Bronx Judge Sentences NYPD Sergeant to Prison for Cooler Throw That Killed Fleeing Suspect

Former NYPD Sgt. Erik Duran was sentenced Thursday to three to nine years in prison after a Bronx judge convicted him of manslaughter for killing 30‑year‑old Eric Duprey by throwing a bystander’s ice‑filled picnic cooler at him during an August 2023 undercover drug operation. Duprey, who had just sold drugs to an undercover officer, tried to flee on a motorized scooter, and Duran — working out of uniform — hurled the cooler as the scooter drove along a Bronx sidewalk, causing Duprey to lose control, strike a tree, and die almost instantly. Judge Guy Mitchell rejected Duran’s claim that he acted to protect other officers, finding he acted recklessly out of anger that Duprey was escaping and emphasizing that police could have arrested the suspect later, saying the sentence is meant to deter similar conduct by officers. Prosecutors from New York Attorney General Letitia James’ office argued Duran had time to warn others to move and "knew or should have known" the cooler could cause serious harm or a crash. Duran, a 13‑year NYPD veteran and the first city officer in at least two decades to receive a prison term for an on‑duty death, expressed remorse in court, while his union, the Sergeants Benevolent Association, warned the case will chill split‑second decision‑making by officers, a debate already spilling across law‑enforcement circles and social media.