Chinese community calls for fair trial for indicted NYPD officer

New York's Chinese community has called for a fair and just trial, uninfluenced by the intensified relations between police and the public, for Chinese-American NYPD officer Peter Liang for the Nov. 20 fatal shooting of the black man Akai Gurley.

The current situation that the Chinese has little influence in American politics needs to change, Brooklyn Asian Communities Empowerment Chairman Shanzhuang Chen told Xinhua Thursday.

According to Chen, the Chinese community representatives would come to court to express their support when Peter's case opens.

"We're asking court to give Peter a fair trial, rather than making a decision under social pressure or public opinions," he said.

Liang, a 27-year-old rookie officer with a year and a half on the job, is accused of discharging his weapon and fatally wounding Gurley, 28, when he entered a dark stairwell in Brooklyn's East New York housing project and his partner were patrolling the complex where reports of violent crime had spiked.

According to prosecutors, the stairwell was completely dark when Liang's ricocheted bullet struck the chest of Gurley, who made two flights of stairs before collapsing.

On Feb. 10, a Brooklyn grand jury indicted Liang on six counts, including manslaughter. He would face up to 15 years in prison if convicted on all charges.

New York's Brooklyn Asian Communities Empowerment held a news conference Wednesday during which people stood in a silent three-minute tribute to Akai Gurley and other victims of confrontations between police and black men.

During the conference a letter from Peter Liang's mother was read, which revealed that Liang quit a federal government job to enter police training school for public service.

"The accident happened last year led us to the lowest point in life. I feel sorry for the victim and Peter. I wish society would give us a fair outcome," the mother said.

The father of Jianwen Liu, the Chinese-American New York police shot dead by a black man while working last December, also attended the conference to express his concern for Peter.

Liang's case has caused national wide attention in the United States, as more than 130,000 people have signed their name on the letter to the White House, Chen said.

He urged the Chinese to play a more active role in American politics.

"It is necessary to draw attention from society, however as the judicial system is independent in the United States, we still need justice to deal with this case."

In December 2014, Liang, an NYPD officer placed an unarmed black man in a chokehold during a confrontation. Grand Jury's decision not to charge him led to a nationwide protest.

Ten days later, two policemen, including Wenjian Liu, were killed by a black man, which has intensified tensions between the police and the black in the United States.