NYPD officer suspended after throwing cooler at suspect

Sergeant Erik Duran on Wednesday allegedly threw a picnic cooler at a suspect attempting to flee on a motorbike, causing him to crash, according to the State Attorney General’s office. The suspect, Eric Duprey, was later pronounced dead at the scene. The NYPD and the State Attorney General’s office are investigating the incident. The city suspended Duran without pay on Thursday for 30 days.

What were the circumstances of the incident? Duprey fled after he was caught selling drugs to an undercover police officer at about 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, officials said. Duran was working in a “buy-and-bust” operation run by NYPD’s Bronx Narcotics Unit. Police have not said what kind of drugs Duprey was accused of selling. 

Dig deeper: Read Emma Freire’s report in WORLD Magazine about French police accused of using unnecessary force on protesters.