New York City agreed to pay $ 4.1 million to the relatives of a black father who was accidentally killed by a police officer in November 2014.
Akai Gurley, 28, was killed in a dark stairwell of a Brooklyn public housing building while taking the stairs, the elevator not arriving. A novice policeman patrolling the stairwell one floor above fired upon hearing a noise: the bullet ricocheted against the wall and killed Akai Gurley, who was unarmed. His death, like that of other young blacks killed by the police, had sparked several demonstrations denouncing police brutality against blacks.
Peter Liang, also 28, had started in the police force four months before the tragedy. He was convicted of manslaughter in February 2016 and discharged from the police. In April, a judge revised the conviction, convicting him of negligent homicide and five years of probation with 800 hours of community service.
Money placed for the education of the 4-year-old orphan
Akai Gurley’s family will receive more than $ 4.5 million: $ 4.1 million from New York City, 400,000 from the HLM office, and 25,000 from police officer Peter Liang, the author of the fatal shot, said his partner’s lawyer, Scott Rynecki.
The financial deal was reached Monday afternoon in front of a Brooklyn court judge, more than a year after Akai Gurley’s family filed a lawsuit against New York City. Kimberly Ballinger, mother of Akai Gurley’s 4-year-old girl, is pleased with the result: “She wants to be able to get on with her life and hopes that she can now raise their child to be someone Akai would have been proud, ”added her lawyer, specifying that the money would be placed for the little girl, even if her mother, a home help, could receive monthly payments for her education.
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