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The other day, we endorsed Brooklyn DA Ken Thompson's call for ex-cop Peter Liang to do no prison time after his manslaughter conviction. [32][33][34], New York City Police Commissioner Bill Bratton declared the shooting to be an accident and that Gurley was a "total innocent. Sylvia Palmer, mother of Akai Gurley, speaks outside state Supreme Court in Brooklyn after hearing NYPD Officer Peter Liang testify about Gurley's 2014 death in a housing project stairwell. But no, he's a Chinese, so no one is coming out. Actor Kenny Leu pushes for inclusive Asian-American stories with 'A Both Liang, who apologized to Ballinger for shooting Gurley, and the Brooklyn District Attorneys Office have filed separate notice of appeals in the criminal case. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Officers Patrick Espeut and Diara Cruz were wounded by a gunman who later killed himself. Peter LIANG | Assistant Professor | NYU Langone Medical Center, New [77][78], The New York City Police Department's practice of vertical patrols was also criticized. Yes, it is undeniable that Asian Americans are generally in a significantly better socioeconomic position than other minority groups in this country. The case sparked intense emotions with many seeing this as another case of police misconduct against the Black community and others seeing Liang as a scapegoat for other injustices. Imagine a young patient - Kim - providing blood samples to her doctor. That direction ended up playing the role of impartial observer. Gurleys supporters want to hold the police accountable. [73], In August 2016, New York City reached an agreement with Gurley's family for $4.1 million, settling a lawsuit brought by Kimberley Ballinger, Akaila's mother. Would You Like That With A Side of Grits Or An Egg Roll. Photo: Peter Obi, Goodluck Okechukwu Source: Twitter. Liang, who is Chinese-American, has hired two former NYPD officers as his defense lawyers: Rae Koshetz, a former deputy commissioner who oversaw internal disciplinary trials for NYPD members for. Weve seen bureaucracy, corruption and lots of shirking of responsibility that have led to Peter Liang becoming a scapegoat, Jerry Lo, a protester from Long Island, told the National Public Radio. Our system failed Gurley and it failed Liang. A jury convicted Liang of second-degree manslaughter in February for Gurley's death. Gurley was visiting his girlfriend and getting his hair braided before Thanksgiving. What supporters of Peter Liang are asking for is to grant Liang, like Darren Wilson and Daniel Pantaleo, the license to take black lives at will. Butler has brought her own civil lawsuit against the city, which was still pending. They graduated from STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK / HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER AT BROOKLYN / COLLEGE OF MEDICINE in 2015. Theres (also) all this secondary trauma and tertiary trauma that happens to the folks that surround them and are working with them that I didnt really anticipate until I was in it.. In response to the settlement, the mayor's office also called Gurley's death a tragedy. In Liang case, Ken Thompson was neither 'shrewd' nor a Were an all-volunteer effort of dedicated staff andinterns. Liang, who is Chinese American, was convicted of second-degree manslaughter and one count of official misconduct for the shooting of Akai Gurley, a 28-year-old black man and father, during an. I cant help but bring in a quote from . A Shot Through The Wall, directed by Aimee Long, premiered at the Bentonville Film Festival in Arkansas in August and is now in post-production. (718) 273-0553. In 2014 a Hong Kong-born NYPD officer, Peter Liang, pulled his gun while on patrol, and accidentally shot dead African-American Akai Gurley His case inspired A Shot Through the Wall, about an. I have the same name as the police officer, but I thought that it might be a little bit of a trigger for folks.. Lawyers for Liang say the evidence doesn't meet legal requirements for the charges, which accuse him of disregarding a substantial and unjustifiable risk of serious injury or death, and have asked the judge to dismiss the case. We cant afford the luxury of sitting on the sidelines and just watching. Culturally, I was always told to not ruffle any feathers, to not wash dirty laundry outside and to keep my head down, she added, convinced that Asian Americans should now stand in solidarity with other minorities. My name is Peter Liang, and I am a junior at Massachusetts Academy of Math and Science at WPI. [17][20] The New York Daily News initiated rumors that their commander had instructed officers in the area not to carry out vertical patrols and instead to conduct exterior policing, and that the officers were texting their union representative as Gurley lay dying. Granted, there were some cooler heads in the mix, but those more race-conscious protesters were few and far in between. Long started writing the script in 2015, around the early days of the Black Lives Matter movement. A former print journalist and television producer, Liang made the jump to directing with 2014's 9-Man, about a streetball game played in Chinatowns throughout North Americaan intriguing fusion of sports doc and cultural history. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The doctor uses the sample to confirm Kim's infection levels and to prescribe drugs for her; she also asks Kim for informed consent to share the blood sample with a biobank that sequences the sample, creating digital representations of Kim's genetic profile that are shared with numerous research teams . New York officer to stand trial for fatal shooting of black man Peter Liang is not the victim here just because the system did not cover up his mistakes. But prosecutors and Gurley's loved ones say Liang handled his weapon recklessly and did nearly nothing to help Gurley after realizing the bullet had hit someone. The money went into a fund for Akaila, Gurley's then two-year-old daughter, who would have access after turning 18 with the court's approval. [49] Delores Jones-Brown, a professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, speculated to The Atlantic that Liang would have avoided conviction had he rendered aid to Gurley, while jurors later reported that the effort required for them to pull the trigger on a police-issued pistol led them to disbelieve that Liang's testimony was completely true. ", "New York City, Peter Liang to Pay Over $4 Million Settlement to Family of Akai Gurley", "As civil suit dismissed, Peter Liang expected to not appeal conviction", " Where Do Funds Raised for Peter Liang Go? You understand that theres a level of trauma when youre dealing with a family that has lost somebody. In evaluating the possibility of equipment failure, they concluded that the 11.5-pound (51-newton) trigger could not have been fired unintentionally. Days after former New York Police Department (NYPD) Officer Peter Liang fatally shot Akai Gurley, an unarmed black man, in a Brooklyn housing project in November 2014, Cathy Dang headed to East New York to meet with people organizing on behalf of Gurley's family. Its a truly monumental and unprecedented show of force, demonstrating a level of organization and mobilization that neither I nor anyone else thought the community was capable of achieving and man, it was a breathtakingly powerful force to behold. When Justice Isn't Black & White: "Down a Dark Stairwell" on Many of the protesters were pro-police, anti-Black Lives Matterand dismissive of Mr. Gurleys death basically co-opting the language of white supremacists. Liang, a rookie officer at the time, and his partner were patrolling a darkened stairwell at a public housing project known as the Pink Houses when Liang heard a noise and fired his gun. total 13 events on August 14, the first competition day of the 28th We stand by that but were Police Commissioner Bill Bratton blasted Assemblyman Charles Barron on Friday, saying the state lawmaker practically committed a criminal act by threatening that violence is inevitable if stairwell-shoot cop Peter Liang The fact that he says hes sorry didnt bring Akai back, Kimberly Ballinger told her lawyer after meeting Thursday with Peter Liang the now-former cop who accidentally killed her Assemblyman Charles Barron on Thursday warned of riots, saying violence is inevitable if former NYPD officer Peter Liang gets the no-jail sentence recommended by Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson. [65] Both radioed for an ambulance as Gurley's girlfriend performed CPR. [66][67], On April 19, 2016, Justice Chun reduced Liang's conviction from manslaughter to criminally negligent homicide then sentenced Liang to five years of probation and 800 hours community service. Why The Chinese Community Shouldn't Rally Around Indicted Cop Peter Liang "I just turned, and the gun went off," Liang testified. [26] His lawyers submitted an appeal to Judge Danny Chun while Liang remained free without bail. It takes the first spot on the medal standings with six medals including another silver and bronze medals. [25] Liang's gun discharged as he opened the door and the bullet ricocheted off the wall and struck Gurley once in the chest. [13] Liang had aspired to become a police officer since he was a child. "Peter Liang is one individual within a larger, corrupted criminal injustice system that doesn't value black nor brown lives," she said. Liang is Chinese-American. And so I think that that that scene was essential for the documentary and, you know, giving the audience a little bit of a model for what can be.. Actor Kenny Leu ( Midway) leads the movie A Shot Through the Wall, inspired by the story of former New York City police officer Peter Liang, who was convicted of criminally negligent homicide. Liang was sentenced to 800 hours of community . They are affiliated with Staten Island University Hospital. On February 10, 2015, Liang was indicted by a grand jury (seven men and five women)[1] for manslaughter, assault, and other criminal charges (five counts total)[2] after members were shown footage of the unlit house and the 9mm Glock used in the shooting. Dr. Peter Liang - Family Practice, Staten Island NY Americas. Unfortunately, in the case of Peter Liang, this power was poorly used indeed. So, when Liang was convicted, it was a watershed for Asian Americans. Prosecutors say the bullet ricocheted off a wall and into Akai Gurley. No decisions have been made and its a complicated chess board," Shechtman said. Peter is deeply sorry and hopes that even though nothing will bring back Mr. Gurley, that this settlement helps his loved ones find closure, Robert Brown, Liangs attorney, told NBC News. "They are solely dedicated to mentor and train new recruits when they graduate from the police academy., Better training is welcomed by Patrolmen's Benevolent Association President Pat Lynch, who believes the Liang verdict will greatly impact the way officers do their jobs. She persevered because she saw this as an important moment in Asian American history which would remain pivotal years from now. Advocates for police accountability are watching Liang's trial closely. ", Some protesters outside the courthouse showed support for Liang, holding signs that said "tragic accident. Ed Mullins, the president of the Sergeants Benevolent Association, has called on Commissioner Bratton to suspend vertical patrol. In all honesty, I was blown away by the response the Chinese-American community fielded in defense of Peter Liang. Instead she chose to highlight a bit more understanding of why people were taking certain positions.. Liang's attorneys, Robert Brown and Rae Koshetz, argued that Liang was in a state of shock after his gun went off and did not realize that he hit anyone. During the trial, Liang and his partner said they did not really learn CPR in the academy even though they were certified. Inspector Richard Dee, executive officer of the NYPD Police Academy, explained to the I-team that they have trained over 800 field training officers. She set out to dial down the volume a little bit and not focus on the hot and testy stuff happening on the street. (Seth Wenig/AP) "Peter Liang was sworn. Updated on April 19 at 4:30 p.m. EST. Police Commissioner William Bratton has said that the patrols are needed to reduce crime[17][20] and vertical patrols continue to be conducted in the Pink Houses. , where Nick Carraway describes his role at a party: A friend of mine (who is Asian American) once told me a story from when he was a kid: He and five other friends (all of whom were white) went to one of the friends house and was told by the friends dad that there was only room for five: . First, that the death of Mr. Gurley was not intentional; this argument, given the. "It was a terribly tragic accident, we aren't looking to lessen the death," said Lynch. [41] On February 5, 2016, while Liang's trial was underway, two NYPD officers were wounded while conducting vertical patrols at a housing development in the Bronx. He said . But I just think that he [Liang] did something wrong and he should be held accountable for it, Ling told NPR. 1.Introduction. Why Are Some Asians Still Supporting the Cop Who Shot Akai Gurley? AsAmNews has Asian America in its heart. See Alex Vincent Now She Played 'Ginny Weasley' In Harry Potter. Assistant District Attorney[70] Joseph Alexis claimed the killing wasn't an accident and that Liang chose to place the finger on the trigger. Palmer dismissed Liang's claim the shooting was an accident, saying it was murder. Anastasia Savira, Echolocation (still), 2023. She also testified of being trained to have her firearm out when approaching a roof landing, finger alongside the trigger. . [59] However, he was fired from the NYPD the day after his partner was convicted. Still she admits producing the film elicited strong emotions in her as well. Still, building trust in her own community wasnt easy. The judge has barred any mention of those shootings in Liang's trial. The press conference was held Tuesday outside Brooklyn Supreme Court where NYPD Officer Peter Liang appeared for a hearing. A grand jury in 2015 indicted the fired New York police officer of five counts including manslaughter in the death of Akai Gurley, a Black man.