A grand jury has indicted an NYPD officer with second-degree manslaughter in the fatal shooting of an unarmed Brooklyn man in an unlit public housing building's staircase, multiple news outlets reported on Tuesday.
Peter Liang will face criminal charges that can send him to prison for up to 15 years for the death of 28-year-old Akai Gurley in November, a source said. Although the Brooklyn District Attorney declined to comment on grand jury proceedings, it is reported that the rookie cop will be surrendering on Wednesday.
"This officer deserves the same due process afforded to anyone involved in the accidental death of another. The fact (that) he was assigned to patrol in one most dangerous housing projects in New York City must be considered among the circumstances of this tragic accident," Patrick Lynch, president of the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association, said in a statement.
On Nov. 20, 2014, Liang and his partner, both of whom had less than 18 months on the force, were conducting a floor-by-floor sweep at the Pink Houses public housing complex in East New York, New York Daily News reported.
While the pair was going into a stairwell from the eighth floor, Gurley and his girlfriend were going down the stairs from the seventh floor, NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton said. Given the location and lack of light, Liang drew his weapon and a flashlight for safety reasons while the other officer kept his service weapon holstered.
As Liang attempted to open a door in the pitch-dark stairway, the weapon accidentally discharged, striking Gurley in the torso as he stood in the landing a floor below.
The 28-year-old victim was rushed to Brookdale University Hospital and Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, with the medical examiner ruling his death a homicide.
Following the incident, protests erupted across the city but Bratton claimed the shooting was an "unfortunate accident" and called Gurley a "total innocent." Liang was placed on modified duty, according to NBC News.
"It's a tragic, tragic, tragic case," Ed Mullins, president of the Sergeants Benevolent Association, said about the indictment. "I'm sad that he was indicted. I don't know exactly what transpired in that hallway, but I believe it's a truly accidental incident."
Meanwhile it remains unclear what charges Liang will be arraigned with in Brooklyn Supreme Court on Wednesday.
