A jury has found NYPD Officer Peter Liang guilty of second-degree manslaughter and official misconduct in connection with the shooting death of an unarmed Brooklyn man in 2014. NY1's Dean Meminger filed the following report.
There was absolute silence and nervousness around the court room as the jury of seven men and five women unveiled the fate of NYPD officer Peter Liang.
Liang bowed head and covered his eyes with his hands as a defense attorney tried to console him.
Then, the jurors were questioned about their decision as Liang continued to hold his head.
Liang was convicted of shooting and killing Akai Gurley, who was unarmed, in a dark staircase at the Pink Houses in Brooklyn back in 2014. The rookie officer said his gun accidentally went off, but Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson said the officer had his finger on the trigger and pulled, causing Gurley's death.
"It's that simple," Thompson said. "And this conviction is not a conviction of the entire NYPD. It's the greatest police department in the world. This is a conviction of one officer. And at the end of the day, Akai Gurley's life matters. That's what this verdict means."
Liang testified in his own defense, saying as he entered the unlit staircase with his gun and flashlight, he was startled by a sound, he tensed up and his gun went off.
His defense says this verdict is devastating.
"I gather the fact that the prosecution changed their gameplan and changed their entire argument in their closing argument, where they started to argue that it was some sort of an intentional crime, that may have had something to do with it. But there's no way of us knowing," said Robert Brown, Liang's defense attorney.
One juror said it was a difficult decision to convict a police officer.
"'I've got to face my family. Half of them are cops. Leave me alone, please," the juror said.
"I want to thank God, and then I want to thank the district attorney's office and the entire staff at the district attorney's office. They did an awesome job presenting the evidence to the jury in the court," said Sylvia Palmer, Akai Gurley's mother.
Liang was immediately fired by the NYPD because of the conviction.
On Friday, Liang's former partner Shaun Landau was also fired. Landau was with Liang during the shooting and testified during the trial.
The police union says the verdict sends the wrong message to officers. In a statement, PBA President Patrick Lynch said, "We are very disappointed in the verdict and believe that the jury came to an absolutely wrong decision. This was a terrible and tragic accident and not a crime. This bad verdict will have a chilling effect on police officers across the city because it criminalizes a tragic accident."
Liang will be sentenced in April.