Overview
- Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman said Monday on the steps of City Hall that he would pardon Erik Duran on his first day in office if he defeats Gov. Kathy Hochul in November.
- The NYPD Sergeants Benevolent Association and the National Police Defense Foundation opened a legal fund Monday for Duran’s appeal, and Islanders fans were urged at Tuesday’s home game to donate via a jumbotron QR code and a 50/50 raffle.
- Duran is serving a three‑to‑nine year sentence after a February bench conviction for second‑degree manslaughter; he was fired, taken to Rikers, and his lawyers sought bail Friday pending appeal with oral arguments expected later this week, according to his defense.
- Bronx Judge Guy Mitchell said the sentence would serve as a general deterrent, rejecting Duran’s claim he threw a bystander’s cooler to protect colleagues during an Aug. 23, 2023 buy‑and‑bust in which Eric Duprey crashed his scooter and died.
- The case has drawn sharp reactions from police unions and civil rights advocates and marks the first on‑duty NYPD killing case to send an officer to prison in about a decade, raising questions about tactics officers use in fast‑moving arrests.