The New York Attorney General’s Office of Special Investigation (OSI) opened an investigation into the death of Eric Duprey, who died on Wednesday, Aug. 23, following what was described as “an encounter with members of the New York City Police Department (NYPD)” in the Fordham Manor section of The Bronx. The announcement was made regarding the OSI investigation on Thursday, Aug. 24.

 

According to OSI officials, on the evening of Aug. 23, in the vicinity of 2505 Aqueduct Avenue, an NYPD officer threw a picnic cooler at Duprey, who was riding a motorbike. The cooler hit Duprey and caused him to fall on the ground. Officials from OSI said Duprey was pronounced dead at the scene.

OSI officials said that pursuant to New York State Executive Law Section 70-b, OSI assesses every incident reported to it where a police officer or a peace officer, including a corrections officer, may have caused the death of a person by an act or omission. They said under the law, the officer may be on-duty or off-duty, and the decedent may be armed or unarmed.

 

They added that in addition, the decedent may or may not be in custody or incarcerated. If OSI’s assessment indicates an officer may have caused the death, OSI officials said the office proceeds to conduct a full investigation of the incident. They said what has been outlined above are preliminary facts and are subject to change.

Norwood News also reached out to EMS for details of the incident and will update this story upon receipt of feedback.

 

Meanwhile, the NYPD released a statement after the Aug. 23rd incident in which officials said, “Early today, New York Police Department Sergeant Erik Duran was suspended from duty without pay following a fatal incident in The Bronx on Wednesday afternoon involving a man attempting to flee from the police on a motorcycle.”

 

The statement continued, “The city’s medical examiner will determine the cause of death. The New York State Attorney General’s Office is leading the investigation into this incident with the assistance of the New York Police Department’s Force Investigation Division. The NYPD is committed to ensuring that there will be a full, thorough and transparent investigation into this incident to determine the facts and to take the appropriate steps forward.”

 

Norwood News has reached out to both the NYPD and the Bronx District Attorney’s office to obtain more details on the background to the incident, and to the City’s medical examiner for details of the cause of death and will update this story upon receipt of feedback.

 

As reported, on Friday, Sept. 1, a protest against police culminated outside the 52nd Precinct after around 30 protesters marched to the stationhouse from 2505 Aqueduct Avenue in Fordham Manor, where Duprey was killed allegedly by Duran [who was not stationed at the 52 Precinct but with the Bronx Narcotics Squad.]  Black Lives Matter for Greater NY has called for murder charges to be brought against the sergeant in relation to the incident.

 

Duran became a police officer in 2010, was promoted to sergeant in 2018, and sergeant detective in 2022. According to his disciplinary record listed by the NYPD, there is one allegation recorded dated July 21, 2023. No further details are available in relation to the incident. According to the same police file, he has been recognized for “excellent police duty” at various stages over the course of his career. We’ve also contacted the Civilian Complaints Review Board for more details about Duran’s disciplinary history.

 

During the rally, protesters burned flags and police made at least one arrest. Norwood News has reached out to the NYPD for more details on the reason for the arrest and will update this story upon receipt of a response.

Meanwhile, as also reported, on Tuesday, Sept. 5, New York City Mayor Eric Adams joined New York City Corporation Counsel Sylvia Hinds-Radix, and Police Commissioner Edward Caban to announce that the NYPD has implemented new practices to keep New Yorkers safe, and to respect every person’s first amendment rights to free speech, to better address what were described as the unique challenges they say arise during spontaneous protests.

 

They said the new four-tiered approach to handling protests is codified in a legal agreement stemming from lawsuits filed against the City of New York during the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020. They said the approach lays out what were described as “clear protocols for engaging with protesters, better training for police officers, and specific guidelines for arrests at each tier.”

“The right to peaceful protest is a fundamental part of American freedom, and the right to public safety is essential for our city to function — balancing these two important rights is one of this administration’s core missions,” said Adams. “I spent my career fighting for police reform and accountability, and now as mayor, our administration is committed to improving our policies to keep New Yorkers safe and protect their civil liberties.”

 

He added, “Today’s agreement, stemming from the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020, sets new protocols and policies in place for the NYPD when responding to spontaneous protests as we ensure that we are both protecting public safety and respecting protesters’ First Amendment rights. This agreement is the result of a collaborative process that seeks to build consensus, balance safety with justice, and protect protesters, bystanders, and law enforcement personnel.”

 

As reported, protestors and family members of Raul de la Cruz also rallied outside the 52nd Precinct in Norwood on Friday, April 7, demanding the release of the names of the two officers involved in the police-involved shooting in Kingsbridge Heights on Sunday, March 26, of de la Cruz, an emotionally disturbed man who had been armed with a kitchen knife on the day of his shooting.

On Friday evening, Sept. 8, Hawk Newsome of Black Lives Matter Greater NY was arrested outside Grand Central Station on 42nd Street at Lexington Avenue in Manhattan, following a protest during which a group of about ten to 15 BLM members called for AG Letitia James to bring murder charges against NYPD Sgt. Erik Duran with Bronx Narcotics, after he threw a water cooler at Bronx man Eric Duprey during a police operation at 2505 Aqueduct Avenue in the Fordham Manor section of The Bronx on Aug 23, and the latter died. See the video here.

 

 

Editor’s Note: In an earlier version of this story, it was stated that Sgt. Erik Duran was stationed at the 52nd Precinct. In fact, this was not the case. We apologize for this error.