Gubernatorial candidate vows to pardon cop convicted of manslaughter in death of fleeing suspect

Bruce Blakeman, New York's Republican campaigner for governor, has vowed to pardon a erstwhile NYPD sergeant convicted of manslaughter successful the decease of a fleeing suspect, who helium knocked disconnected a scooter with a cooler.

He made the announcement astatine a quality briefing extracurricular City Hall successful New York City Monday morning.

Sgt. Erik Duran, 38, has been sentenced to 3 to 9 years successful situation for manslaughter successful the 2023 decease of a suspected cause trader named Eric Duprey, 30.

NYC JUDGE SEEKS TO MAKE EXAMPLE OF OFFICER WHO THREW COOLER AT FLEEING SUSPECT, CAUSING FATAL CRASH

Former New York City constabulary sergeant Erik Duran is seated during his sentencing proceeding astatine the Bronx County Hall of Justice connected April 9, 2026, successful New York. He was sentenced for throwing a picnic cooler afloat of drinks astatine a fleeing suspect, Eric Duprey, who past crashed his motorized scooter and died. (Michael R. Sisak/AP)

Prosecutors from New York Attorney General Letitia James's bureau had requested a 5 to 15 twelvemonth sentence.

Duprey sold drugs to an undercover serviceman and fled apprehension connected a motorized scooter earlier Duran, who was wearing plainclothes astatine the time, grabbed a bystander's cooler and threw it astatine him.

It struck Duprey, who mislaid power of the scooter. He crashed and died.

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Eric Duprey died successful August 2023 erstwhile an NYPD serviceman threw a cooler astatine him arsenic helium was fleeing a cause cognition successful the Bronx. (WNYW)

"I took this occupation to prevention lives," Duran told the justice astatine sentencing past week. "I felt unspeakable erstwhile I saw Eric Duprey crash."

The NYPD sergeant is the archetypal subordinate of the section to beryllium sent to situation for a duty-related decease successful decades.

Duran's defence had opted for a seat trial, with nary jury, nether Bronx Judge Guy Mitchell, an appointee nether erstwhile Mayor Bill de Blasio, successful February.

Mitchell rejected Duran's statement that the cooler throwing was justified successful bid to support different officers from harm by the fleeing fishy and said the condemnation would server arsenic a "general deterrent" for different officers.

"They had capable to analyse and drawback him connected a antithetic day," helium said of Duran and different officers astatine the scene. "The favoritism is that the deceased volition nary longer beryllium seen again by his family."

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Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman makes an announcement regarding an enforcement bid banning transgender girls and women from competing successful women’s sports astatine region facilities successful Mineola, New York, connected March 18, 2024. (Adam Gray/Reuters)

Vincent Vallelong, the president of the NYPD Sergeant's Benevolent Association, called the condemnation "one of the darkest days successful the past of our profession."

"It wasn't lone Sgt. Duran, a large cop, who was connected trial," helium said aft sentencing Thursday. "Every instrumentality enforcement serviceman who makes a divided 2nd determination successful the show of their duties to support the public, was besides connected trial."

The NYPD fired Duran aft his conviction, which helium is expected to appeal.

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Blakeman, who was commissioner of the New York-New Jersey Port Authority during the 9/11 panic attacks, is presently the region enforcement successful Nassau County, a suburb conscionable eastbound of New York City. He has received President Donald Trump's endorsement successful the contention against incumbent Gov. Kathy Hochul.

Fox News' Louis Casiano contributed to this report.