Wednesday marked the start of the trial against a former NYPD sergeant who is accused of involuntary manslaughter in the death of a man in the Bronx in August 2023. Erik Duran allegedly threw a cooler at Duprey while he was riding his scooter on a sidewalk during an anti-narcotics operation in th e University Heights area of The Bronx. The prosecution claims the police were attempting to arrest Duprey for drug trafficking when he fled on the sidewalk on a scooter. According to video footage presented in court, Duran threw a cooler at Duprey’s head, causing him to veer off and slide under a vehicle. Duprey died from blunt force trauma to the head. “This is not just about a trial, but about an officer with 17 misconduct complaints who shouldn’t have been on the streets, ultimately committing a heinous crime against a father of three,” said Chivona Newsome from the Black Lives Matter organization. In court, Duran’s attorneys argued that Duprey was responsible for his own death, as he rode his scooter on a sidewalk near children playing soccer. The prosecution alleges that, at best, Duprey demonstrated “extreme recklessness” and, at worst, “an intentional act of violence.” Outside the courthouse, just before the trial commenced, Duprey’s family and friends, along with the Black Lives Matter organization, called for the accused to face the full weight of the law. “We must fight, we must fight against [your] government offensive, justice for Eric Duprey,” said Eduardo Lizárraga, a protester outside the Bronx courthouse. If found guilty, Duran faces a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison. ...read more read less