A Trump-endorsed Republican running for New York governor is making a bold promise: he’ll pardon an NYPD sergeant sent to prison over a split-second decision that turned deadly.
Bruce Blakeman made the pledge outside City Hall, throwing his support behind former Sgt. Erik Duran—now facing three to nine years behind bars for the 2023 death of a fleeing suspect.
“I took this job to save lives,” Duran told a judge at sentencing. “I felt terrible once I saw Eric Duprey crash.”
Duprey, 30, had just sold drugs to an undercover officer and sped off on a motorized scooter when Duran—working in plainclothes—grabbed a nearby cooler and hurled it.
The cooler struck Duprey. He lost control. Moments later, he was dead.
Prosecutors wanted even more time—pushing for a five- to 15-year sentence—but Bronx Judge Guy Mitchell said the case should send a message.
“They had enough to investigate and catch him on a different day,” Mitchell said. “The distinction is that the deceased will no longer be seen again by his family.”
The ruling stunned police advocates, who say the conviction punishes a cop for making a high-pressure call in the line of duty.
“It wasn’t only Sgt. Duran… Every law enforcement officer who makes a split-second decision… was also on trial,” said Vincent Vallelong, head of the NYPD Sergeants Benevolent Association, calling it “one of the darkest days” for the force.
Duran—believed to be the first NYPD officer in decades imprisoned over a duty-related death—has already been fired and is expected to appeal.
Blakeman, currently Nassau County executive and a former Port Authority official during 9/11, is now turning the case into a campaign flashpoint as he takes on Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul.
With Trump’s backing and a law-and-order message, the race is quickly becoming a referendum on policing, prosecution—and where New York draws the line.
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