Attorneys for former New York Police Department officer Erik Duran are seeking his release from custody while he appeals his manslaughter conviction related to a fatal incident in 2023. Duran, 38, was sentenced last Thursday to up to nine years in prison for the death of Eric Duprey, who died after Duran threw a picnic cooler at him during an encounter.

According to law enforcement sources, Duran is being held in protective custody at Rikers Island, separated from the general inmate population. His defense team has filed a motion urging an appellate court to grant his release pending the outcome of his appeal, which challenges the conviction.

The case has drawn public attention due to the circumstances surrounding Duprey’s death and the use of force by the former sergeant. Duran’s lawyers characterize the appeal as an effort to overturn what they describe as a wrongful conviction in a highly contentious legal matter.

The prosecution has maintained that the conviction was supported by the evidence presented at trial and that the sentence imposed was appropriate given the severity of the offense. The appellate court has yet to rule on the request for release, and no date has been set for consideration of the appeal itself.