Judge to Decide Fate of NYPD Sergeant in Cooler Death Case

Judge Guy H. Mitchell found NYPD Sgt. Erik Duran guilty of second-degree manslaughter for the death of Eric Duprey, a 30-year-old Bronx delivery worker who crashed and later died after Duran hurled a red Igloo cooler at him as Duprey fled on a motorized scooter. Sentencing is scheduled for March 19, 2026.

Prosecutors built the case on body-worn camera footage, surveillance video, and the cooler itself, which they placed on the courtroom table during closing arguments to underline their claim that the throw was reckless. In court, prosecutors described the decision to throw the cooler as “unreasonable and unnecessary,” and said that when jurors view the evidence “you recoil because that is so inconsistent with the standard of care.”

The incident began on Aug. 23, 2023, during an undercover narcotics operation in the Bronx. Prosecutors say Duprey sold $20 worth of cocaine to an undercover detective and fled. Surveillance footage and witness testimony showed Sgt. Duran grabbing a nearby red picnic cooler and throwing it at Duprey as he sped away on a scooter. Duprey crashed, suffered fatal injuries, and later died.

Duran, 38, waived a jury and chose a bench trial. He testified that he acted to protect colleagues and himself, saying “He was gonna crash into us. I mean, I didn’t have time. All I had time for was to try again to stop or to try to get him to change directions. That’s all I had the time to think of.” Defense lawyers framed his actions as necessary “To save his own life and the life of others.” Duran also testified that after the crash he immediately tried to help Duprey, asking “Can you hear me? Can you hear me?” and observing that “he was in bad shape.”

The judge dismissed an assault count earlier in the proceedings for lack of proof of intent to harm, and reporting around the verdict shows varying accounts of how the remaining counts were resolved. Reports also differ on the possible prison exposure Duran faces if sentenced on the manslaughter conviction, with figures of up to 15 years and up to 25 years circulating.

The verdict prompted strong reactions. Orlyanis Velez, Duprey’s wife, said, “3 years waiting for justice. I never lost faith.” Family attorney Jonathan Roberts said, “The verdict ‘confirms what this family has said from the beginning: A life was lost because a police officer made a dangerous and unjustifiable decision during a nonviolent encounter.’ ‘While no verdict can bring their loved one back, accountability matters.’” The Sergeants Benevolent Association, through president Vincent Vallelong, called the verdict “a miscarriage of justice,” adding that “We vigorously maintain Sergeant Duran’s innocence” and that “Our attorneys are reviewing all our legal options. We are confident Judge Mitchell's verdict will be overturned.”

For readers tracking police accountability and the limits of force, the case is significant: it centers on whether an officer’s split-second decision crossed the legal line into criminal conduct, and it uses familiar courtroom dramatics - body cams, a physical exhibit, and a bench verdict - to test standards of care in policing. The conviction will be followed by sentencing on March 19 and a planned wrongful-death lawsuit by the Duprey family, keeping the case active both in criminal and civil arenas.