NY officer convicted of manslaughter in stairwell shooting

A newly-hired police officer who shot an unarmed man dead in a darkened public housing stairwell was convicted on Thursday of manslaughter in a case closely watched by advocates for police accountability.

The courtroom audience gasped and Officer Peter Liang, who had broken into tears as he testified about the 2014 shooting of Akai Gurley, buried his head in his hands as the verdict came after 17 hours of jury deliberations.

The manslaughter charge carries up to 15 years in prison. Liang's sentencing is set for April 14.