A New York man fleeing from NYPD officers on a motorbike lost his life after being struck by a plastic cooler thrown by a sergeant. The officer has been suspended, and the New York attorney general has initiated an investigation into the matter. The fatal incident took place during a “plainclothes buy-and-bust operation” aimed at apprehending Eric Duprey, a 30-year-old suspected of selling narcotics.
NYPD sergeant Erik Duran threw an object at Duprey as he attempted to escape on a motorbike. The impact caused Duprey to lose control, resulting in a collision with a vehicle and a fatal head injury. The New York attorney general’s office confirmed that the object hurled by the officer was a picnic cooler. Duprey was pronounced dead at the scene.
In response to the incident, the NYPD announced on social media that Duran had been suspended without pay pending further investigation. The attorney general’s Office of Special Investigation will conduct a thorough inquiry to examine the officer’s actions.
Family and friends of Duprey expressed their grief and disbelief over the incident. Orlyanis Velez, the mother of Duprey’s two children, lamented the loss of a loving father and questioned the need for lethal force. She also emphasized that the victim was not armed at the time of the incident and did not pose a threat. Duprey’s neighbor, Erik DeJesus, shared the shock felt by the community, with one witness too traumatized to leave her home.
A makeshift memorial now stands at the spot where Duprey tragically fell from his bike and lost his life.