Islanders Rally Behind Convicted NYPD 'Cooler Cop' With Fundraiser Push
It's nice to see a team going to bat for first responders for a change
I'll admit, there aren't too many issues or causes that really get my juices flowing, but supporting first responders is one of them.
And, boy, was I pumped to see the New York Islanders going to bat for an NYPD officer who has been sentenced to jail for years in a wildly controversial ruling.
According to The New York Post, last week, ex-NYPD Sgt. Erick Duran — a father of three — was convicted of second-degree manslaughter and sentenced to three to nine years in prison following an incident in 2023 in which he threw a full Igloo cooler at suspect Eric Duprey, who was riding a moped on the sidewalk in an attempt to escape arrest.
That Igloo cooler (which is some publicity the folks at Igloo were probably not expecting) ended up killing Duprey.
Of course, there's a good chance it also saved innocent bystanders and Duran's fellow officers.
But that didn't matter to Bronx Judge Guy Mitchell, who levied the sentence, which was met with understandable outrage from the NYPD’s Sergeants Benevolent Association, who have opened a legal fund to fight for Duran's release.
New York Islanders support jailed NYPD Sgt. Erick Duran with a fundraiser, fueling debate over his controversial manslaughter conviction and sentence. (Getty Images)
On Tuesday night, at the Islanders' season finale against the Carolina Hurricanes — which, unfortunately for them, caps off a collapse down the stretch that sees them missing the postseason — the team donated a portion of the evening's 50/50 raffle to the legal fund.
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In addition, they also posted a QR code on the Jumbotron that fans could donate to the legal fund.
Man, I hate that this is even necessary, but I love that the Islanders are not afraid to back the police.
Too often, we see teams and leagues and players around sports treating law enforcement officers like the enemy when, in fact, they're the heroes.
And while the anti-police rhetoric has become increasingly prevalent in recent years, this serves as a great reminder that there are still those in sports who understand and appreciate the incredible work these brave men and women do.