An undercover NYPD sergeant has been indicted by the State Attorney General’s office on criminal charges in the August death of a scooter-riding drug suspect — who crashed after the cop threw a cooler at him in The Bronx, The Post has learned.
Sgt. Erik Duran is expected to surrender himself to authorities Tuesday at the Bronx Hall of Justice.
The Sergeants’ Benevolent Association blasted New York AG Letitia James for bringing charges in the case.
“The demonization of Sgt. Duran and the criminalization of his actions once again proves the old adage that overzealous prosecutors with a political agenda can indict a ham sandwich if inclined to do so,” SBA President Vincent Vallelong said in a statement.
“Sgt. Duran made a split-second decision that was predicated solely on his concern for the safety of others. Now he has become the latest victim of a legal system that treats honest hard-working cops as criminals and criminals as victims,” Vallelong added.
Eric Duprey died from “blunt force injuries of the head,” which he sustained while fleeing a drug bust on Aqueduct Avenue near West 190th Street in Kingsbridge Heights, authorities said.
Duran was suspended after throwing the cooler at Duprey, 30, striking him in the head and causing him to crash into a nearby car.
Duprey had sold crack cocaine to the sergeant before fleeing on his scooter, police said.
Vallelong said Duprey — who had felony assault charges pending against him at the time — dangerously drove 40 mph down the sidewalk, endangering pedestrians and children.
Duran managed to get Duprey away from him and other officers moments before he would have crashed into them, the association said.
Without Duran’s efforts, the drug deal would have “caused serious injuries or death to numerous people,” according to the SBA.
After the incident, Duprey’s family in Pennsylvania allegedly “put a hit” on the sergeant’s head in retaliation to the drug dealer’s death, police sources said.
Now, Vallelong is positive if James’ office had “properly investigated,” they would have found Duran’s efforts to be “justified, warranted, and lawful.”
“Instead, the Attorney General has once again displayed her fecklessness at the expense of a well-respected NYPD Sergeant who did the right thing,” he said in the statement.
The association also warned other officers to be careful because “any action you take can result in an Albany political ideologue destroying your career to advance their own.”
He also asked members to “pack” the Bronx Hall of Justice on Tuesday to show support for Duran.
The AG’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.