侨报网：梁彼得不坐牢！5年缓刑，800小时社区服务

周二（19日）2点15分，梁彼得一案进入宣判阶段，很多华人已到法庭外举牌示威。（侨报记者崔国萁摄）

【侨报记者崔国萁、高诗云纽约报道】周二（19日）2点15分，法官对梁彼得一案做出宣判，宣布梁彼得犯有刑事疏忽杀人罪（criminally negligent homicide），而非陪审团原先裁定的过失杀人罪（manslaughter），梁彼得被判5年缓刑，将执行800小时社区服务，但不坐牢！

此外，法官还判处梁彼得犯有渎职罪名。

在19日下午，法官陈丹尼（Danny K.Chun）就为何减刑做出解释，指出检方未能证明梁彼得在案发时意识到行为可能造成的后果，不符合二级误杀定义。但其走火杀人是不争的事实，合乎纽约州法对犯罪疏忽杀人罪的规定，因此降罪改判。

陈丹尼随即表示考虑到该案的特殊情况，他认同检察官轻判建议是完全恰当的。鉴于罪名已降，判决也要做出适当修改。

陈丹尼特别提到他收到4万封挺梁求情信，证明梁社区背景良好。综合考虑下，法官决定取消检察官建议的6个月家中拘禁，改添300小时社区服务，共累计800小时，同时判梁5年缓刑，无需坐牢。

3月23日，布碌仑地区检察官汤普森向主审法官陈丹尼提出量刑建议，即希望判决梁彼得缓刑5年，配带电子镣铐在家监禁6个月，做社区服务500小时。

4月19日下午法官对梁彼得案的判决结果出炉后，布碌仑地区检察官汤普森（Ken Thompson）立即发表声明，表示将对此案继续上诉。

声明书中，汤普森指出：“布碌仑地区检察办公室积极起诉梁彼得犯有过失杀人罪名，因为确切证据表明，他的行为是有罪的，法律要求梁彼得必须为其行为——夺走葛雷（Akai Gurley）的生命——负责。”

“代表布碌仑社区声音的陪审团，同意并裁定梁彼得有罪。作为已被判刑的重罪犯，梁彼得失去了他的警察职业，时刻被牢记一个事实——因为他的疏忽，导致了葛雷先生的死亡。”声明书第二段写道。

最后，汤普森表示：“此案非常特殊，尽管我们提出的量刑建议非常公平，但我们尊重法官的减罪判决与我方意见的不一致，并将继续对此案进行上诉。”

对此，辩方律师也在得知结果后，第一时间表示将会继续坚持上诉。

侨报记者周二早前现场报道，法官宣判结果前，法庭外警察严阵以待。很多华人到法庭外举牌示威。死者葛雷的姑妈及亲友已在法庭外排队等着进入法庭。一直以来十分乐意面对媒体的葛雷姑妈今天却发飙，不让媒体拍照。

现在华人示威者聚集近200人，州众议员寇顿到场，带领民众高呼口号“正义为所有人”，“不要替罪羊”，现场华裔示威者情绪高昂！一些华裔示威者也纷纷带领民众高呼口号！

支持死者葛雷的非裔人士及亚裔反暴力联盟成员在现场示威，高呼“梁彼得坐牢”，“正义为葛利”，“黑人的生命至关重要”等口号，并高举着葛雷以及历史上被警察枪杀的照片，要求正义必须得到伸张！

据侨报记者现场报道，距离开庭时间还有半小时，法庭门前出现前所未有的流量高峰，栅栏将入口封堵，连记者也被限制入内，只能缓慢分批放行。就法院外情况看，非裔示威者蜂拥排队，试图尽可能占据法庭内旁听席。

除法院门前外，地区检察官办公室大楼门口也栅栏重重，大批警察驻守，做好了安保准备。

NewYorkPost：NYPD cop Peter Liang dodges prison for killing Akai Gurley

Protesters support Peter Liang outside a Brooklyn courthouse before his sentencing.（Photo: Reuters）

The former rookie cop convicted in the 2014 shooting death of an unarmed man in a housing-project stairwell dodged prison Tuesday — as his victim’s angry kin warned that “justice will be served one way or another.”

Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun largely followed the no-jail recommendation of Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson in sentencing ex-Officer Peter Liang to five years probation and 800 hours of community service for the death of Akai Gurley.

Chun also downgraded the jury’s finding on manslaughter to criminally negligent homicide.

There is “no evidence, either direct or circumstantial, that the defendant was aware of Akai Gurley’s presence and therefore disregarded any risk [to him],’’ Chun explained.

The lesser charge is still a felony and keeps Liang off the force. It carried a maximum of four years in prison, while manslaughter would have meant up to 15 years.

Liang and his partner were doing a sweep of an apartment building at the crime-riddled Pink Houses in East New York around 11:15 p.m. on Nov. 20, 2014, when a steel door slammed, apparently startling him.

He had his service-issued .9mm Glock out, and it went off. The bullet ricocheted off the wall and struck Gurley, who was on the landing below, in the chest.

Akai Gurley

The judge said he agreed with Thompson’s no-jail recommendation because “as I watched the video of the defendant entering the lobby of the Pink Houses, I couldn’t help but feel he was entering with the serious mind of protecting the people.

“Shooting somebody never entered his mind,’’ Chun said. “I find incarceration to be unnecessary.”

Gurley’s aunt, Hertencia Petersen, raged after court, “So you’re telling me it’s OK for a black man in America, good ol’ America, to get murdered, and these officers who took an oath to serve and protect are not being held accountable?

“But don’t worry, what goes around, comes around,’’ she said. “Sooner or later, Peter Liang, if not him in his lifetime, someone in his family, is going to feel our pain.”

Before his sentencing, the soft-spoken Liang apologized to both Gurley’s girlfriend and the mother of his 3-year-old daughter.

“I’m not a man of many words. The shot was an accident,’’ the 28-year-old insisted.

But the girlfriend, Melissa Butler, who desperately tried to perform CPR on the dying Gurley, told Liang in an emotional victim-impact statement, “Akai took his last breath and died in my hands. I’m suffering while you still have your life.’’

Akai Gurley’s girlfriend, Melissa Butler

Kimberly Ballinger, the mother of Gurley’s daughter, added, “I will never forget the words of [Mayor] de Blasio when he said [Gurley] should still be alive.’’

More than 200 extra cops — including those from the NYPD’s counterterrorism unit — were stationed outside the courthouse as throngs of supporters and protesters screamed and waved signs during and after the proceeding.

Thompson, who was attacked from both sides over the case, shocked court observers and didn’t show up. He later vowed in a statement to appeal the downgraded charge.

Liang showed no emotion throughout the proceeding.

The former cop was quickly whisked off afterward in a car escorted by a police cruiser with its siren on.

He had prepared for the worst — getting together money for bail, a source said, “He was relieved he didn’t have to go to jail,’’ another source said, adding that the former cop was set to spend time with his family, including his parents and wife.

His wife attended court Tuesday — the first time she was present for any of the proceedings, the source said.

Liang lawyer Paul Shechtman said his client now has to hash out with his parole officer where he will do his community service.

He said he and Liang have already talked about him working with children.

“I don’t think any of us have expected a better outcome,’’ Shechtman told The Post.

Still, he said they would appeal the conviction.

Prosecutors had argued that Liang breached department protocol by having his finger on the trigger. Liang and Landau also spent several minutes after the shooting arguing over who would call in the shooting instead of rushing to Gurley’s aid.

Both Liang and Landau testified that they didn’t jump to the dying man’s aid because they lacked proper CPR training.

The Police Academy instructor who was supposed to have taught them the life-saving technique has since been stripped of her badge and gun while the department probes the allegation.

CNN：Ex-NYPD officer gets no jail time in shooting death

New York (CNN)Former New York City police Officer Peter Liang will not serve jail time in the 2014 shooting death of Akai Gurley in a New York housing project.

Liang was sentenced to 800 hours of community service and five years' probation Tuesday after Judge Danny Chun reduced his manslaughter conviction to criminally negligent homicide in the shooting death of Gurley, 28, who was not armed.

Liang, 28, was found guilty of manslaughter and official misconduct in February for shooting Gurley in the stairwell of a Brooklyn housing project.

But Chun said that for manslaughter to stand, the prosecution had to prove that Liang not only "created a substantial and unjustifiable risk that a death would occur" but also that the the officer "was aware of and consciously disregarded that risk."

"There is no evidence either direct or circumstantial that the defendant was aware of Akai Gurley's presence and still disregarded any risk by firing the weapon," Chun said. "The evidence showed that it was a quick reaction to perhaps a sound, which in my opinion only amounts to failing to perceive a unjustifiable risk."

The prosecution said it will appeal the judge's decision to reduce the verdict.

"My office vigorously prosecuted Peter Liang for manslaughter because the evidence established that his conduct was criminal and the rule of law demanded that he be held accountable for his actions in taking Akai Gurley's life," Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson said in a statement.

"The jury, the voice of the Brooklyn community, agreed and returned the verdict of guilty against Mr. Liang, who is now a convicted felon, forfeited his career as a police officer and must now always live with the fact that he recklessly caused Mr. Gurley's death."

Liang, who was immediately fired after his conviction, on Tuesday apologized to Gurley's family.

"Growing up my parents thought it was a foolish dream that I wanted to become a police officer," he told the court. "When I graduated from the academy it was a dream come true."

He added, "Judge, my life is forever changed. I hope I have a chance to improve."

Gurley's domestic partner, Kim Ballinger, told the court that Liang's reckless actions changed many lives. She described Gurley as a "lovely father" and said their young daughter asks why a police officer killed her father.

"An innocent man was shot and killed due to the reckless actions of a police officer and then, after the shooting, a police officer did nothing to help him as Akai lay bleeding to death on a cold stairway," she said.

Thompson had written the judge with a recommendation of five years of probation, including six months of home confinement with electronic monitoring and 500 hours of community service. Liang faced up to 15 years in prison.

"Mr. Liang has no prior criminal history and poses no future threat to public safety," Thompson said in a statement last month. "Because his incarceration is not necessary to protect the public, and due to the unique circumstances of this case, a prison sentence is not warranted."

Liang, with 18 months on the job, was on patrol in the dark stairwell of a Brooklyn housing project in November 2014 when he fired his gun. The bullet ricocheted off a wall and struck Gurley in the chest. Gurley died at a hospital.

Liang's lawyers argued that the officer's gun accidentally discharged when he had it out while on patrol in the dangerous building. He was in shock, and didn't know Gurley had been shot, the lawyers said.

Defense lawyers called the shooting a tragedy, not a crime. Prosecutors argued that Liang was reckless and was more concerned about his story than helping Gurley.

Liang gave tearful testimony on the stand during the trial. When asked to recount what happened in the stairwell on that night, he said he lost his composure.

"I was panicking. I was in shock, in disbelief that someone was actually hit," he said.

Liang had a brief meeting last month with Ballinger at Thompson's Brooklyn offices, according to attorneys for Liang and Ballinger, who were present.

"He said how sorry he was that she had lost a loved one," attorney Paul Shechtman said of Liang. "He said how difficult a year it had been for him and could only imagine how difficult it was for her."

Ballinger did not accept his apology, according to her attorney, Scott Rynecki.

"She looked him right in the eye and said, 'I just want to let you know that your actions that night have left my daughter without a father, have left me without a partner,' " Rynecki recalled.

Gurley's death "turned her life upside-down," Ballinger told the ex-cop.

在梁彼得判刑的庭外，两个不同群体的相同诉求

在执行审判梁彼得案件的法庭之外，非裔人群和华裔人群组成的两只队伍之间，只隔着布鲁克林市的一条普通街道，几十个治安警察拉起了简单的警戒围栏。当地时间4月19日上午，四个多小时的庭外等待时间里，街道两边肤色迥异的两支队伍没有发生任何的交流和冲突，只是自顾自地嘶喊着激烈的口号。

非裔人群的英语发音纯正，分贝约喊越高：“黑人的生命也宝贵！（Black LivesMatter!）如果不能获得正义，那我们就跟他们闹个不休！（If We Don’t Get No Justice, They Don’t Get No Peace!）”华裔则略带口音，声音参差不齐，但音量也丝毫不输对面。“是意外，不是犯罪！（Accidentis Not a Crime!）给梁彼得讨公道！（Justice for Peter Liang）”

在庭外激烈的口号声中，争吵了一年半的梁彼得案在法庭里获得减罪和轻判：法官认为检察官没有足够的证据证明二级杀人罪（second-degreemanslaughter），并称收到了约4万封为梁彼得求情的书信，决定将罪行降低至刑事疏忽杀人罪（criminalnegligent homicide），并维持另一项较轻的渎职罪。判决无需坐牢，缓刑5年，加800小时的社区服务。

△ 宣判后，梁彼得走出法庭

漆黑的贫民区楼梯间里，华裔警察手握扳机，子弹穿膛射出，弹在墙上，击中了站在楼下的非裔平民。一年半以前的梁彼得案，让美国的两个少数族裔，突然被现实抛在了对立的两端。

■ Justice的两种译法

 在抗议的现场，两方的口号中都在呼吁Justice，但诉求却是完全相反。在英汉字典里，Justice有两个翻译，一个是“正义”，一个是“公道”。

非裔所携带的，是堆积多年的没有被诉诸的仇怨。

 “当时在大陪审团还没有决定起诉时，我就想着：‘完了！这次他要倒霉了！’”纽约地区上海联谊会英文秘书长尹导，是反对将梁彼得定重罪的华人运动中的突出人物。他认为梁彼得是紧张警民关系下的替罪羊。

 “梁彼得并不是完全没有错，但给他定二级杀人罪这么重的罪是不能接受的。”刘醇逸曾任纽约市前主计长和前市议员，他是幼年来美的移民。“这等于是让梁彼得为所有其他免罪的警察承担责任。”

今天在法院外嗓门最大的一个人是“挺梁”的白人州众议员寇顿。他说梁彼得是破损体制的牺牲品。“市政府对其所管辖的案发楼宇管理不力，从而造成了梁彼得和格利所在的楼梯间没有灯光。两人都是受害者。”

寇顿看到了两个族裔的共同利益所在，“大家现在都非常情绪化，其实我们的目标是一致的，要改变体系，才能保障所有人的权益。”其实除了政客之外，支持梁彼得的白人民众大有人在，他们也认为之前逃脱了责任的白人警察是钻了司法的漏洞，但梁彼得一案是意外，不应该和之前的事件联系起来。

华人所携带的，是堆积数载的歧视和不公的隐痛。

“为什么几十年来都不出声，这次出来？因为多年来能忍得都忍了。这次被踩到底线了！”吴一平是纽约市数万人参与的示威活动的主要组织人之一。“对内要协调、沟通和团结，对外要强硬。我们不惹事，别人惹事我们要站出来。”

 支持非裔社区的华裔，很多是年轻的二代移民，这和“挺梁”的中年移民形成很鲜明的对比。但这些敢于参与示威的年轻华裔却都谢绝接受采访和留下姓名。一些人说，他们比父辈更加了解美国黑人社会的维权挣扎。

 而“挺梁”的第一代移民却说，下一代大多看主流媒体有偏袒的报道，或者是因为语言沟通的障碍，无法深刻理解父辈的诉求。但有不少的“挺梁”人从梁彼得身上看到的正是自己孩子的影子。“几十年了都没见过这么多中国人出来游行。”家住Woodside的汤太太参加了2·20华人大游行。“梁太年轻了，我主要是觉得他要是被判了刑，以后就没有前途了，找工作都很难找啊！太可怜了！”

△ 2月20日，在美国华人参加万人“挺梁”大游行

■ 不要欢呼，我们跟他们讲“对不起”

非裔队伍一职高举着死者格利的大幅照片，以及几十个在过去一段时间内被警察杀死的民众照片。

22年前13岁黑人少年尼古拉斯·黑沃德二世（Nicholas Heyward Jr.）因在自家楼道里玩耍玩具手枪而被警察击毙。他的爸爸今天也来到了布鲁克林法院门前，加入要求梁彼得入狱的呼声中。“杀死我儿子的警察说当时走廊灯光很暗，也说开枪是意外。那个警察没有被起诉，没有给我任何交代，正义没有被伸张。”

不过，爸爸黑沃德手中还举着一张华人少年黄永新的照片，16岁的黄永新在1995年也因为玩假手枪而被警察在布鲁克林击毙。

△ 黑沃德的爸爸

在宣判前夕，非裔社区也接连发出反轻判的暴动意向。但华非双方都在公共场合下刻意避免强调两个种族之异。非裔在示威时虽然把梁彼得叫做“杀人警察”，但始终完全把矛头指向警署；而华裔在多次示威中也都举牌表示对死者的哀悼，并曾举行默哀仪式。为了调解紧张气氛，三十多名华、非裔商界领袖上周在布鲁克林区长办公室座谈，表达了相互的理解和加强合作的意愿。

在法院外等候的华人团队中有人接到了判决消息，便迅速传开了来。人群中有人激动地大声叫了出来，但立即被旁边的人低声止住了。“不要欢呼！我们不欢呼！”

刚从法庭里走出来的吴一平对华人群体发表了讲话。“我们尊重法院的选择。双方都是受害者，这里没有赢家。没有人可以欢呼！！我们对死者的生命也要尊重，这就是我们的立场！”这立刻获得了听众的大声赞同：“对对！我们要给他们讲三句Sorry！我们跟他们讲对不起！”

△ 梁彼得律师谢克特曼走出法院露出笑容

死者格利的家人则从法庭走出之后径直离去，一度被蜂拥的媒体堵住了去路，发生肢体冲撞。格利的小姨表示对判决的强烈不满：“这不是正义，我们将会继续游行，我们会高呼‘黑人生命也宝贵’。犯了谋杀罪的人怎么可能让他不负责任？”

多方意见不同的群体都有一个共同的认识，那就是华裔社会和非裔社会相互的了解不够。吴一平今天也呼吁华人积极地和非裔沟通。“华人和非裔社区一定要有很好的沟通。我们要了解对方，我们在非裔社区有商业活动的人应该知道回馈社区，我们要和整个社会打成一片。”

而梁彼得案也引起其他族裔的发声。“司法系统不追究那些白人警察是不公正的。”纽约的反针对亚裔暴力委员会（CAAAV）执行总监邓丽君是二代华裔和越南裔移民。“我们要求司法公正，只要是做了错事的警察都要受到惩罚，不管这个警察是什么族裔。”

■ 梁彼得的化身

判决当天正巧是纽约州初选日，“挺梁”运动的组织者们印制了鼓励华人参与投票的传单和标语，于上周末在华人聚集点进行催票宣传。今天，在华人投票点附近可以看到这样的宣传字报“投票！挺梁！不做替罪羊！”

吴一平说，要用选票进行“秋后算账”。要把那些不支持梁彼得的民选官员给选下去，要拥护帮助我们的州众议员寇顿。上海联谊会英文秘书长尹导提醒说，选举方面要慎重，“不能行动过激，要尊重持不同观点的人。”

△ 梁彼得宣判后，寇盾接受采访

检方随后发表了声明，反对法官给梁彼得减罪，并宣布将会上诉。梁彼得一方也在考虑是否提出上诉，目前还没有宣布决定。今天是一个大门槛，但司法对弈还没有完结。上诉也将会是一个十分耗时的程序。但是在场的华人还是心存满意而归的，或者用社区代表Doug Lee的话来说就是“心情可以放松一下了。”

梁彼得是一名28岁的华裔青年，但他在不同人的眼中，却是不同的化身。在黑人眼中，他是一名警察，是几十年来以极端武力管制黑人的政府士卒的一员。在“挺梁”华人的眼中，他是自己的孩子、亲戚的孩子、朋友的孩子，是多年来忍受种族歧视的自己。在要求刑事严惩的人眼中，他是不公平的司法和腐败的政治体制的产物。在中立的人眼中，他是一个被卷进政治和种族漩涡中的可怜的牺牲品。

在纽约，八百万人被挤压在狭小的空间里，千万个族裔，千万种文化，每天拖着各异的镣铐、打着各自的战役。不同政见的吵闹、劳资冲突的抗争、贫富阶层的碰撞、反对立法的呼声、维护人权的呐喊…… 放眼望去，纽约是一个硝烟四起的战场，绝大多数的军号声都被周边的喧闹所淹没，传播不出各自的院墙。

但这场牵扯到两个弱势群体的案件，却点燃了整个城市和整个国家的目光。

华人和非裔虽然站在各自的领地上战斗，但都是为种族平等和司法公正而战。但种族维权却也是一把双刃剑，在强调种族平等的同时也是在强调种族的区别。尹导主张在此事上淡化种族概念，“这个国家的体系对人种过度区分人种，凸显了种族之分，导致很多问题转化成了政治问题。这本不应被看做是两个种族的悲剧，这是两个美国青年的悲剧。”（欧阳赫迪/文 转自微信公共号世界说 ）