settling a lawsuit brought by Kimberley Ballinger, Akaila's mother. Do not sell or share my personal information. Marc Fliedner, A former top prosecutor in Brooklyn plans to run for district attorney next year, The Post has learned. We stand by that but were Police Commissioner Bill Bratton blasted Assemblyman Charles Barron on Friday, saying the state lawmaker practically committed a criminal act by threatening that violence is inevitable if stairwell-shoot cop Peter Liang The fact that he says hes sorry didnt bring Akai back, Kimberly Ballinger told her lawyer after meeting Thursday with Peter Liang the now-former cop who accidentally killed her Assemblyman Charles Barron on Thursday warned of riots, saying violence is inevitable if former NYPD officer Peter Liang gets the no-jail sentence recommended by Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson. Officer Peter Liang is charged with manslaughter in the shooting of 28-year-old Akai Gurley in November of 2014. Americas. A Shot Through The Wall essentially explores relations between Asians and Black people as racial minorities in the U.S. But no, he's a Chinese, so no one is coming out. Former NYPD Officer Peter Liang, who dodged prison time for fatally shooting an unarmed man, must now determine how to spend his 800 hours of community service as lawyers on. "From retraining our officers to adding body cameras to launching neighborhood policing, our administration is taking significant steps to strengthen the relationship between our officers and the communities they serve," deputy press secretary Monica Klein said in a statement to NBC News. The NYPD and Mayor de Blasio argue that vertical patrols are essential to safety in public housing. Peter Liang (born c. 1987 ), a Hong Kong American, had less than 18 months of experience with the New York City Police Department (NYPD) at the time of the shooting. But I also think I came to with an open mind in terms of like, listening to folks feelings on the case, she said. He said that neither of them tried to revive Gurley, with both of them saying they did not feel qualified to perform CPR. "I think no matter how good the academy training will be, nothing replicates actually doing it," said Moreno. The other day, we endorsed Brooklyn DA Ken Thompson's call for ex-cop Peter Liang to do no prison time after his manslaughter conviction. Unfortunately, in the case of Peter Liang, this power was poorly used indeed. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, Peter Liang is . [57][58][59], On February 10, 2015, Officer Liang was indicted by a grand jury for the shooting death of Gurley. ", "A Look at Recent Police Killings Cited in Protests", "Like Michael Brown And Eric Garner, Akai Gurley's Death Inspires Anger", "The Year in NYPD Public Relations Disasters", "Let's take the longer view on NYCHA's safety", "After Akai Gurley: The Connection Between Maintenance and Safety in Public Housing", "I-Team: Darkened Stairwell Not the Only Problem at Police Shooting Building", "18 provocative documentaries to look for this year", 1992 Patrolmen's Benevolent Association Riot, 2004 Republican National Convention protest activity, Prospect Park alleged police sodomy incident, Police Benevolent Association of the City of New York, 20152016 University of Missouri protests, Donald Trump photo op at St. John's Church, 20202023 MinneapolisSaint Paul racial unrest, Rest in Power: The Enduring Life of Trayvon Martin, Stay Woke: The Black Lives Matter Movement, Holding a Black Lives Matter Sign in America's Most Racist Town, Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation, Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm, George Floyd Law Enforcement Trust and Integrity Act, Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today Act, List of police reforms related to the George Floyd protests, 2020 deployment of federal forces in the United States, Black maternal mortality in the United States, U.S. immigration policy toward the People's Republic of China, One Hundred Years: History of the Chinese in America, Attack on Squak Valley Chinese laborers, 1885, Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association, Chinese Historical Society of Southern California, List of U.S. cities with significant Chinese-American populations, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Killing_of_Akai_Gurley&oldid=1142721841, African-AmericanAsian-American relations, African Americans shot dead by law enforcement officers in the United States, New York City Police Department corruption and misconduct, November 2014 events in the United States, November 2014 crimes in the United States, Articles with unsourced statements from April 2021, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Manslaughter (reduced at sentencing to criminally negligent homicide), $52 million lawsuit filed by Gurley's family against City of New York, This page was last edited on 4 March 2023, at 00:57. Initially Al Sharpton offered to speak at the service but stepped down after a dispute within the family. 1.Introduction. [65] Both radioed for an ambulance as Gurley's girlfriend performed CPR. Two months later, Judge Danny Chun downgraded his conviction to criminally negligent homicide and sentenced him to five years probation, including 800 hours of community service. That money will be invested in annuities to provide around $10 million for Akaila over her life, the Daily News reported. Liang is Chinese-American. While his police training included CPR, he said instructors had given cadets most of the answers to pass the required test, echoing a testimony his partner gave last week. IE 11 is not supported. Former New York City police Officer Peter Liang will not serve jail time in the 2014 shooting death of Akai Gurley in a New York housing project. or debate this issue live on our message boards. The Brooklyn district attorney's office asked a state judge Wednesday to spare former New York Police Department officer Peter Liang prison time in the 2014 shooting death of an unarmed man in . [24] At the time the gun was discharged, the stairwell on the 8th floor was pitch black due to a broken light bulb. No comments have so far been submitted. Then he went looking for the bullet and heard someone crying. [82][83][84], The incident is the subject of the 2020 feature documentary Down a Dark Stairwell.[85]. The NYPD says it is investigating those claims. Peter Liang leaves the courtroom after his sentencing in New York, April 19, 2016. She said the organizers had a real emotional stake in what happened and that spilled over to her film crew as well. [38], Gurley's funeral was conducted December 6 at the Brown Memorial Baptist Church in Fort Greene. I think what is important is to recognise that all JET-Ps basically consist of a mix of concessional loans, market-based locals, grants and guarantees from public and private entities. Peter Liang is not the victim here just because the system did not cover up his mistakes. [76], The incident received national and international coverage, in part due to the recent police shootings of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and Eric Garner in Staten Island. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. Under the New York sentencing guidelines Liang, now a convicted felon, was looking at 15 years of hard time. Inspector Richard Dee, executive officer of the NYPD Police Academy, explained to the I-team that they have trained over 800 field training officers. And now, instead of the hurried adrenaline of the fight against injustice, I find myself reconciling with the fact that for the past two months, I was defending a killer cop someone who brutalizes people of color, and enforces the twisted, racialized instrument of oppression we call a justice system. Convicted former NYPD officer Peter Liang was conducting a vertical patrol the night his gun went off in a dark stairwell. Officer Richard Neri killed Stansbury, 19, on a roof of the Louis Armstrong Houses in Brooklyn at about 1 am. Justice was served for him. You understand that theres a level of trauma when youre dealing with a family that has lost somebody. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Fliedner was also the prosecutor who won a manslaughter conviction against NYPD cop Peter Liang for the 2014 accidental shooting of Akai Gurley in a darkened housing-project stairwell. Cleared 'Cannibal Cop' insists he never planned to kill and Woman who miscarried after NYPD officers 'battered' her in 'I'm dead. With George Floyd, the Hmong officer brought the Peter Liang and Akai Gurley case back up as a topic, Long told the South China Morning Post, referring to Tou Thao, the Hmong American officer present at the time of Floyds arrest. then guest-starred as Jordan Stewart in an episode of the action drama TV series "Baywatch" (1993), played Ben in the TV . [66][67], On April 19, 2016, Justice Chun reduced Liang's conviction from manslaughter to criminally negligent homicide then sentenced Liang to five years of probation and 800 hours community service. A former Brooklyn district attorney bureau chief now vying to become the boroughs next top prosecutor claimed Wednesday he had mounting evidence of corruption within the current DAs administration. A jury convicted Liang of second-degree manslaughter in February for Gurley's death. The judge has barred any mention of those shootings in Liang's trial. When he fired his gun in a pitch-dark public housing stairwell, he at first thought he had hurt nothing but his career.