'Asian and Black Business Leaders' Meet at Brooklyn Borough Hall Ahead of Peter Liang Verdict

Akai Gurley’s aunt speaking in front of Brooklyn criminal court in 2015. Photo via NYersAgainstBratton/Twitter

DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN, NY — Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams held a "closed-door meeting" at Borough Hall between local "Asian and black business leaders" Tuesday, two days before ex-NYPD officer Peter Liang appears in federal court to receive his final prison sentence.

In attendance at Tuesday's meeting, according to Adams, was — among others — former New York Comptroller John Liu, who immigrated from Taiwan as a child, and Dr. Roy Hastick, a leading member of the Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The meeting was intended to demonstrate the "communities’ joint commitment to solidarity and collaboration going forward," Adams' office said.

In November 2014, Liang, then a rookie officer on the force, fired his gun as he entered a darkened stairwell in the the Louis Pink Houses. (Located in City Line, near East New York.)

Young, unarmed Brooklyn father Akai Gurley was also in the stairwell. Liang's bullet is believed to have bounced off a wall before striking Gurley in the chest, killing him.

In February, Liang was found guilty of manslaughter — a crime that could send him to jail for 15 years.

However, last month, Brooklyn District Attorney Kenneth Thompson recommended to the judge sentencing Liang that the former officer not be put behind bars.

Instead, Thompson recommended five years of probation, six months of home arrest and 500 hours of community service for Liang.

Liang is Chinese-American. Gurley, an aspiring rapper, was of Caribbean descent.

The officer's conviction in February set off large protests within NYC's Chinese community, who accused Thompson's office of scapegoating an Asian-American officer while going easier on white cops.

Editor's Note: A previous version of this post said the Borough Hall meeting was held Wednesday. It was in fact held Tuesday.