April 9 (UPI) -- A former New York Police Department sergeant was sentenced to three to nine years in prison Thursday for killing a man in 2023.
Erik Duran was sentenced after being convicted of second-degree manslaughter in the death of 30-year-old Eric Duprey. Duran threw a cooler at Duprey when he was attempting to flee during an undercover drug sting, causing blunt force trauma to his head and leading to his death.
Duprey fled on a motorized scooter, traveling about 30 mph. Duran was caught on video throwing a picnic cooler at Duprey's head while he tried to escape. The cooler struck Duprey, who then swerved and slid under a vehicle.
Duran, 38, is the first NYPD officer to be found guilty of killing a civilian while on duty in a decade.
During the trial, Duran told the court that he was concerned for the safety of others when he threw the cooler at Duprey, as Duprey was driving the scooter on the sidewalk.
