The death of a scooter-riding drug suspect — who crashed after an undercover NYPD sergeant threw a cooler at him in the Bronx — has been ruled a homicide, officials said Friday.
Eric Duprey, 30, died from “blunt force injuries of the head,” which he sustained Wednesday while fleeing a drug bust on Aqueduct Avenue near West 190th Street in Kingsbridge Heights, a spokesperson for the city medical examiner confirmed.
Duprey took off during a buy-and-bust operation conducted by the sergeant, Erik Duran, and was driving his scooter erratically on the street and sidewalk, sources have said.
During the escape attempt, Duran — who has since been suspended without pay — chucked a cooler at Duprey, striking him in the head from close range, according to surveillance footage of the incident.
After being hit, Duprey lost control and crashed into a parked car.
He suffered trauma to his body and was pronounced dead by EMS workers at the site of the crash.
The medical examiner ruled his death a homicide. Sources told The Post Duprey’s fatal injuries were caused by the crash.
Police said Duprey was running from cops after he sold drugs to the undercover officer.
Duprey’s mother, however, said the allegations were “all lies.”
“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,” Gretchen Soto told The Associated Press in Spanish.
Soto maintained her son’s innocence.
Duprey, a father of three young children under the age of 10, worked with the city’s Parks Department before taking a job as an Uber Eats driver.
“They left three fatherless babies,” Soto said. “I’m going to get justice.”
Source: https://nypost.com/2023/08/25/death-of-eric-duprey-scooter-riding-drug-suspect-ruled-homicide/