Former NYPD officer gets 3 to 9 years in prison for throwing a cooler that caused fatal crash

NEW YORK (AP) — A former New York City police officer has been sentenced (April 9, 2026) to three to nine years in prison for tossing a picnic cooler full of drinks at a fleeing suspect, who then crashed his motorized scooter and died. Former Sgt. Erik Duran was convicted of manslaughter for the 2023 death of Eric Duprey. Duran had pleaded not guilty. He testified at his trial that he was trying to protect other officers from the approaching scooter on a Bronx sidewalk. Prosecutors argued the sergeant had enough time to warn others to move but instead tossed the cooler in frustration.