|
 Peter Liang, the officer, was patrolling with his partner in the
Brooklyn housing project around 11:15 p.m. on Nov. 20 when his gun
discharged a single bullet, killing Akai Gurley, 28, who was in the
stairwell a flight below with his girlfriend.
The criminal charge or charges Liang will face in Gurley's death
were not immediately clear from several media reports, which were
based on unnamed sources, although at least two city newspapers said
the charges include manslaughter and negligent homicide.
A spokeswoman for Kenneth Thompson, the Brooklyn district attorney
who oversaw the grand jury's secret consideration of Liang's case,
declined to comment. His office later announced he would hold a news
conference following an arraignment on Wednesday afternoon, although
the announcement did not directly refer to the Gurley case.
 The death of Gurley, who was black, followed other incidents of
police involvement in the deaths of unarmed black men in New York
and Missouri that sparked waves of national protests.
Mayor Bill de Blasio, who has angered many members of his police
force by expressing support for some of those protests, released a
statement reacting to the reports that the grand jury had voted.
"No matter the specific charges, this case is an unspeakable tragedy
for the Gurley family," his statement said.
[to top of second column] |
Patrick Lynch, the president of Liang's union, the Patrolmen's
Benevolent Association, said the officer deserved the same due
process afforded to anyone "involved in the accidental death of
another."
Lynch emphasized in his statement that Liang was assigned to patrol
what he described as one of the city's most dangerous housing
projects.
(Editing by Sandra Maler, Peter Cooney and Eric Walsh)
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