THE BRONX, N.Y. (PIX11) — An NYPD sergeant was suspended after an alleged drug dealer died when a drug bust in the Bronx turned deadly Wednesday evening, according to law enforcement sources.
The suspect, identified as Eric Duprey, was getting away on a scooter when NYPD Sergeant Erik Duran threw an object at the man, who crashed his scooter into a vehicle, fell and hit his head, and later died, according to police and sources. It is against protocol to throw objects at fleeing suspects, sources said.
Erick DeJesus, who knows Duprey, said the sergeant grabbed a cooler from a family outing on Aqueduct Avenue and used it as a weapon, causing Duprey to lose control of the scooter.
“He grabbed a cooler and launched it to the left side of his face,” DeJesus said. “He hit a tree, flew out of the scooter and hit a jeep and ended up underneath the a car.”
PIX11 News obtained surveillance video of officers running to the scene immediately after the crash, but it was too late. Duprey died shortly after.
Duran was suspended without pay. The NYPD’s Force Investigation Division and the Attorney General’s Office are investigating the incident.
“The NYPD is committed to ensuring that there will be a full, thorough, and transparent investigation of this incident to determine the facts and to take the appropriate steps forward,” the NYPD said in a tweet.
Mira Wassef is a digital reporter who has covered news and sports in the New York City area for more than a decade. She joined PIX11 News in 2022. See more of her work here.
