Authorities investigating death of motorcyclist after NYPD sergeant threw cooler at him

The New York attorney general’s office is investigating the death of a motorcyclist in the Bronx Wednesday, who crashed after being hit in the head by a cooler thrown by a New York Police Department (NYPD) sergeant.

Sgt. Erik Duran was suspended without pay Thursday in the wake of the fatal incident, according to police.

“The NYPD is committed to ensuring that there will be a full, thorough, and transparent investigation of this incident to determine the facts and to take the appropriate steps forward,” the department said in a statement on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

Duran reportedly threw a plastic cooler at 30-year-old Eric Duprey at close range as he attempted to flee from police on a friend’s motorcycle after selling drugs to an undercover officer, according to The Associated Press.

The cooler struck Duprey, who lost control of the bike and fell toward a tree as the motorcycle crashed. He was pronounced dead within minutes, the AP reported.

The NYPD said the city’s medical examiner will determine Duprey’s cause of death. The department also noted that its Force Investigation Division will assist in the attorney general’s investigation into the incident.