NEW YORK — The rare indictment this week of a New York City police officer in the death of an unarmed black man raises the prospect of something even rarer: that the officer in question may actually be convicted.
Rookie NYPD officer Peter Liang, 27, was arraigned Wednesday afternoon in the November death of 28-year-old Akai Gurley. He’s facing charges of second-degree manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, assault and official misconduct.
Liang was released Wednesday on his own recognizance and is awaiting trial. His next court appearance is May 14. If convicted of second-degree manslaughter, the top charge, Liang could face up to 15 years in prison.
Columbia University Law professor Bernard Harcourt says that in order to convict Liang on a manslaughter charge, the prosecution will have to prove he had an “awareness of a significant risk,” yet chose to disregard that risk.
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Liang’s lawyer, Stephen Worth, told reporters after the arraignment that Gurley’s death was a terrible accident, but that his client didn’t do anything wrong.
“When this case was first investigated, it was determined to be an accidental discharge,” he said. “It remains an accidental discharge today.”
“There is nothing reckless or criminally negligent about the way Officer Liang performed his duties that night,” he added.
