The homicide transpired in a Brooklyn housing project in 2014: NYPD cop Peter Liang was two years on the job when he happened across Akai Gurley, an unarmed 28-year-old black man, on a dim flight of steps. The 911 call ends with the neighbor on the other end gasping, “The cop shot him.” When he was found guilty of reckless manslaughter, Liang became the first NYPD cop to be successfully prosecuted for an on-duty killing in 10 years. The conviction brought to the fore the racial tensions that existed between the Asian- and African-American communities. Director Ursula “No Relation To Peter” Liang’s gripping documentary takes us from the night of the shooting — Officer Liang said it was the result of an accidental discharge — through the sentencing phase, where he could face either 15 years in prison or a probationary slap on the wrist. The nationwide peaceful protests that followed the conviction couldn’t have been better timed had the events unfolded last week. It screens as part of this year’s Human Rights Watch Film Festival. The 11-film series will be available online June 11-20. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit https://ff.hrw.org/. (2020) — Scott Marks
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