NYPD sergeant to appear in court in cooler-throwing death
NEW YORK (PIX11) – An NYPD sergeant will appear in court on Tuesday after being accused in the death of a suspect who had a cooler thrown at his head last summer.
Erik Duran, 36, is facing charges of manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide and assault, according to authorities.
Police said 30-year-old Eric Duprey was fleeing from an undercover drug bust in the Bronx when Duran threw the cooler at him, striking him in the head. Duprey lost control of his motorbike and crashed, killing him, according to authorities.
The medical examiner ruled that Duprey died from a homicide caused by blunt force trauma.
Law enforcement sources previously told PIX11 News that it's against protocol to throw objects at fleeing subjects.
Duran was suspended without pay after the incident.
There have been numerous calls from officials, activists and Duprey's family for justice in the incident.
Erin Pflaumer is a digital content producer from Long Island who has covered both local and national news since 2018. She joined PIX11 in 2023. See more of her work here.