Former NewYork Police Sergeant Erik Duran received a minimum three years in prison after a court found him guilty of second‑degree manslaughter in the 2023 death of a Bronx man hit by a cooler during an undercover raid. The case marks the first NYPD officer convicted of killing a civilian while on duty in a decade.

Duran, 38, was dismissed from the force immediately after his conviction and had sought a judge‑only trial, rejecting a jury. Prosecutors had asked for a 3‑to‑9‑year sentence, while his defense pushed for no prison time. Supporters of the victim gathered over 11,000 signatures demanding leniency.

The incident unfolded when Duran, leading an undercover operation, threw a red Igloo cooler at Duprey, an Uber delivery driver, after Duprey allegedly handed an officer $20 of cocaine. The impact caused the motorbike to careen, striking a tree and a parked Jeep, leaving Duprey with head bleeding and a fatal injury.

Family members, including Duprey’s mother Gretchen Soto, spoke at the courtroom, emphasizing that no prison sentence could replace the loss. Duran remains granted bail since February 6, maintaining that he acted to protect fellow officers. The sentence underscores growing scrutiny of police conduct and the legal boundaries of force.