A small victory emanates from a huge tragedy
This past November, in the Pink Houses housing projects of East New York, Brooklyn, a 28-year old unarmed man, Akai Gurley, was gunned down thanks to an “accidental discharge” of Officer Peter Liang’s firearm. Liang was a rookie cop conducting what’s known as a “vertical patrol” in the project building when he was allegedly startled by Gurley’s presence in the stairwell. Somehow, his gun ended up being drawn and one bullet “accidentally” struck Gurley in the staircase landing below Liang and his fellow patrol officer, who has not been charged. To make matters worse, rather than seek help for Gurley, Liang texted his union rep before radioing in for a medic.
Today, according to a New York Daily News report, Liang has been indicted on manslaughter charges that carry a potential 15-year prison sentence. He is expected to surrender prior to his arraignment in court tomorrow.
