Jury in Akai Gurley shooting case has been chosen — and there’s only one black juror on the panel
The jury in the case of a rookie cop charged with killing an unarmed black man in Brooklyn has been chosen — and there’s only one black juror on the panel.
Of the seven men and five women selected as jurors for the manslaughter trial of NYPD Officer Peter Liang, eight appeared to be Caucasian, three appeared to be Hispanic and one was black.
The of the four alternate jurors appeared to be Caucasians; the fourth, Hispanic.
Liang, 28, an Asian-American, is accused of recklessly shooting Akai Gurley in a dimly lit stairwell of the Pink Houses in East New York on Nov. 20, 2014.
Gurley was a 28-year-old father who had decided to take the stairs with a friend instead of the elevator. Liang told his supervisor that he accidentally shot Gurley.
It’s unclear if having fewer minorities on the panel was the result of a strategy by the defense or prosecutors in the racially charged case. According to the most recent U.S. Census information, 35.8% of Brooklynites are white, 35.2% are black and 19.5% are Hispanic.
Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun advised the attorneys not to discuss the case with the media, to prevent tainting the jurors.
The selected 16 come from various walks of life, from a chef to a conflict adviser.
Most are native New Yorkers and only two have adult children.
Opening statements are expected Monday. If convicted, Liang faces up to 15 years in prison.
