Akai Gurley, a 28-year-old African American man was shot and killed on November 20, 2014, by NYPD officer Peter Liang in a housing project in Brooklyn, New York. Gurley was unarmed and was walking down the stairs of the building when he was shot.
Liang was a probationary officer at the time and was patrolling a housing project in Brooklyn when he discharged his gun, striking Gurley, who was unarmed and walking down the stairs of the building.
Liang was charged with manslaughter and official misconduct. He argued that the shooting was accidental and that he had not intended to harm Gurley. However, he was found guilty of second-degree manslaughter and official misconduct in February 2016 and could have faced up to 15 years in prison.
But Liang was ultimately sentenced to only five years of probation and 800 hours of community service. New York City paid $4.1 million to settle a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Gurley’s family. Liang paid $25,000 to Kim Ballinger, the mother of Gurley’s daughter, as part of the settlement. He was also fired from the NYPD.
