The case stems from an August 23, 2023, narcotics “buy-and-bust” operation on Aqueduct Avenue between West 190th and 192nd Streets. According to the New York Attorney General’s Office, Duran was working with the NYPD Narcotics Borough Bronx Tactical Response Unit when officers moved in to arrest Duprey.
Duprey, 30, got onto a motorized scooter as plainclothes officers approached. Prosecutors said Duran grabbed a picnic cooler from a nearby table and forcefully threw it at Duprey’s head. The cooler struck Duprey, causing him to lose control of the scooter and crash. Duprey was pronounced dead at the scene.
Duran was found guilty on February 6, 2026, after a bench trial before Bronx Supreme Court Judge Guy Mitchell. The Attorney General’s Office announced the conviction, stating that Duran’s actions caused Duprey’s death.
Duran argued that he was trying to protect other officers from the approaching scooter. However, according to the Associated Press, Judge Mitchell rejected that defense and concluded that Duran threw the cooler because he was upset Duprey was getting away. AP also reported that Duran was dismissed from the NYPD after his conviction.
On April 9, 2026, Duran was sentenced to three to nine years in prison. The sentence was less than the statutory maximum, but it was still a rare prison sentence for an on-duty NYPD officer convicted in connection with a civilian’s death.
The case did not end with sentencing. NBC New York reported that a state appeals court judge granted Duran $300,000 bail while he appeals the manslaughter conviction. CBS New York later reported that Duran was released from Elmira Correctional Facility on April 20, 2026, after serving 10 days in prison.
Duprey’s family has continued to challenge the way the case has been framed. NBC New York reported that Duprey’s mother disputed police claims that he sold drugs and fled from officers, while the family’s attorney said Duran’s release on bail reopened painful wounds for a family still seeking accountability.
For a case that began as low-level narcotics enforcement, the result was deadly. Duran’s conviction and sentence stand as another example of how quickly police actions can turn an attempted arrest into a fatal encounter, and how rare it still is for an officer to face prison time after killing someone while on duty.
