NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: The cause of death of a man who lost his life after reportedly being hit by a cooler has now been released.
Eric Duprey’s death has been declared a homicide, which happened because of “blunt force injuries of the head”, The New York Post reported, citing a spokesperson for the city medical examiner.
What led to Eric Duprey's death?
The 30-year-old man was reportedly involved in a drug business and as he tried to escape an undercover cop, Erik Duran, he was hit by the cooler on Aqueduct Avenue near West 190th Street in Kingsbridge Heights on Wednesday, August 23.
It has been said that in order to stop the suspect from fleeing, Duran used the picnic cooler and hurled it in his direction.
At the time, Duprey was driving his scooter and he lost his balance after the cooler hit him. He went on to hit a parked car and got injured critically. Eventually, he was declared dead at the scene.
Eric Duprey's mother believes he was not a drug dealer
But Duprey’s mother has claimed her son was innocencent. Gretchen Soto told The Associated Press, “He wasn’t fleeing. He wasn’t fleeing.”
“He was just on the motorcycle talking to me on the video chat. And he passed by that place when all of a sudden the call cut out,” she asserted.
Soto also added while referring to Duprey’s children, “They left three fatherless babies. I’m going to get justice.”
His sister Erika Duprey Soto stated, “The children don’t accept that their father is now in heaven. He was always by their side. They say, ‘he’s still in the ambulance.’”
Meanwhile, NYPD has suspended Duran after the incident. An official statement said, “Early today, New York City Police Department Sergeant Erik Duran was suspended from duty without pay following a fatal incident in the Bronx on Wednesday afternoon involving a man attempting to flee from the police on a motorcycle.”
It added, “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.”
