The Bronx judge who sent an ex-NYPD sergeant to prison for at least three years Thursday for fatally flinging a picnic cooler at a fleeing drug suspect claimed the punishment would serve as a “general deterrent” to other cops.
Judge Guy Mitchell justified the sentence of 3-to-9 years behind bars for former Sgt. Erik Duran in part by arguing it’ll send a message to others in law enforcement.
He also rejected Duran’s testimony that throwing the cooler at e-scooter-riding Eric Duprey during the August 2023 undercover drug sting had been justified.
“They had enough to investigate and catch him on a different day,” he said of the suspect.
Duran and his legal team, along with thousands of officers, had called on Mitchell not to impose a prison sentence after the judge found the since-fired cop guilty of manslaughter in February.
Mitchell conceded that Duran — who issued an emotional apology to Duprey’s family and pleaded with the judge for mercy at Thursday’s hearing — was “extremely remorseful” and would not find himself in criminal trouble again.
“The distinction is that the deceased will no longer be seen again by his family,” he said from the bench.
