|
 Officer Peter Liang is also facing charges of reckless
endangerment, official misconduct and other crimes for firing a
single bullet inside a Brooklyn public housing building on Nov. 20,
2014.
The victim, 28-year-old Akai Gurley, was walking one floor below
Liang and was struck in the chest. His death intensified protests
nationwide over police use of force against minorities in cities
including New York, Baltimore, Cleveland and Ferguson, Missouri.
The shooting came shortly before grand juries in Ferguson and New
York declined to charge white police officers for killing unarmed
black men in separate incidents, helping to fuel the "Black Lives
Matter" movement.
 Liang is not accused of deliberately firing at Gurley, and his
lawyers have said the shooting was accidental. Liang may testify in
his defense, according to his lawyers.
Prosecutors have said Liang, who had been on the job for 18 months
at the time, acted recklessly by drawing his weapon. They have also
accused Liang and his partner of arguing for several minutes about
whether to report the shot before realizing Gurley had been hit.
[to top of second column] |
Liang's partner, Shaun Landau, is expected to testify for the
prosecution under an immunity agreement.
Opening statements in the trial are not expected before Monday,
according to the Brooklyn district attorney's office.
(Reporting by Joseph Ax; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
[© 2016 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2016 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
