A Brooklyn grand jury has returned 2nd degree manslaughter, reckless endangerment, 2nd degree assault and official misconduct charges against Officer Peter Liang in the November shooting of Akai Gurley. Laing shot the unarmed Gurley while patrolling a stairwell in a Brooklyn housing project in November. Laing and his partner then would not answer the radio for 6 minutes after the shooting while they were texting their union rep. Gurley was 28 and left behind a 2 year old child. Liang is facing up to 15 years in prison.

 

The grand jury got this one right.

 

NYPD cop indicted in fatal shooting of Akai Gurley - NY Daily News

The official charges are now: 2nd degree manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, assault, reckless endangerment and official misconduct.

 

Officer Liang has surrendered to police and pled not guilty to all charges. He was released without posting bond.

 

“There was absolutely no threat to him, his partner or any resident,” said Assistant District Attorney Marc Fliedner at the hearing. “He mishandled his weapon, and as a result Akai Gurley is dead.”

 

Liang — who waited four minutes to call in the gunshot — was more concerned with his own job security than the dying man struck by his bullet, the prosecutor charged.

 

“It was an accident,” he reportedly told his partner. “I’m gonna get fired.”

 

Fliedner added that the officer never even tried to perform CPR on Gurley, prompting a quick rebuttal from defense attorney Stephen Worth.

 

“It was a tortured attempt to make Liang look heartless and unfeeling,” Worth said

 

The victim's girlfriend and mother of his 2 year old daughter is planning on filing a $50 million lawsuit against the city, the NYPD and the 2 officers involved.

 

 

NYPD's Peter Liang pleads not guilty in Akai Gurley shooting - NY Daily News

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/12/nyregion/akai-gurley-shooting-death-arraignment.html?_r=0