NYPD Officer Liang Describes Night of Akai Gurley Shooting

In a quiet voice, sometimes pausing to cry, NYPD Officer Peter Liang described what happened the night of Nov. 20, 2014, when he shot and killed 28-year-old Akai Gurley in a darkened housing project stairwell.

Liang was startled by a sound to his left as he entered the stairwell, the rookie officer testified Monday at his manslaughter trial. His body tensed and the gun went off, he told the jury. Liang said he didn’t know anyone was shot until he went downstairs and saw Gurley on the fifth-floor landing.

Liang testified that he didn’t perform CPR because the NYPD’s training hadn’t prepared him well to use the technique in the field. When he saw the extent of Gurley’s wounds he felt it was more important to try to get professional medical assistance.

He was the final witness in the two-week trial. The prosecution and defense both rested their cases Monday morning.

Outside the courthouse, Gurley’s mother and relatives of other people killed by the NYPD in recent years called for Liang’s conviction and blamed the mayor and police commissioner for not doing enough to crack down on bad cops.

Closing arguments are set for Tuesday morning. The jury will likely begin deliberating shortly after.