New York Times – by BARRY PADDOCK, EDGAR SANDOVAL, JOHN MARZULLI, LARRY MCSHANE
A rookie cop accused of fatally shooting a man in a Brooklyn housing project stairwell was taunted by the victim’s relatives Wednesday after pleading not guilty.
Officer Peter Liang, 27, was released without bail after a hearing during which he stood silently in a dark gray suit, accompanied by an attorney for the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association.
“Murderer!” screamed Hertencia Peterson, an aunt of Akai Gurley, as Liang was hustled from the courtroom. “He’s a murderer! Why is he out? … If he was a black man, he’d be shackled.”
Liang surrendered at the 84th Precinct before a court appearance on charges of second-degree manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, assault, reckless endangerment and official misconduct.
Prosecutors said the officer had no reason to put his finger on the trigger of his weapon on the night of the fatal shooting.
“There was absolutely no threat to him, his partner or any resident,” said Assistant District Attorney Marc Fliedner at the hearing. “He mishandled his weapon, and as a result Akai Gurley is dead.”
Liang — who waited four minutes to call in the gunshot — was more concerned with his own job security than the dying man struck by his bullet, the prosecutor charged.
“It was an accident,” he reportedly told his partner. “I’m gonna get fired.”
Fliedner added that the officer never even tried to perform CPR on Gurley, prompting a quick rebuttal from defense attorney Stephen Worth.
“It was a tortured attempt to make Liang look heartless and unfeeling,” Worth said.
A group of about 10 Gurley family members turned out for the hearing, including Kim Ballinger — mother of Gurley’s 2-year-old daughter.
Liang was rushed to a waiting black van and sped off after the hearing as the relatives left the courtroom chanting, “No justice, no peace!” Ballinger departed without speaking.
Liang had earlier ducked past reporters after surrendering at the precinct, where he arrived inside the same van. The driver parked the vehicle to block the view of reporters and photographers outside the building.
The Daily News broke the news Tuesday that Liang was indicted on the top count in the fatal Nov. 20 shooting — second-degree manslaughter, which carries a 15-year prison term.
Police union head Patrick Lynch described the shooting as a “tragic accident.” State Assemblyman Charles Barron, speaking Wednesday, said he wasn’t satisfied with the indictment.
“We are going to keep the pressure on,” said Barron. “We should put a face on the person who did this.”
Gurley, 28, was walking on a staircase with his girlfriend when Liang and his partner entered from a floor above them.
The rookie cop, with his gun drawn, fired a single gunshot in the pitch-black stairwell during what began as a routine patrol of a building in Brooklyn’s Pink Houses.
Gurley was struck in the chest and mortally wounded. Liang, on the force less than 18 months, was holding his 9-mm Glock on one hand and a flashlight in the other when his weapon discharged.
A Brooklyn grand jury heard evidence for just a few days before returning the indictment Tuesday.
Girlfriend Melissa Butler joined Barron and her lawyer, Roger Wareham, in a teary appearance at the Pink Houses. Butler could not speak because she is a likely witness in the case.
“She understands (the indictment) is a step in terms of bringing some justice to what happened,” said Wareham. “It’s not going to bring Akai Gurley back.”
Mayor de Blasio, speaking Wednesday after an appearance in Midtown Manhattan, said Liang’s indictment was just the first legal step — and declined to compare the case with the nonindictment in last year’s death of Eric Garner.
“I don’t think it’s smart to compare the difference cases,” he said. “I think what matters is at the end of the process, what was down, at that point do people think there was a sense of fairness in the process.”
With Erin Durkin
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/peter-liang-turns-akai-gurley-shooting-article-1.2110864
If you look at American cases. The amount of bail set. Is usually set to the amount of time you can look to spend in prison. If found guilty. So by no bail I would take that to mean no time even if found guilty or very little time. Like time served. So the sentince here is predetemined if he is found guilty. But in truth it was murder by cop. It is not a acedent when a gun discharces. I once hunted in America with a person that did not keep his gun on safty. SoI made a rule for him to follow. He had to carry his gun around me barrel up held under his own chin. He learded fast how to cary agun on safty. Now if his gun had went off barrel up under his chin. That I would say was a Accidental shooting. The American police should have that rule. Safty off, finger on the triger, gun up under your own chin. Yes he accidently blew his brain partical out.
“She understands (the indictment) is a step in terms of bringing some justice to what happened,” said Wareham.”
SOME justice?
There is no SOME justice. It either is, or isn’t.
Once again, one set of rules of us slaves and another for the exalted Only Ones. If I opened that door, stepped into the stairwell and discharged my weapon, I would be in JAIL, HELD ON MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN BOND! Such BS, I have had my fill.