A New York prosecutor is wrong to recommend no jail time for a former New York City police officer convicted of accidentally shooting an unarmed man in the stairwell of a public housing building.
Brooklyn District Attorney Kenneth Thompson said he would not recommend time behind bars for Peter Liang who was convicted by a jury of manslaughter in the shooting death of 28-year-old Akai Gurley.

The two officers were on patrol at the Louis H. Pink Houses on Nov. 20, 2014, when Liang’s gun fired and the bullet ricocheted in the stairwell and killed Gurley who was visiting his girlfriend.
Despite Liang’s conviction on manslaughter and official misconduct, Thompson said he would recommend five years’ probation, six months of home confinement and 500 hours of community service.
A judge will decide if any jail time is warranted during the April 14 sentencing, when Liang could face up to 15 years in prison.
To no surprise, Liang’s attorney praised the decision by the prosecutors.
“We steadfastly believe in Peter Liang’s innocence,” Paul Shechtman said. “The shooting that occurred that day was an accident, not a crime.”
The victim’s aunt, Hertencia Petersen, said his family was outraged.
“This is an added injustice done to Akai and our family and a failure on the part of the D.A. to value Black lives,” she said.
Petersen accused Thompson of reneging on an campaign promise to “not allow officers to act as if they are above the law” and said the recommendation sent “a message that officers can continue to kill Black New Yorkers without consequences.”
Thompson is Brooklyn’s first African-American prosecutor. He was elected in 2014 pledging to restore fairness to the judicial system widely viewed as biased against African Americans.
At a recent rally outside Thompson’s office, Peterson asked, “How can you tell me it’s OK to murder, to take an innocent life, and not be held accountable?”
Thompson’s recommendation in the Liang case describes the incident only as a tragic accident, but it contradicts what prosecutors argued during the trial.
During the trial “prosecutors took great pains to present Mr. Liang’s conduct as criminal,” reports the New York Times. Prosecutors described Liang’s action as reckless.
It is certainly reckless on multiple counts, as the prosecutor’s sentencing recommendations sends the message that police officers who are convicted of killing unarmed victims should not face serious consequences for their actions.
https://www.phillytrib.com/commentary/reckless-decision-sends-dangerous-message/article_c045c83d-61e9-59a5-8ff1-b08214ba0f1a.html