10,000 rally to support Chinese-American NYPD officer convicted in fatal stairwell shooting

[Arkain2K]

What say you Sherdog? How many years should former NYPD officer Peter Liang get for the accidental death of Akai Gurley?

About 10,000 protesters rallied in New York on Saturday in support of a former police officer convicted for fatally shooting an unarmed man in a darkened stairwell in a public housing building.

The protest in Brooklyn over ex-Officer Peter Liang's manslaughter conviction in the 2014 shooting of Akai Gurley was one of about 30 taking place around the U.S.



“No scapegoat! No scapegoat!” protesters in New York shouted as the crowd descended on Cadman Plaza, just outside the federal courthouse in Brooklyn. They carried signs declaring Liang's prosecution “selective justice.”

The 28-year-old Liang, who was fired immediately after a jury convicted him earlier this month, faces up to 15 years in prison.

He testified that the shooting was an accident, saying he fired his gun after being frightened by a noise. Many of his supporters say they believe Liang is being scapegoated because of anger over other police shootings in New York and across the country and that he has been treated unfairly because he is Asian American.

“We're here today to let people know that Chinese Americans count as well,” said protester Don Lee, a candidate for New York's state Assembly from Lower Manhattan.

Lee added, “It is a tragedy that Akai Gurley was shot and killed.… But this tragedy's been compounded by another tragedy -- that Peter Liang, in an accident, is going to go to jail for up to 15 years.”

A few dozen people held a counter-protest in New York on Saturday across the street from the larger protest as officers with plastic handcuffs and batons stood between them.

Soraya Soi Free participated in the counter-protest. She argued that Liang was clearly not a scapegoat because he was tried by a jury of his peers, and she did not approve of the protest supporting him.

“This protest is definitely an insult to Akai Gurley's family,” she said.

Liang was convicted Feb. 11 on manslaughter and official-misconduct charges. He is scheduled to be sentenced April 14.

Liang's attorney, Robert Brown, attended the Brooklyn rally and said the community's support was “very uplifting” to Liang.

Brown says he is making motions to have the verdict set aside.

Besides the protests in New York, Philadelphia and Michigan, organizers said rallies took place in dozens of other cities in the U.S. on Saturday, including Los Angeles and San Francisco.


http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-stairwell-shooting-20160220-story.html

 

[Heavydong]

how come it is all about race in this country....? almost all people who support NYPD officer are Asians.

 

[IDL]

how come it is all about race in this country....? almost all people who support NYPD officer are Asians.

Must be an Asian supremacist rally

 

[Rex Kwon Do]

How are the race-baiters turning this into a race thing again??? Seriously, he got in trouble because he's Asian? Lol, ridiculous.

If he was white he would have gotten imprisoned too, and there'd be 15 protesters out there; half of them his family members.

Although maybe this is just one big trolling session. It has to be with crap like this:

“We're here today to let people know that Chinese Americans count as well,” said protester Don Lee, a candidate for New York's state Assembly from Lower Manhattan.

Trolling BLM?

 

[ookii]

Liang showing too much remorse over the accidental shooting was his undoing. He could have been like the other asshole cops who shoots people by accident and justify it without any regard or remorse.

 

[Bukowski82]

How are the race-baiters turning this into a race thing again??? Seriously, he got in trouble because he's Asian? Lol, ridiculous.

If he was white he would have gotten imprisoned too, and there'd be 15 protesters out there; half of them his family members.

Although maybe this is just one big trolling session. It has to be with crap like this:

“We're here today to let people know that Chinese Americans count as well,” said protester Don Lee, a candidate for New York's state Assembly from Lower Manhattan.

Trolling BLM?

Fucking preach, Brother Rex!

 

[Orgasmo]

I don't agree with the manslaughter charge. It should have been criminal negligence causing death instead. He put his finger on the trigger when he shouldn't and fired off a round that ricochet off a wall, killing an innocent man. The important part is ricochet, as he did not aim at the victim. To qualify for manslaughter, you need to have the intention to do serious bodily harm that would likely cause death in the first place. I don't see that element in this case.

He did, however, failed to contact paramedics right away after the accidental shooting. He had also failed to provide first aid. That's why I think he should be charged with criminal negligence.

 

[Selukrid612]

I don't agree with the manslaughter charge. It should have been criminal negligence causing death instead. He put his finger on the trigger when he shouldn't and fired off a round that ricochet off a wall, killing an innocent man. The important part is ricochet, as he did not aim at the victim. To qualify for manslaughter, you need to have the intention to do serious bodily harm that would likely cause death in the first place. I don't see that element in this case.

He did, however, failed to contact paramedics right away after the accidental shooting. He had also failed to provide first aid. That's why I think he should be charged with criminal negligence.

"Overview of New York Involuntary Manslaughter Laws

Manslaughter is a form of homicide - conduct which causes the death of a person - committed when a defendant recklessly causes death (second-degree) or, with an intent to cause serious physical injury, causes death (first-degree). While some states refer to these separate offenses as "involuntary" or "voluntary" manslaughter, the New York Penal Code identifies them as manslaughter in the second degree and first degree, respectively. A person commits second-degree manslaughter when he or she (a) recklessly causes the death of another person; (b) commits an unjustified abortional act upon a female which causes her death; or (c) commits assisted suicide."

http://statelaws.findlaw.com/new-york-law/new-york-involuntary-manslaughter-laws.html

He was charged with second-degree(involuntary) manslaughter.

 

[Orgasmo]

"Overview of New York Involuntary Manslaughter Laws

Manslaughter is a form of homicide - conduct which causes the death of a person - committed when a defendant recklessly causes death (second-degree) or, with an intent to cause serious physical injury, causes death (first-degree). While some states refer to these separate offenses as "involuntary" or "voluntary" manslaughter, the New York Penal Code identifies them as manslaughter in the second degree and first degree, respectively. A person commits second-degree manslaughter when he or she (a) recklessly causes the death of another person; (b) commits an unjustified abortional act upon a female which causes her death; or (c) commits assisted suicide."

http://statelaws.findlaw.com/new-york-law/new-york-involuntary-manslaughter-laws.html

He was charged with second-degree(involuntary) manslaughter.

I have a hard time establishing the reckless part. He didn't have the proper trigger discipline and had a negligent discharge. He wasn't aiming at the victim at the time, nor did he intend to shoot the victim. The bullet from the discharge ricocheted off a wall and struck the victim.

Negligent? Yes
Deserves to be fired and charged? Yes
Manslaughter? No

 

[Selukrid612]

I have a hard time establishing the reckless part. He didn't have the proper trigger discipline and had a negligent discharge. He wasn't aiming at the victim at the time, nor did he intend to shoot the victim. The bullet from the discharge ricocheted off a wall and struck the victim.

Negligent? Yes
Deserves to be fired and charged? Yes
Manslaughter? No

It's a tough situation, two other officers were shot doing a similar stairwell patrol during his trial. They're extremely dangerous places and he had every reason to be jumpy, but you can't be so jumpy that you just start firing off rounds when you hear something. That absolutely is reckless behavior and it led to a death, hence the manslaughter charge. And he continued to behave recklessly after he fired his weapon. I don't support the max sentence by any means, but it does sound like a classic case of involuntary manslaughter to me. He could still end up serving very little time.

 

[lil billy]

some people don't take kindly to the youths characterizing this ricochet bullet death as a "modern day lynching"

 

[Hog-train]

I'm Asian and think he was a scapegoat, but STILL GUILTY.

You can't NOT convict him just because other white officers got away with stuff.

The guy called his union rep while a man lay dying. F&ck him.

Hopefully, ALL officers who commit a crime get convicted.

 

[machidafan99]

Wow. This is most interesting. The silent minority has spoken.

 

[machidafan99]

If it were any other gun but a Glock the case for failure or accident could have been made for reasonable doubt.

Glocks are just too reliable. The trigger pull is there as is good resistence & safety. They dont raelly malfunction.

Had he carried an old ass 1911 there would have been reasonable doubt.

 

[voxom]

we have to jail killer cops....only if they are white though. my desire to jail killer(white)cops doesn't have anything to do with race though, only justice.

 

[MadSquabbles500]

How are the race-baiters turning this into a race thing again??? Seriously, he got in trouble because he's Asian? Lol, ridiculous.

If he was white he would have gotten imprisoned too, and there'd be 15 protesters out there; half of them his family members.

Although maybe this is just one big trolling session. It has to be with crap like this:

“We're here today to let people know that Chinese Americans count as well,” said protester Don Lee, a candidate for New York's state Assembly from Lower Manhattan.

Trolling BLM?

The blacks turn it into race baiting all the time. Seems to have worked for them.

 

[Arkain2K]

I'm Asian and think he was a scapegoat, but STILL GUILTY.

You can't NOT convict him just because other white officers got away with stuff.

The guy called his union rep while a man lay dying. F&ck him.

Hopefully, ALL officers who commit a crime get convicted.

How many years do you think he should/will get?

 

[Skip Reming]

Look, only black officers can kill black civilians. Why should police vs civilian be any different than civilian vs civilian?

 

[Gus Fring]

It's a tough situation, two other officers were shot doing a similar stairwell patrol during his trial. They're extremely dangerous places and he had every reason to be jumpy, but you can't be so jumpy that you just start firing off rounds when you hear something. That absolutely is reckless behavior and it led to a death, hence the manslaughter charge. And he continued to behave recklessly after he fired his weapon. I don't support the max sentence by any means, but it does sound like a classic case of involuntary manslaughter to me. He could still end up serving very little time.

Through the legal perspective, you are using the term "reckless" incorrectly.

EDIT: Don't be mad at me doe.

 

[nixkid]

The cop is probably going to do less than 2 years like in the Oscar Grant case. If you think someone is being scapegoated with a *very likely to be* 2-3 years sentence for killing someone then you can fuck all the way off. The guy is going to get a slap on the wrist relative to the crime (a man is dead for literally walking up some stairs).

Look, only black officers can kill black civilians. Why should police vs civilian be any different than civilian vs civilian?

I know you're trying to be clever (and failing) but Blacks that kill other blacks go to jail for very long prison sentences when they are caught.