Former NYPD Sergeant Sentenced for Fatal Incident

A former police sergeant from New York City began his prison term on Thursday after fatally striking a fleeing drug suspect with a cooler. Raised in a rough area of the Bronx, he was initially viewed as a “model” law enforcement officer until his recent downfall.

Eric Duran’s legal counsel stated in court that he “always protected the vulnerable” during his 15 years of military service, but his life took a drastic turn following the reckless death of Eric Dupree in August 2023.

Duran, 38, expressed remorse during his sentencing, stating, “I took this job to save lives. When I saw Eric Dupree crash, I felt terrible. I regret that this day happened.” He received a prison sentence of three to nine years.

Reflecting on his upbringing, Duran shared that he grew up in a crime-infested Bronx neighborhood. He recounted a traumatic experience from when he was just eight: a gunman invading a restaurant and firing shots at his family.

He reminisced about childhood friends who became engulfed by gangs and drugs, leaving him feeling disconnected from them. “I took that pain and used it to become a police officer,” he said, recalling how the police’s brave actions on 9/11 inspired him.

Duran, who is a father of three and married his high school sweetheart nearby, emphasized, “I don’t want the court to see me as a regular cop.” He mentioned dangerous encounters during his active duty, including witnessing a lieutenant being shot and experiencing injuries himself, yet he never resorted to lethal force.

His attorney, Andrew Quinn, described Duran as someone who “protected domestically abused women and children” and had successfully removed over 50 firearms from the streets, asserting that he lived an “exemplary” life as a police officer.

Duran lost his police job in February after being convicted of manslaughter for throwing a red igloo cooler at Dupree while he was fleeing from a drug-related stabbing on a Bronx sidewalk. The cooler caused Dupree to fall and hit his head.

Quinn argued that people should not be judged solely on impulsive decisions. Although Duran and Dupree were involved in the incident, the judge noted they had certain similarities: both were Hispanic and hailed from the Bronx, and both had children.

However, the judge underscored a stark difference—”the deceased will never see their family again.” Dupree, a father of two, had a history of arrests related to drug and assault charges, according to law enforcement officials.

Dupree’s mother, Gretchen Soto, spoke through an interpreter, expressing her daily grief over the loss of her son and highlighting the love he received from his extended family and sister. “I miss him so much,” she said, with Dupree’s partner also in attendance. “His children still miss him very much.”