Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson will not recommend that Peter Liang, a New York Police Department officer who shot and killed an unarmed man, serve jail time.
In November 2014, Liang shot and killed Akai Gurley as he walked down a stairwell. Liang allegedly accidentally discharged his weapon and the bullet ricocheted off the wall before hitting Gurley. From the New York Post:
Thompson is recommending “five years of probation, with the condition that he serves six months of home confinement with electric monitoring and performs 500 hours of community service.”
“Peter Liang was indicted, prosecuted and subsequently convicted by a jury because his reckless actions caused an innocent man to lose his life,” Thompson said in a statement.
“There is no evidence, however, that he intended to kill or injure Akai Gurley. When Mr. Liang went into that building that night, he did so as part of his job and to keep the people of Brooklyn and our city safe.”
If you’re keeping track, that’s another police officer that won’t spend time in jail for killing an unarmed black man. In other words, the prosecutor may charge a cop, even convict a cop— but even that doesn’t mean that a member of law enforcement will serve time. This is a major disappointment, especially because Thompson is seen as a progressive and supportive district attorney.
Thompson’s recommendation now goes to the judge. Liang will be sentenced on April 14.