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Convicted NYPD “cooler cop” Erik Duran spoke out for the first time since being bailed out of an upstate prison Monday, just hours after posting $300,000 bail in the Bronx.
The 13-year veteran cop was freed while he appeals his April 9 manslaughter conviction for tossing a cooler during a 2023 Bronx buy-and-bust operation that killed suspect Eric Duprey.
“First and foremost, I want to thank my family, particularly my wife, my children and my parents for al their unconditional love and support throughout this ordeal,” Duran said in a statement released by the NYPD Sergeants Benevolent Association.
“I also want to thank God for giving me strength and guiding me through the darkness,” he said. “I think my entire legal team for never giving up in their pursuit of justice.”
Duran also expressed gratitude for his police family.
“I want to thank my union, the SBA, my brothers and sisters in blue around the nation,” he said. “Your unwavering support and solidarity will never be forgotten. Thank you everyone for your prayers. I now look forward to seeing my family and fighting my appeal with the same determination I demonstrated throughout my career in the NYPD.”
Duran was convicted of second-degree manslaughter in February following a non-jury trial before Bronx Judge Guy Mitchell, who handed down a sentence of three to nine years in prison for the Aug. 23, 2023, freak fatal mishap.
More than 11,000 cops nationwide had signed a petition asking the judge to opt for probation.
Duran, a married father of three, now has 120 days to file with the state Appellate Division.
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