Former NYPD Sergeant Sentenced to 3-9 Years for Manslaughter in Death of Eric Duprey

Erik Duran, 38, of Putnam County, was sentenced today by Judge Guy Mitchell in Bronx Supreme Court after being found guilty of Manslaughter in the Second Degree on February 6, 2026, in a bench trial. Judge Mitchell denied a stay of execution, meaning Duran will begin serving his sentence immediately.

The fatal incident occurred on August 23, 2023, at approximately 5 p.m. during an NYPD Narcotics Borough Bronx Tactical Response Unit "buy-and-bust" operation on Aqueduct Avenue between West 190th and 192nd Streets. After Duprey sold a small quantity of cocaine to an undercover officer, plainclothes team members moved in to arrest him. When Duprey attempted to escape on a motorized scooter, Duran "grabbed a picnic cooler off a nearby table and forcefully heaved it at Mr. Duprey's head," according to the Attorney General's office.

The thrown cooler caused Duprey to lose control of his scooter and fall into the street at high speed. Duprey was pronounced dead at the scene. The case represents a rare criminal conviction of a police officer for an on-duty death in New York.

The prosecution was handled under New York State Executive Law Section 70-b, which requires the Attorney General's Office of Special Investigation (OSI) to assess every incident where a police officer may have caused a death. OSI conducts full investigations when its assessment indicates an officer may have caused a death, regardless of whether the officer was on or off duty and whether the decedent was armed or in custody.

The case was part of the fourth "buy-and-bust" operation conducted by the NBBX team that day, highlighting ongoing narcotics enforcement operations in the Bronx. The conviction comes amid increased scrutiny of police tactics and use of force during arrests, particularly in drug-related enforcement activities.

The manslaughter conviction and prison sentence mark a significant outcome in a case involving police conduct during drug enforcement operations. The immediate implementation of the sentence, with the judge's denial of a stay, ensures Duran will begin serving time without delay.