Akai Gurley

Akai Gurley (1986–2014) was an African American resident of Brooklyn, New York, whose death became a pivotal moment in discussions about police violence and racial justice. On November 20, 2014, Gurley was shot and killed by NYPD officer Peter Liang in a dimly lit stairwell of the Louis H. Pink Houses public housing complex in East New York. Liang claimed the shooting was accidental, stating his gun discharged while he was patrolling with his flashlight drawn. The incident occurred during a period of heightened national tension following police shootings of unarmed Black men in Ferguson, Missouri, and elsewhere. Gurley's death prompted widespread protests and calls for police reform. The case became emblematic of the broader #BlackLivesMatter movement, highlighting concerns about stop-and-frisk practices, inadequate training, and the disproportionate impact of policing on communities of color. Though Liang was initially convicted of second-degree manslaughter, his conviction was later reduced to criminally negligent homicide and he received five years of probation rather than prison time—a decision that further galvanized civil rights advocates.