The New York Islanders solicited fan donations via a jumbotron display during Tuesday’s home game against the Carolina Hurricanes for former NYPD Sgt. Erik Duran, who was sentenced last week to three to nine years in prison for manslaughter in the 2023 death of a Bronx man.
The promotion, organized by the Sergeants Benevolent Association, featured Duran’s photograph, a QR code directing fans to his legal defense fund, and a message urging them to join “the fight for justice.” The team also directed a quarter of proceeds from a 50/50 raffle — which took in $44,890, according to the Islanders’ website — toward the cause, the union said.
The fundraiser drew condemnation from the family of Eric Duprey, the 30-year-old man whose death prompted the conviction. Duran’s February conviction is described as the first time in at least two decades that an NYPD officer will serve prison time for an on-duty death.
Family condemns the promotion
Jon Roberts, an attorney for the Duprey family, said in a statement that the family was “deeply troubled by the decision of the New York Islanders to align themselves, even symbolically, with efforts that appear to support Sgt. Duran’s legal defense.”
“This was not a neutral act,” Roberts’ statement continued. “It sends a message — intended or not — that risks undermining public confidence in a fair legal process and deepens the pain of a family still grieving.”
The conviction
Surveillance footage showed Duran lifting a bystander’s cooler full of drinks and ice and throwing it at Duprey as he attempted to flee on a motorized scooter during an undercover narcotics operation in the Bronx. The impact caused Duprey to crash into a tree; he died almost instantly.
Duran’s conviction drew protests from police officers and their supporters, who argued it would discourage officers from doing their jobs and hurt public safety. His attorney has said he will appeal the sentence.
The fundraiser’s origins
Sergeants Benevolent Association President Vincent Vallelong said the chance to raise money for Duran at a professional hockey game “came out of left field.” He said the opportunity arose after someone at The New York Post informed him that the Islanders “wanted to do something” for Duran.
Photographs published by The New York Post show Vallelong posing with Islanders co-owner Jon Ledecky and New York Post executive Pat Judge inside the team’s arena on Long Island.
Vallelong said “the arena blew up into applause” when Duran’s photograph appeared on the video screen. He dismissed criticism of the team’s decision, likening it to celebrations of the military common at professional sporting events.
“They’re a private organization. They can do whatever they want,” Vallelong said of the Islanders.
Vallelong declined to say how much money was raised for the legal defense fund. A spokesperson for the Islanders declined to comment. The NHL did not immediately respond to a request for comment.