We bring the right treatments to the right patients at the right time. Gurley's girlfriend, Melissa Butler, who was with Gurley in the stairwell the night of the shooting, cried as she was escorted out of the courtroom today by Assemblyman Charles Barron. Liang was sentenced to 800 hours of community . Peter Liang. District Attorney Thompson plans to appeal todays reduction in the verdict. He said that neither of them tried to revive Gurley, with both of them saying they did not feel qualified to perform CPR. Liang had already made inroads into the Chinese American community with her debut film in 2012, 9 Man, a vicious game of street volleyball unique to the Asian American community. [9], Akai Kareem Gurley (c.1986 November 20, 2014) was born in Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, and moved to New York as a child. Marc Fliedner, A former top prosecutor in Brooklyn plans to run for district attorney next year, The Post has learned. [41] On February 5, 2016, while Liang's trial was underway, two NYPD officers were wounded while conducting vertical patrols at a housing development in the Bronx. Front-runner for Oscar. Peter Yew was a 27-year-old engineer who, in 1975, was brutally beaten by police officers in Manhattan's Chinatown, when he attempted to intervene after he saw them beating a 15-year-old kid whom. then guest-starred as Jordan Stewart in an episode of the action drama TV series "Baywatch" (1993), played Ben in the TV . Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Their office accepts new patients. Many people might not know this, but despite our large and loyal following which we are immensely grateful for, NextShark is still a small bootstrapped startup that runs on no outside funding or loans. ", "New York City, Peter Liang to Pay Over $4 Million Settlement to Family of Akai Gurley", "As civil suit dismissed, Peter Liang expected to not appeal conviction", " Where Do Funds Raised for Peter Liang Go? Filmmaker Ursula Liang managed to get inside both camps and gave viewers a unique look in her film Down the Dark Stairwell. Assistant District Attorney[70] Joseph Alexis claimed the killing wasn't an accident and that Liang chose to place the finger on the trigger. He fired once and the bullet ricocheted, killing Akai Gurley, who was also in the stairwell. (Seth Wenig/AP) "Peter Liang was sworn. Please consider interning, joining our staff, or submitting a story or making a contribution. [51][46] Joseph Lin, a real estate agent and activist, had helped to organize the protests due to feeling that Asian Americans had been too passive with no political voice, saying that, "If he's a black officer, I guarantee you Al Sharpton will come out. Liang emigrated to the United States as a child to Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, with his parents and grandmother; he also has a younger brother in college. No decisions have been made and its a complicated chess board," Shechtman said. Meanwhile, Gurley's girlfriend, Melissa Butler, tried to resuscitate Gurley, following instructions called out by a neighbor who was on the phone with a 911 operator. This is a film not everyone wanted Liang to make. And back then, it made sense. But, this defense is paradoxical, because while Asian Americans are included in the power structure, they are never equal partners when something goes south, as it did in this case, the Asian American is the first to be blamed. [65] Both radioed for an ambulance as Gurley's girlfriend performed CPR. Doing now what patients need next. Before I moved here in 2nd grade, I lived in Texas. A grand jury declined to indict Neri on charges of criminally negligent homicide, declaring the event an accident based on testimony that he had unintentionally fired. In all honesty, I was blown away by the response the Chinese-American community fielded in defense of Peter Liang. No comments have so far been submitted. Brooklyn district attorney Kenneth Thompson said justice will be served if the now-former officer serves probation. A daily dose of Asian America's essential stories - in under 5 minutes, 2022 NextShark, Inc. All rights reserved.Terms & Conditions. The bullet ricocheted off a wall and pierced the chest of Gurley, who was walking 14 steps below. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The Brooklyn district attorney's office asked a state judge Wednesday to spare former New York Police Department officer Peter Liang prison time in the 2014 shooting death of an unarmed man in . Q SO-KO, a new space in a converted Nagoya warehouse, is marking its arrival with an enticing two-hander entitled Placeness. [13] Thousands walked across the Brooklyn Bridge to Manhattan's Chinatown in April to demand the charges to be dropped, as had been done in the past with white officers. His articles have appeared in Foreign Policy andthe Taipei Timesand in Chinese on ETToday.net, a popular Taiwanese news website. What supporters of Peter Liang are asking for is to grant Liang, like Darren Wilson and Daniel Pantaleo, the license to take black lives at will. That became an effective vehicle to offer a diverse range of perspectives in the film. But prosecutors and Gurley's loved ones say Liang handled his weapon recklessly and did nearly nothing to help Gurley after realizing the bullet had hit someone. slide chapter introduction to computers, programs, and java liang, introduction to java programming, eleventh edition, 2017 pearson education, inc. all rights Skip to document Ask an Expert His name is Shaun Landau. Whats justice, whats right, its also about the people who get left behind., Feature Images via Getty (left), Kings Road Pictures (right). Akai Gurley, 28, an unarmed, African-American father of a. We are invited to the party, but never quite made to feel belong. Unfolding in the dark stairwell of a Brooklyn housing project, the shooting inflamed the residents of New York City and thrust two marginalized communities together into the uneven criminal justice system. A jury convicted Liang in February of second-degree manslaughter and official misconduct for accidentally firing a shot while, with his gun drawn, he began a vertical patrol with his partner on the eighth floor of a darkened stairwell at the Louis H. Pink Houses. Officer Richard Neri killed Stansbury, 19, on a roof of the Louis Armstrong Houses in Brooklyn at about 1 am. First, that the death of Mr. Gurley was not intentional; this argument, given the facts, is nonsense. Its a special kind of loneliness when suddenly you realize why, when that kids dad said there was only room for five, everyone else knew he was talking to you. RELATED: Ex-Cop Peter Liang Apologizes to Akai Gurley's Domestic Partner in Meeting. The conviction of Peter Liang, a Chinese-American officer who fatally shot unarmed black father Akai Gurley, has sparked complex racial tensions People protest on behalf of officer Peter. But no, he's a Chinese, so no one is coming out. We 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. 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They wanted to feel its weight in their . Former NYPD officer Peter Liang's sentenced was reduced today. She also spoke briefly to members of the Asian American community who came out in support of Akai Gurleys family. "But it's also a terrible tragedy for this officer.". [60][61] He pleaded not guilty to the charges and was released without having to post bond, and suspended from his job without pay. Athens -China won four gold medals including the first gold of the Games out of thetotal 13 events on August 14, the first competition day of the 28th Olympic Games in Athens. "You can't see what's behind the wall, you can't see what's above," he explained as he walked the I-team through what a vertical patrol would entail. I remember when I first heard the news, and spewed out this article in an angry, despondent word vomit. . He's a rookie police officer who has come up through. If he's Hispanic, all the congressmen will come out. 'Between you and Melissa Butler, who do you think was in a better position to provide CPR?' [57][58][59], On February 10, 2015, Officer Liang was indicted by a grand jury for the shooting death of Gurley. Its a truly monumental and unprecedented show of force, demonstrating a level of organization and mobilization that neither I nor anyone else thought the community was capable of achieving and man, it was a breathtakingly powerful force to behold. Updated on April 19 at 4:30 p.m. EST. The money will be placed in a fund for Gurley's four-year-old daughter, Akaila, which she won't have access to without court approval until she turns 18, according to the Daily News, which quoted Scott Rynecki, the attorney representing Kimberly Ballinger, the mother of Gurley's daughter and Gurleys domestic partner. They requested Landau be fired from the department and for the city to invest in programs like affordable housing, community centers, and after-school programs, instead of hiring more NYPD officers.[38]. [26] His lawyers submitted an appeal to Judge Danny Chun while Liang remained free without bail. Melissa Butler, Akai Gurley's girlfriend, cries as she is escorted out of the courtroom by Assemblyman Charles Barron in New York, Tuesday, April 19, 2016. 'I didn't know if I could do it better,' Liang said, noting he didn't know what training Butler might have. Many of Liang's supporters demanded that all killers should be prosecuted and that there should be no such thing as selective prosecution, scapegoating, or racism. [39][40] Gurley is interred at Rosedale Memorial Park in Linden, New Jersey. He said . Fearing he would lose his job, he bickered with his partner about which one would phone their sergeant privately rather than radioing in a report Liang said he felt would bring an 'unnecessary' response and pull other officers from their posts. A jury convicted Liang of second-degree manslaughter in February for Gurley's death. Thank you for everyone's support. Liang did not insert herself into the story. It takes the first spot on the medal standings with six medals including another silver and bronze medals. A Shot Through The Wall essentially explores relations between Asians and Black people as racial minorities in the U.S. The other day, we endorsed Brooklyn DA Ken Thompson's call for ex-cop Peter Liang to do no prison time after his manslaughter conviction. ", "Thousands protest prosecution of NYPD officer", "Thousands Rally in Boston Common Calling for Equal Justice for Officer Peter Liang", "National Rallies Planned for Indicted NYPD Officer Peter Liang", "Many Asians Express Dismay and Frustration After Liang Verdict", "10,000 protesters rallying in support of ex-cop Peter Liang", "Supporters rally behind convicted cop Peter Liang", "Protests planned after NYPD officer Liang found guilty", "Race 'Doesn't Matter': Reactions to Officer Liang's Indictment", "NYPD Officer Indicted in Shooting of Akai Gurley: Reports", "Watch Brooklyn Protesters Demand Justice for Akai Gurley", "NY police shooting that has divided Chinese Americans will be tried by jury", "N.Y. Police Shooting Case Divides City's Asian-Americans", "NYPD Officer Peter Liang Indicted In Fatal Shooting Of Akai Gurley", "Officer Indicted in Shooting Death of Akai Gurley", "Police Department Fires Partner of Ex-Officer Peter Liang", "NYPD Officer Peter Liang found guilty of second-degree manslaughter in fatal shooting of Akai Gurley in Brooklyn housing development", "NYPD OFFICER TESTIFIES AT MANSLAUGHTER TRIAL OF HIS FORMER PARTNER, PETER LIANG", "Police department fires partner of ex-officer Peter Liang", "Officer Guilty of Negligence in '03 Killing", "Prosecutor rips Peter Liang's defense in Akai Gurley killing", "Why was Peter Liang one of so few cops convicted for killing an unarmed man? Earlier this. At one point a Chinese protester supporting Peter Liang walked across the street to protesters in support of Akai Gurley and began a dialogue. Kenny Leu as Officer Mike Tan in "A Shot Through The Wall." Image. Tensions around the case quickly surfaced with the case dividing the largely immigrant Chinese community with the progressive members of the Asian American community. Fliedner was also the prosecutor who won a manslaughter conviction against NYPD cop Peter Liang for the 2014 accidental shooting of Akai Gurley in a darkened housing-project stairwell. Correction: An earlier version of this story referred to Liang's former partner as Sean Landau. Before the conviction of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for the death of George Floyd, there was Peter Liang. , is nonsense. "I just turned, and the gun went off," Liang testified. ", He continued: "The jury, the voice of the Brooklyn community, agreed and returned the verdict of guilty against Mr. Liang, who is now a convicted felon, forfeited his career as a police officer and must now always live with the fact that he recklessly caused Mr. Gurleys death. Placeness. Advocates for police accountability are watching Liang's trial closely. 'I said, 'Oh, my God, someone's hit,'' Liang recalled as he gave an emotional testimony. [74][75], After the settlement of Liang's trial, about $260,000 of the money raised for Liang's defence was returned to the donors. Americas. Peter Liang is . The doctor uses the sample to confirm Kim's infection levels and to prescribe drugs for her; she also asks Kim for informed consent to share the blood sample with a biobank that sequences the sample, creating digital representations of Kim's genetic profile that are shared with numerous research teams . Ballingers wrongful death suit accused NYCHA of failing to maintain the stairwell and lighting at the Pink Houses, which it oversees. [73], In August 2016, New York City reached an agreement with Gurley's family for $4.1 million, settling a lawsuit brought by Kimberley Ballinger, Akaila's mother. In all honesty, I was blown away by the response the Chinese-American community fielded in defense of Peter Liang. Play it now! He followed the sound down three flights and saw a man lying wounded and a distraught woman bending over him, Liang said Monday at his manslaughter trial in the 2014 death of Akai Gurley, who was shot in a stairwell in Brooklyn public housing. Gurley and his girlfriend entered the seventh-floor stairwell, fourteen steps below them. Terence Zhao '19 originally hails from Beijing, China, before immigrating to the US and settling in Arcadia, CA, a suburb of Los Angeles. "But we have to work constantly to do them the right way," said de Blasio. Saying he beamed his flashlight and saw no one after firing, Liang acknowledged that he didn't immediately report the shot. A month later, Liang began serving out his sentence at a non-profit community center in the city, cleaning tables, mopping floors, and preparing meals. Long started writing the script in 2015, around the early days of the Black Lives Matter movement. [66][67], On April 19, 2016, Justice Chun reduced Liang's conviction from manslaughter to criminally negligent homicide then sentenced Liang to five years of probation and 800 hours community service. This happened in 2014, the same year Gurley died, but Pantaleo wasnt even indicted, let alone convicted, despite a clearly stronger case and more outrageous wrongdoing. The rookie NYPD Officer Peter Liang who gunned down an unarmed man in a poorly lit stairwell of public housing broke down on the stand Monday as he recalled the deadly shooting. You understand that theres a level of trauma when youre dealing with a family that has lost somebody. [28], The fatal shooting of Gurley is notably[30][31] similar to the shooting death of Timothy Stansbury Jr. that occurred in January 2004. From left to right: Scott Rynecki, Akai Gurley family attorney; Kimberly Ballinger, Gurley's domestic partner; and Hertencia Petersen, Gurley's aunt. However, one of Liang's defense attorneys, Rae Koshetz, argued that what had happened was a tragedy, not a crime, because the bullet bounced off the wall and coincidentally hit Gurley. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. According to the prosecutors, seconds earlier, Liang, who is left-handed, pulled out his flashlight with his right hand and unholstered his 9mm Glock with his left. According to Landau's words, his instructor at the police academy helped them to cheat on the exams. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. [15] Patrick Lynch, head of the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association of the City of New York, characterizes them as "among the most dangerous projects in the city" with dimly lit stairwells presenting a particular danger. While his police training included CPR, he said instructors had given cadets most of the answers to pass the required test, echoing a testimony his partner gave last week. My name is Peter Liang, and I am a junior at Massachusetts Academy of Math and Science at WPI. Then he went looking for the bullet and heard someone crying. Follow NBC Asian America on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr. Activists protest against the sentence received by former New York Police Officer Peter Liang for manslaughter in the killing of Akai Gurley, outside a Brooklyn courthouse in New York, April 19, 2016. Tin Ling, from Brooklyn, felt Asians and Black people should unite for this purpose. Peter Moreno, a former NYPD captain who used to train new officers, says one-on-one instruction with a more experienced officer is invaluable. A jury convicted Liang of manslaughter, which a court later reduced to criminally negligent homicide. We hope you consider making a contribution so we can continue to provide you with quality content that informs, educates and inspires the Asian community. Peter Liang Software Engineer Sydney, New South Wales, Australia 229 followers 228 connections Join to view profile Constantinople University of Sydney Personal Website Report this profile Report. On April 19th, a New York State Supreme Court in Brooklyn sentencedformer NYPD officer Peter Liang to five years of probation for the shooting of unarmed Black man Akai Gurley. Liang and Shechtman are now deciding whether to appeal his conviction. In April, a judge reduced Liang's manslaughter conviction to criminally negligent homicide and sentenced Liang to five years probation and 800 hours of community service. Officer Liang is awaiting sentencing, but, as with any defendant convicted of manslaughter by a firearm, Officer Liang should serve prison time. She set out to dial down the volume a little bit and not focus on the hot and testy stuff happening on the street. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Former New York Police Department officer Peter Liang won't spend a day in prison. "I think no matter how good the academy training will be, nothing replicates actually doing it," said Moreno. He took a brief break from the witness stand to compose himself after turning away to hide his tears. He added that the Gurley family insisted on Liangs paying as part of the settlement. The case sparked heated debate within the Asian-American community, with some believing Liang was made a scapegoat to compensate for a lack of indictments of white officers involved in police-related deaths of black men. It was also clear that the writers of Kung Fu were likewise running out of good plot . 'The sadness, the emptiness in my heart, the emotional depression is still overwhelming. It pitted the unjust death of an innocent young black man against the unjust scapegoating of a young Asian police officer who was frightened, poorly trained, and who committed a terrible accident. The documentary had its national television debut on PBS Independent Lens April 12 and remains available for streaming for free until May 11 and on the PBS video app. The press conference was held Tuesday outside Brooklyn Supreme Court where NYPD Officer Peter Liang appeared for a hearing. IE 11 is not supported. But recent events have shown how minorities can support each other, she said. His lawyers say the shooting was an accident, not a crime. Peter Liang is not the victim here just because the system did not cover up his mistakes. Feng Liang , Jiashen Meng , Shih-Hsin Ho , Tong Zhao , Hui Zhou , Awais Ahmad , Yinlong Zhu , Liangxing Hu . There was no happiness in him today," Liang's attorney Paul Shechtman told ABC News. Brown said Liang is still completing his community service. The Brooklyn District Attorneys Office and former NYPD cop Peter Liang have both reportedly dropped their respective appeals of Liangs conviction in the 2014 fatal shooting of Akai Gurley in Bruce Springsteen is a megatalented rock star of limited intelligence and outsize cultural influence. The bullet ricocheted off a wall, striking Gurley who had entered the stairwell with his girlfriend, Melissa Butler, from the floor below. The film would not have been as powerful without gaining access to organizers on both sides. And back then, it made sense. [59] However, he was fired from the NYPD the day after his partner was convicted. "I'm just confused about what happened. And indeed, at times, it can seem like that Asian Americans are so privileged and well-integrated into the institutions of power in this country that the community feels compelled to defend it, as the pro-Liang protesters defended the NYPD. Im not saying that its OK for the White cops to get away. Kenneth Palmer, stepfather of Akai Gurley, speaks outside state Supreme Court in Brooklyn. An earlier version of this story stated that Liang and the Brooklyn District Attorney had filed appeals. A Twitter user, Goodluck Okeechukwu in a video post made on Tuesday, February 28, said his friend had met Obi on board a flight from Asaba, Delta state capital city to Abuja' Officer Liang failed that night. [23] During trial testimony, officers testified that they were taught during academy training to have their guns out at times for fear of possible ambush or when they felt unsafe, and that they were specifically trained to take out their firearm as they approached a roof landing because it was considered dangerous. Peter is deeply sorry and hopes that even though nothing will bring back Mr. Gurley, that this settlement helps his loved ones find closure, Robert Brown, Liangs attorney, told NBC News. After hearing a noise, Liang, who was on a pitch-dark stairwell, accidentally fired his weapon. Learn how your comment data is processed. Peter Liang became an officer in June 2013, which likely meant there was one training officer for about a dozen rookies. Rookie cop Peter Liang didn't rush to help Akai Gurley because he didn't realize the man had been shot, his lawyer said in closing arguments Tuesday. Akai Gurley, a 28-year-old black man, was fatally shot on November 20, 2014, in Brooklyn, New York City, United States, by a New York City Police Department officer. 'I was panicking. He was the father of a two-year-old girl. ", 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Prosecutors say the bullet ricocheted off a wall and into Akai Gurley. Yes, it is undeniable that Asian Americans are generally in a significantly better socioeconomic position than other minority groups in this country. Liang fired his weapon; the shot ricocheted off a wall and fatally struck Gurley in the chest. The officer was patrolling the darkened stairs inside a public housing building in Brooklyn on Nov. 20, 2014, when he fired a single shot. [37][21], When asked by reporters, Mayor Bill De Blasio did not take any sides in this issue, commenting that it was a "tragedy" to Gurley's family and requesting respect to the court's verdict. They are affiliated with Staten Island University Hospital. On the final day of the trial of NYPD officer Peter Liang, the prosecution argued that the rookie officer intentionally fired his weapon in the dark stairwell of East New York's Pink Houses,. Liang was convicted of manslaughter and official misconduct on February 11, 2016, and he was immediately dismissed by the Police Department. I'm not going to ignore all of this and go to bat for him just because he's also Chinese. 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A former Brooklyn district attorney bureau chief now vying to become the boroughs next top prosecutor claimed Wednesday he had mounting evidence of corruption within the current DAs administration. [4] Many felt that Liang (an Asian American) was being used as a scapegoat; Chinese Americans organized rallies in major cities via WeChat, Facebook, Twitter, and email. [62][63] Liang faced anywhere from no jail to a maximum of 15 years of prison when sentenced in April. Many of the protesters were, and dismissive of Mr. Gurleys death basically co-opting the language of white supremacists. Peter Liang, a Hong Kong-born officer with the NYPD, shot Akai Gurley, 28, while on patrol with his partner Shaun Landau. [79][80] The Village Voice described the incident as part of a year of public relations disasters for the NYPD. A day after Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson recommended that former New York police officer Peter Liang not serve time in prison for the fatal shooting of Akai Gurley, an unarmed black. He fired once and the bullet ricocheted, killing Akai Gurley, who was also in the stairwell. [13] Liang had aspired to become a police officer since he was a child. Butler has brought her own civil lawsuit against the city, which was still pending. Gurley, 28, and his girlfriend were taking the stairs rather than having to wait for an elevator when the bullet ricocheted off a wall. And, as the article points out, Asian Americans, like whites, enjoy a priceless set of structural privileges and immunities. And there is no denying that. Everything you see today is built on the backs of warriors who have sacrificed opportunities to help give Asians all over the world a bigger voice. [3] Liang turned himself in to authorities the next day and was arraigned. The 1990s. The conviction has the heads of police unions warning this will have a chilling effect on policing. In other words, to defend Liang is to affirm the . She let each side have its say. Two rookie police officers were assigned to the Pink Houses where they were conducting routine vertical patrols,[18][19] in which officers scan a public housing complex from the roof to the ground floor, stopping on each level.