By MES Dispatch staff
The Briefing
• An NYPD sergeant charged in the death of a man struck by a thrown cooler testified during his criminal trial in New York City.
• The incident occurred in the Bronx in August 2023 during a foot pursuit involving an alleged drug sale.
• Prosecutors allege the sergeant’s actions caused the man to crash his scooter and suffer fatal injuries.
• The sergeant told the court he acted to protect fellow officers from potential harm.
NEW YORK, NY — An NYPD sergeant charged in connection with the 2023 death of a man struck by a thrown cooler testified in court that he acted to protect fellow officers during a fast-moving pursuit in the Bronx.
Office of the New York State Attorney General
The incident occurred in August 2023 as officers attempted to arrest a man suspected of selling drugs to an undercover officer. Authorities said the man fled on a motorized scooter along a Bronx sidewalk when the sergeant threw a plastic cooler in his direction.
Prosecutors allege the cooler struck the man, causing him to lose control of the scooter and crash into a tree. He later died from head injuries sustained in the crash, according to court testimony.
The sergeant, identified as Erik Duran, faces multiple charges, including second-degree manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide and assault. The case is being tried without a jury and is being prosecuted by the New York State Attorney General’s Office, which has jurisdiction over deaths involving law enforcement.
During testimony, Duran said he believed the fleeing suspect posed an immediate danger to officers positioned ahead and that throwing the cooler was an attempt to stop or divert the scooter. Prosecutors challenged that account, questioning whether other options were available. The case remained under judicial review as of the latest court proceedings.