Prosecutors say the bullet ricocheted off a wall and into Akai Gurley. Data sustainability: Data governance in data infrastructures across At the trial of Peter Liang, the jurors kept returning to the 11.5-pound trigger of his New York Police Department standard-issue 9mm Glock. New York officer to stand trial for fatal shooting of black man "Its just been really hard.. She set out to dial down the volume a little bit and not focus on the hot and testy stuff happening on the street. Granted, there were some cooler heads in the mix, but those more race-conscious protesters were few and far in between. A Shot Through The Wall essentially explores relations between Asians and Black people as racial minorities in the U.S. Saying he beamed his flashlight and saw no one after firing, Liang acknowledged that he didn't immediately report the shot. See Alex Vincent Now She Played 'Ginny Weasley' In Harry Potter. Peter Yew was a 27-year-old engineer who, in 1975, was brutally beaten by police officers in Manhattan's Chinatown, when he attempted to intervene after he saw them beating a 15-year-old kid whom. Even if we assume that Liang had unintentionally shot Gurley due to a misfire, his subsequent failure to get medical help for him is still unacceptable. I'm Chinese American and I Think This Weekend's Peter Liang - HuffPost The conviction has the heads of police unions warning this will have a chilling effect on policing. You understand that theres a level of trauma when youre dealing with a family that has lost somebody. [38], Gurley's funeral was conducted December 6 at the Brown Memorial Baptist Church in Fort Greene. We love you all and can't appreciate you guys enough. Still she admits producing the film elicited strong emotions in her as well. However, we still face many trials and tribulations in our industry, from figuring out the most sustainable business model for independent media companies to facing the current COVID-19 pandemic decimating advertising revenues across the board. Gurley was black. [79][80] The Village Voice described the incident as part of a year of public relations disasters for the NYPD. Shaun Landau, Liangs former partner who was originally named in the lawsuit, doesnt have to pay because he was released from the complaint, Brown said. 584 Forest Ave, Staten Island, NY 10310. In his spare time, he likes to explore cities and make pointless maps. ", Others protested against the former cop's punishment, with a sign that read "jail killer cops.". Thompson said in a statement today his office "vigorously prosecuted" Liang for manslaughter "because the evidence established that his conduct was criminal and the rule of law demanded that he be held accountable for his actions in taking Akai Gurleys life. He died within a few minutes. Peter Obi has urged the Obidients to remain calm and persistent in insisting that the right thing be done at all times. Brown said Liang has four months to get together the $25,000 he must pay to Gurleys family. The case sparked intense emotions with many seeing this as another case of police misconduct against the Black community and others seeing Liang as a scapegoat for other injustices. We cant afford the luxury of sitting on the sidelines and just watching. [82][83][84], The incident is the subject of the 2020 feature documentary Down a Dark Stairwell.[85]. They requested Landau be fired from the department and for the city to invest in programs like affordable housing, community centers, and after-school programs, instead of hiring more NYPD officers.[38]. Brown, who is also representing Liang in that suit, said he filed a motion to dismiss two months ago, joined by the city and NYCHA, and could hear back on a decision as early as this week. 2023 THE STANFORD DAILY PUBLISHING CORPORATION, Privacy Policy Accessibility Advertise, Donate and support The Daily when you shop on Amazon, On April 19th, a New York State Supreme Court in Brooklyn, former NYPD officer Peter Liang to five years of probation for the, shooting of unarmed Black man Akai Gurley, Earlier this year, Liangs conviction drew fierce backlash from New Yorks Chinese-American community. [25] Liang's gun discharged as he opened the door and the bullet ricocheted off the wall and struck Gurley once in the chest. [17][20] The New York Daily News initiated rumors that their commander had instructed officers in the area not to carry out vertical patrols and instead to conduct exterior policing, and that the officers were texting their union representative as Gurley lay dying. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. . [81] Other coverage has focused on the maintenance and public safety issues that led to the death. Activists protest against the sentence received by former New York Police Officer Peter Liang for manslaughter in the killing of Akai Gurley, outside a Brooklyn courthouse in New York, April 19, 2016. Unfolding in the dark stairwell of a Brooklyn housing project, the shooting inflamed the residents of New York City and thrust two marginalized communities together into the uneven criminal justice system. "It Feels like this Case was a Warning Sign for the Future": Ursula Liang's testimony came four days after two other New York City officers were shot and wounded while on stairwell patrol in a different public housing complex. Peter Liang became an officer in June 2013, which likely meant there was one training officer for about a dozen rookies. She quickly saw that when she saw the huge crowds at rallies which turned out in support of Liang in the Chinese community across the country. In other words, to defend Liang is to affirm the . "I never expected this to happen," Butler said. Schneider Shorts 3.03.2023 - Stand out more and signal dominance Cop Was "Frozen" After Fatally Shooting Unarmed Man In Brooklyn Q SO-KO, a new space in a converted Nagoya warehouse, is marking its arrival with an enticing two-hander entitled Placeness. A jury found Liang guilty of manslaughter in February 2016 and was sentenced to 15 years in jail. Liang was sentenced to 800 hours of community . Meghan Markle, Prince Harry, Kate Middleton, and Prince William: A She said the organizers had a real emotional stake in what happened and that spilled over to her film crew as well. His name is Shaun Landau. AsAmNews is a community of users interested in reading, learning and commenting on news, events, people & issues in the Asian Americans and Pacific Islander communities. Officials say officers are required to take a refresher course every two years, but they are not required to be recertified. Liangs gun discharged and the bullet ricochet off the wall and struck Gurley, killing him. Convicted former NYPD officer Peter Liang was conducting a vertical patrol the night his gun went off in a dark stairwell. Peter Liang, a Hong Kong-born officer with the NYPD, shot Akai Gurley, 28, while on patrol with his partner Shaun Landau. While our sentencing recommendation was fair under the unique circumstances of this case, we respectfully disagree with the judges decision to reduce the jurys verdict and will fight to reverse it on appeal., Liang could have been sentenced to up to 15 years in prison for the manslaughter conviction, but Thompson, who has said the officer should not have had his finger on the gun unless he was ready to shoot, told the judge last month that "a prison sentence is not warranted. But I also think I came to with an open mind in terms of like, listening to folks feelings on the case, she said. First, that the death of Mr. Gurley was not intentional; this argument, given the facts, is nonsense. But recent events have shown how minorities can support each other, she said. me with just its sheer scale. The bullet ricocheted off a wall and pierced the chest of Gurley, who was walking 14 steps below. Stayed tuned - Alex Murdaugh's sordid tale is just getting started. Instead she chose to highlight a bit more understanding of why people were taking certain positions.. I'm not going to ignore all of this and go to bat for him just because he's also Chinese. NYPD Officer Peter Liang cries as he recalls Akai Gurley's Brooklyn Some 40 people gathered at the Pink Houses in Brooklyn Saturday to protest prosecutors plans to recommend no jail at the April 14 sentencing of ex-cop Peter Liang. Gurley, 28, and his girlfriend were taking the stairs rather than having to wait for an elevator when the bullet ricocheted off a wall. From left to right: Scott Rynecki, Akai Gurley family attorney; Kimberly Ballinger, Gurley's domestic partner; and Hertencia Petersen, Gurley's aunt. Would You Like That With A Side of Grits Or An Egg Roll. Former FBI special agent Peter Strzok, who drew notoriety for anti-Trump text messages he sent during an extramarital affair with FBI attorney Lisa Page while employed by the bureau, is now an. Dr. Peter Liang is a gastroenterologist in New York, New York and is affiliated with Veterans Affairs New York Harbor Healthcare System-Brooklyn. His articles have appeared in Foreign Policy andthe Taipei Timesand in Chinese on ETToday.net, a popular Taiwanese news website. Landau, like Liang, was also within his two-year probationary period and his firing after the trial was permitted by his contract. The NYPD says they have been gradually shifting away from the old model of police training. I remember when I first heard the news, and spewed out this article in an angry, despondent word vomit. Liang has already tried once to get his conviction thrown out, which was denied. New York prosecutor recommends no prison time for Peter Liang It stars Kenny Leu, who plays Officer Mike Tan. Peter Liang is . It was frustrating to the utmost extent, which is why I never even came near to one of those protests. [27][36] Media initially reported that both officers had text-messaged their union representatives before calling for help;[21] the claim was refuted as being false by both the police union and the District Attorney's office. See Evanna Lynch Now At 31 He Played 'Chunk' In Goonies. Photo: Peter Obi, Goodluck Okechukwu Source: Twitter. ", He continued: "The jury, the voice of the Brooklyn community, agreed and returned the verdict of guilty against Mr. Liang, who is now a convicted felon, forfeited his career as a police officer and must now always live with the fact that he recklessly caused Mr. Gurleys death. On the final day of the trial of NYPD officer Peter Liang, the prosecution argued that the rookie officer intentionally fired his weapon in the dark stairwell of East New York's Pink Houses,. [Mega-thread] Peter Liang : r/asianamerican - reddit Where is Peter Reckell now? Bio: Net Worth, Wife, Daughter, Family, Baby The 1990s. He was the father of a two-year-old girl. In April, a judge reduced Liang's manslaughter conviction to criminally negligent homicide and sentenced Liang to five years probation and 800 hours of community service. Filmmaker Ursula Liang managed to get inside both camps and gave viewers a unique look in her film Down the Dark Stairwell. Peter Liang Was Justly Convicted. He's Not a Victim Follow NBC Asian America on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr. While Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson had suggested a sentencing of six months of house arrest, probation and 500 hours of community service, Judge Danny Chun said today Liang will face five years of probation and 800 hours of community service, but no house arrest. But, this defense is paradoxical, because while Asian Americans are included in the power structure, they are never equal partners when something goes south, as it did in this case, the Asian American is the first to be blamed. Alexander Leissle. N.Y. Police Shooting Case Divides City's Asian-Americans Shortly after Liangs sentencing, people carrying Black Lives Matter signs gathered outside the courthouse, while those supporting him aggregated on the other side. She also testified of being trained to have her firearm out when approaching a roof landing, finger alongside the trigger. A month later, Liang began serving out his sentence at a non-profit community center in the city, cleaning tables, mopping floors, and preparing meals. According to Landau's words, his instructor at the police academy helped them to cheat on the exams. And out of all of those killer cops, guess how many got convicted? Forget the cliched myths and stereotypes about how Asian Americans are politically apathetic or dont vote the overwhelming protests, marches and political pressure the community exerted downright. Peter Liang. [65] Both radioed for an ambulance as Gurley's girlfriend performed CPR. 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New York City reached a settlement Monday in the wrongful death lawsuit of Akai Gurley, agreeing to pay more than $4 million to the family of the 28-year-old fatally shot by police in a Brooklyn housing project in November 2014. We are invited to the party, but never quite made to feel belong. When he fired his gun in a pitch-dark public housing stairwell, he at first thought he had hurt nothing but his career. You have entered an incorrect email address! Whats justice, whats right, its also about the people who get left behind., Feature Images via Getty (left), Kings Road Pictures (right). And now, instead of the hurried adrenaline of the fight against injustice, I find myself reconciling with the fact that for the past two months, I was defending a killer cop someone who brutalizes people of color, and enforces the twisted, racialized instrument of oppression we call a justice system. Liang is Chinese-American. On April 19th, a New York State Supreme Court in Brooklyn sentenced former NYPD officer Peter Liang to five years of probation for the shooting of unarmed Black man Akai Gurley. Many of the protesters were pro-police, anti-Black Lives Matterand dismissive of Mr. Gurleys death basically co-opting the language of white supremacists. [57][58][59], On February 10, 2015, Officer Liang was indicted by a grand jury for the shooting death of Gurley. The protests largely centered around two claims. See Charlie Korsmo Now At 44. Initially Al Sharpton offered to speak at the service but stepped down after a dispute within the family. 'I just turned, and the gun went off,' Liang said, explaining that his body 'tensed up'. And so I think that that that scene was essential for the documentary and, you know, giving the audience a little bit of a model for what can be.. The officer was patrolling the darkened stairs inside a public housing building in Brooklyn on Nov. 20, 2014, when he fired a single shot. It was also clear that the writers of Kung Fu were likewise running out of good plot . Liang emigrated to the United States as a child to Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, with his parents and grandmother; he also has a younger brother in college. About $325,000 dollars were given to Liang's family and $80,000 would be used for Chinese communities. Feng Liang , Jiashen Meng , Shih-Hsin Ho , Tong Zhao , Hui Zhou , Awais Ahmad , Yinlong Zhu , Liangxing Hu . Stories About Peter Liang - CBS New York Former New York City police Officer Peter Liang will not serve jail time in the 2014 shooting death of Akai Gurley in a New York housing project. Everything you see today is built on the backs of warriors who have sacrificed opportunities to help give Asians all over the world a bigger voice. Akai Gurley shooting: Officer Peter Liang convicted | CNN His trial started on January 25, 2016. And indeed, at times, it can seem like that Asian Americans are so privileged and well-integrated into the institutions of power in this country that the community feels compelled to defend it, as the pro-Liang protesters defended the NYPD. Gurley's girlfriend, Melissa Butler, who was with Gurley in the stairwell the night of the shooting, cried as she was escorted out of the courtroom today by Assemblyman Charles Barron. [37][21], When asked by reporters, Mayor Bill De Blasio did not take any sides in this issue, commenting that it was a "tragedy" to Gurley's family and requesting respect to the court's verdict. Theres (also) all this secondary trauma and tertiary trauma that happens to the folks that surround them and are working with them that I didnt really anticipate until I was in it.. Its a paradoxical existence. Go to our Twitter feed and Facebook page for more content. And this argument is irrefutable. "[49], Nearly 15,000 people protested on behalf of Liang in New York on February 20, 2016,[50] with similar turnouts across the United States that day.