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*AKAI GURLEY – Shot and killed on February 10, 2015 at the Louis H. Pink Houses housing project in East New York, Brooklyn by rookie NYPD Police Officer Peter Liang, who was with Officer Shaun Landau and performing what is known as a ‘vertical patrol,’ basically a complete and thorough walk through of an entire via the staircase from rooftop to bottom, stopping at every individual floor and patrolling the hallway, as well.

Gurley, 28, was walking up the stairwell – darkened from either a burnt out or broken light bulb – with his girlfriend from the seventh floor while Liang and Landau were re-entering the stairwell just above the couple. Liang had his firearm out – a common practice during dangerous vertical patrols – and while opening the heavy door, accidentally discharged a round from his 9mm service revolver, which bounced off the brick stairwell wall and ricocheted into Gurley’s chest, fatally wounding him. Both officers panicked and did not perform first aid on Gurley after they radioed for an ambulance.

Liang, 27, was indicted by a grand jury for second degree murder, criminally neglect homicide, second degree assault, reckless endangerment and two counts of official misconduct. He was arrested and suspended without pay. He was later found guilty of manslaughter and official misconduct and immediately fired by the NYPD. Landau was also fired, as he and Liang were still on probation at the time of the shooting. The judge in the case sentenced Liang to five years probation and 800 hours of community service.

POLICE POINT OF VIEW

The building and area where this took place is one that I am familiar with and performing vertical patrols in housing projects and apartment buildings is something that every rookie cop must get used to. You may be shitting your pants with fear, but it’s part of the job – like it or not. And when you compound the situation by turning out the lights, it is a disaster waiting to happen.

There was nothing wrong with Liang unholstering his firearm at the time. Most cops – especially those working in high crime areas – have their guns out more than people realize… even those standing a few feet away. But it is always a safety measure to place your finger across the stock and not on the trigger. Only Liang knows why he chose to not do this and perhaps when he testified that he was started by a quick sound (possibly Gurley and his girlfriend walking up the stairs) and he tensed up. Was it at that moment that he perceived a threat and put his finger on the trigger?

The shooting was clearly accidental judging by the fact that Liang was pointing his gun downward (as the police academy trains) and the bullet fired ricocheted off a wall before hitting Gurley. Because Gurley was lower ascending the staircase made him in the wrong place at the wrong time… and even then only being hit from a ricochet.

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Liang fucked up; there’s no two ways about it. He was what cops call a “cheese dick” rookie who was working in the busiest precinct in the city and the most dangerous housing project located therein. Even seasoned veterans would admit that they wouldn’t want to trade places with these rookies on foot posts walking through the projects.

Tragic and accidental, but nothing intentional. Liang couldn’t even see Gurley, let alone shoot him because he was unarmed and black.

Gurley – black, Liang – Asian

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