Former New York City police sergeant Erik Duran was sentenced Thursday to three to nine years in prison for manslaughter in the death of Eric Duprey, who died after Duran threw a cooler at him during a 2023 police operation.

The incident occurred on August 23, 2023, during a narcotics "buy-and-bust" operation in the Bronx. Police said Duprey sold drugs to an undercover officer and then attempted to flee on a motorized scooter. Surveillance video showed Duprey driving the scooter on a sidewalk toward a group of people when Duran, who was not in uniform, picked up a bystander's cooler filled with ice, water and sodas and threw it at him.

The cooler struck Duprey, causing him to lose control of the scooter, slam into a tree and crash onto the pavement. The 30-year-old delivery driver, who was not wearing a helmet, sustained fatal head injuries and died almost instantly. Duran testified that he made a split-second decision to protect other officers from the approaching scooter, saying "He was gonna crash into us."

Judge Guy Mitchell rejected Duran's defense that his actions were justified, stating his belief that "the defendant, Sgt. Duran, was upset that Mr. Duprey was getting away" and reacted by hurling the cooler. Prosecutors argued Duran had enough time to warn others to move but instead threw the cooler because he was angry.

During sentencing, Duran addressed the court and Duprey's family in Spanish, saying "I took this job to save lives. I felt terrible once I saw Eric Duprey crash." Duprey's mother, Gretchen Soto, who was on a video call with her son before he died, disputed police claims that he sold drugs and fled from officers. She told the judge her son "is not just a name, not just one more case."

The case has drawn attention from both police supporters and accountability activists. The Sergeants Benevolent Association reported thousands of officers signed a petition calling for Duran to be spared prison, while protesters demonstrated outside the courthouse demanding justice for Duprey. Duran, who served 13 years with the NYPD, was dismissed from the force after his conviction in February.