CRI听力:No Jail in Shooting Conviction for Ex-NYPD Cop

State Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun has sentenced Peter Liang to 800 hours of community service, as well as 6-months of house arrest and 5 years’ probation.

In making the determination, the Judge has also reduced Liang's original conviction of manslaughter down to unintentional homicide.

"There is no evidence, either direct or circumstantial, that the defendant was aware of Akai Gurley's presence and still disregarded any risk by firing the weapon."

Liang was facing the possibility of up to 15 years in prison for his manslaughter conviction in the death of Akai Gurley.

Gurley was killed after Liang and his partner were patrolling the darkened stairs inside a public housing building in Brooklyn in November, 2014.

Liang, an NYPD rookie, says his gun accidentally went off while they were patrolling the stairwell of the building, which is home mostly to impoverished people from Brooklyn's black community.

The shot ricocheted off a wall and struck Gurley in the chest as he walked one floor below.

At the time, the shooting was held-up as another incident involving law enforcement's use of excessive force on the country's black community.

However, Chinese-American activists organized their own rallies after Liang's conviction, claiming the young man of Chinese descent was being used as a scapegoat by authorities in an attempt to show police are being held to account for the shooting deaths of black people.

Both Liang's lawyers, as well as the prosecutors in the case, argued Liang shouldn't be held responsible for the actions of other officers.

Assistant District Attorney Joseph Alexis.

"This simply is not a case of police brutality nor was there any confrontation between the defendant and Akai Gurley. Instead this case featured a reckless shooting by a rookie police officer in an unlit stairwell. The bullet that killed Akai Gurley ricocheted off a wall. From the beginning until now, this prosecution has only been about justice; it was never about revenge."

Members of Gurley's family have criticized the Brooklyn District Attorney's office for recommending no prison time.

Before sentence was passed, Liang took time to apologize to Gurley's family in court.

"The shot was accidental and someone was dead. I apologize to Ms. Butler and Akai Gurley's family. I wish I could undo what happened. My life has forever changed. I hope you will give me a chance to rebuild it."

Liang testified at trial that he did not realize the bullet had hit anyone until he saw Gurley's girlfriend desperately trying to revive him.

The officer claimed a noise startled him, causing him to pull the trigger.

Prosecutors say Liang acted recklessly in drawing his weapon in the first place, as well as discharging a round.

For CRI, I'm Fei Fei.