A New York City Police Department sergeant has been convicted of manslaughter after throwing a full Igloo cooler at a scooter-riding suspect, Eric Duprey, during an undercover sting operation in the Bronx. The incident occurred on August 23, 2023, and resulted in Duprey's fatal injury.
The sergeant, Erik Duran, claimed he threw the cooler to protect his fellow officers, who were allegedly being targeted by Duprey on the scooter. However, prosecutors argued that Duran's actions were reckless and deviated from the standard of care expected of a reasonable person. The court found Duran guilty based on video evidence showing Duprey picking up the cooler with both hands before throwing it at Duran.
The conviction marks the first time an NYPD officer has been found guilty of killing someone while on duty in over a decade. A 2015 law required the State Attorney General's Office to investigate all police-related deaths, which led to increased scrutiny and accountability for officers.
Duran faces up to 15 years in prison at his sentencing. The verdict has sparked outrage among activists and Duprey's family, who argue that Duran's actions were preventable and resulted from a lack of training or oversight within the NYPD.
The case highlights concerns about police accountability and use of force, particularly in situations involving undercover operations. It also underscores the need for more robust training and protocols to prevent similar incidents in the future.
The sergeant, Erik Duran, claimed he threw the cooler to protect his fellow officers, who were allegedly being targeted by Duprey on the scooter. However, prosecutors argued that Duran's actions were reckless and deviated from the standard of care expected of a reasonable person. The court found Duran guilty based on video evidence showing Duprey picking up the cooler with both hands before throwing it at Duran.
The conviction marks the first time an NYPD officer has been found guilty of killing someone while on duty in over a decade. A 2015 law required the State Attorney General's Office to investigate all police-related deaths, which led to increased scrutiny and accountability for officers.
Duran faces up to 15 years in prison at his sentencing. The verdict has sparked outrage among activists and Duprey's family, who argue that Duran's actions were preventable and resulted from a lack of training or oversight within the NYPD.
The case highlights concerns about police accountability and use of force, particularly in situations involving undercover operations. It also underscores the need for more robust training and protocols to prevent similar incidents in the future.
this is wild! I mean, who throws a full Igloo cooler at someone? 
Erik Duran is going down for 15 years, which is kinda harsh if you ask me... 5-7 would've been more like it, imo 
. The video evidence shows Duprey was all over the cooler with both hands, so what's the big deal, right? 
But I guess when you're an undercover cop trying to take down a scooter rider, things can get heated 
. I feel bad for Eric Duprey's fam, they gotta be livin' this drama... 
... I can only imagine how Eric Duprey's family must be feeling right now 
. Throwing a cooler at someone? That's just insane! You can't even begin to comprehend the senseless violence that was inflicted on him 
. This case is like a punch in the gut, it's so devastating 
. I hope Erik's family finds some semblance of peace and justice in this tragic outcome 
. It's clear that something needs to change within those police departments, more training and oversight is needed ASAP 
.
That video footage is crazy too, how could he expect the guy to just drop it? 
. I'm all for police accountability but come on! 
but at the same time, I feel kinda bad for him? Like, he's a cop and stuff, but throwing a cooler at someone is just crazy! 
this conviction is a step in the right direction tho, it shows that we're holding our officers accountable 
let's hope that Erik Duran gets the help he needs and takes responsibility for his actions 
and now eric duprey is gone, and his fam is left to deal with all this grief... it's just not right. i feel bad for the officers involved too, but at the same time, they have to take responsibility for their actions. the cops are supposed to be protecting us, not putting us in harm's way like that! 
he saw someone threatening his crew, you know? like, how many times can one guy be targeted on a scooter before someone loses it?! 
On the other hand, I think we gotta look at the bigger picture here – like, how many times have we seen this kind of thing happen before and why hasn't anyone really done anything about it? 
. This whole thing reeks of cover-up if you ask me, like they're trying to sweep this under the rug 
. The fact that it took a court to figure out what was wrong with Duran's actions is just crazy 
It just doesn't make sense to me. The police need to do better training on how to handle situations like this, or else people are gonna keep getting hurt 
. No, no, no! We need more accountability in our police force, not less 
it's just not right that a life was lost over some stupid sting operation. my heart goes out to Eric Duprey's family and loved ones... this verdict can't bring him back, but hopefully it will help spark change for better policing in the future 
. also, idk what the point of throwing a cooler is, but if ur gonna throw somethin, make sure its not gonna hurt someone 
. anyway, hope duprey's family gets some closure and justice in the end 
.
... and yeah the fact that the sergeant thought he was protecting his fellow officers is just a total cop-out 
It was just such a reckless move and you can literally see on the video how Duprey tried to pick it up and throw it back... it's crazy that this guy thought he could outsmart the cops like that.