Rally in New York supports indicted Chinese-American police officer

China Daily USA | Updated: 2015-03-09 11:02

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Supporter of indicted New York Police Officer Peter Liang march during a "Support Your Local Police" rally at City Hall in New York on Sunday. Liang, a 27-year-old Chinese American, said he was patrolling a Brooklyn public housing complex on Nov 20 when he accidentally discharged his weapon. The ricocheted shot struck and killed Akai Gurley, 28, an African-American man. Liang, who had less than 18 months on the force, was indicted by a grand jury on six charges, including second-degree manslaughter, and could face up to 15 years in prison. His supporters claim that Liang is a scapegoat to ease tensions between the police and African-American communities after the deaths last summer of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and Eric Garner on Staten Island, New York, in which neither police officer involved was indicted. The men's deaths touched off nationwide protests. "Peter Liang is a young police officer, living in a police officer's nightmare, an accidental but fatal shooting," said Joseph Concannon, the rally organizer who has held several similar events calling for support of the New York Police Department. "Again New Yorkers call for patience, connecting the dots, and not a rush to judgment. Remember, Lady Justice is blindfolded and should apply the law fairly to all."