Challenges continue for both defense and prosecution in Gurley case
Questions About NYPD Policy May Factor into Legal Arguments
The Brooklyn case against an NYPD officer is set to move forward, and both the prosecution and defense are preparing legal arguments.
The NYPD’s position is that the November 2014 shooting death of unarmed man Akai Gurley by rookie Officer Peter Liang was an accident. Liang’s defense attorneys say the officer was merely following policy and is not responsible, while Brooklyn prosecutors assert that Liang was reckless and negligent in the way he handled his weapon during a vertical patrol of a Brooklyn housing project.
Last week, Liang pleaded not guilty to a six-count indictment charging him with manslaughter, criminal assault, reckless endangerment and criminally negligent homicide. In addition, Liang was charged with two counts of official misconduct for not calling in the shot to authorities.