NYPD Akai Gurley killing: Rookie cop indicted in accidental shooting of unarmed black man
Originally published on 11 February, 2015 Sign up for a free trial of News Direct's animated news graphics at http://newsdirect.nma.com.tw/Reuters.... ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For story suggestions please contact [email protected] young New York Police Department officer has been indicted in the death of an unarmed black-man, who was accidentally shot and killed on November 20 last year.Officer Peter Liang will appear in court on February 11 for killing 28-year-old Akai Gurley when he fired into a darkened stairwell as Gurley waited for an elevator. The incident occurred in Louis Pink Houses, a Brooklyn housing project, at around 11 p.m., when Gurley and his girlfriend, Melissa Butler, were leaving her apartment on the 7th floor. When they found the elevator not working properly, they entered the darkened stairwell.At the same time, officer Liang and his partner, Shaun Landau, were on the 8th floor conducting a vertical patrol of the building, in which officers patrol the stairwell of public housing buildings in an attempt to prevent crime. The gun accidentally discharged when Liang pushed open the door with his pistol in hand just as Gurley and Butler entered the stairwell one floor below. The bullet travelled 12 feet down towards the 7th floor landing, ricocheted off the walls and struck Gurley in the chest.Not knowing he had been shot, Gurley and Butler ran. Gurley managed to get down two flights of stairs before collapsing at the fifth floor landing where a neighbor called 911 while Butler administered first aid. Gurley was pronounced dead at the hospital. He leaves behind a 2-year-old daughter. Liang is indicted with several charges including manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, assault and official misconduct by the grand jury that could send him to prison for up to 15 years. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Next Media Animation’s News Direct service provides daily, high-quality, informative 3D animated news graphics that fill in for missing footage and help viewers understand breaking news stories or in-depth features on science, technology, and health. To subscribe to News Direct or for more info, please visit: http://newsdirect.nma.com.tw/Index.aspx
