NYPD Sergeant Suspended After Throwing Cooler, Striking Fleeing Motorcyclist Who Crashed and Died

A police sergeant attempted to stop a man fleeing a cocaine bust in New York City by throwing a plastic picnic cooler at him, but the man wrecked his motorcycle and died as a result.

After Eric Duprey died in the University Heights neighborhood of the Bronx, the Sergeant, Erik Duran, was placed on administrative leave without pay, according to the police.

The Associated Press was able to see surveillance footage showing Duprey driving on a sidewalk toward a group of individuals who didn’t appear to be in uniform.

The video depicts one of the individuals picking up the red picnic cooler and throwing it at Duprey from a close distance, smacking him in the head. The motorcycle then veers onto the street, Duprey loses control, and he is hurled in the direction of a tree.

The bike then collides with a metal barricade and crashes into a parked automobile. The office of New York’s attorney general, Letitia James, is looking into a death involving police.

The NYPD claimed to be collaborating. „The NYPD is committed to ensuring that there will be a full, thorough, and transparent investigation of this incident to determine the facts and to take the appropriate steps forward,” the agency said in a statement.

There was a note left with Duran’s union asking for a response. Police reported that, after Duran tossed the cooler at the man, the man lost control of his motorcycle, crashed into a parked car, and collapsed to the ground.

The incident was initially covered by The Daily News. In a „buy-and-bust” operation, plainclothes narcotics unit officers attempted to apprehend Duprey, 30, but he eluded them.

He was suspected of distributing drugs. Police reported that he was pronounced dead shortly after the collision. According to a police personnel database, Duran joined the NYPD in 2010 and has received numerous awards from the agency for what it considers to be good and honorable police service.

According to the city’s Civilian Allegation Review Board, Duran’s disciplinary history includes a substantiated allegation from last year about him abusing his power during a stop.