NEW YORK – A New York City Police Department officer who lives in Putnam County has been indicted on a manslaughter charge in the death of a man on August 23, 2023.
State Attorney General Tish James said the indictment also charges Sgt. Erik Duran, 37, with two counts of assault and criminally negligent homicide in the death of Eric Duprey.
It is alleged that Duran, an undercover narcotics unit member in the Bronx, forcefully threw a cooler at Duprey as he was driving a motorized scooter, causing Duprey’s death.
Duran was suspended and later placed on modified duty following the incident.
He was arraigned with bail set at $150,000 cash bail or bond.
If convicted of the top charge, he could face 25 years in prison.
AG James said at around 5 p.m. on August 23, members of the narcotics team were about to conduct their fourth “buy-and-bust” undercover drug purchase of the day.
During the operation, officers encountered Duprey and attempted to arrest him, at which point he got on a motorized scooter to flee.
As he rode off, Duran grabbed a civilian’s cooler off a nearby table and threw it at Duprey striking him in the head and causing him to lose control of the scooter.
Duprey then sideswiped a tree before being thrown from the scooter and hitting his head on the curb, landing under a parked vehicle.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
