Legal Defense Fund Set Up For Peter Liang, NYPD Officer Convicted In Shooting
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- A legal defense fund has been created for former NYPD Officer Peter Liang, who was recently convicted in the fatal shooting of a man in a Brooklyn public housing development.
As WCBS 880's Rich Lamb reported, some in the Asian-American community are choosing to rally around Liang. He was found guilty of manslaughter and official misconduct in the fatal shooting of Akai Gurley's death in the Pink Houses in East New York, Brooklyn, and was terminated from the police force.
EXTRA: More On The Peter Liang Trial
Liang testified that the shooting was an accident. Many of his supporters say they believe Liang is being scapegoated because of anger over other police shootings.
Some say he has been treated unfairly specifically because he is Asian-American.
Attorney Gary Park has been engaged by the Liang family to set up a legal defense fund.
"It's a trust account created for the beneficiary of Peter Liang -- his legal bills, his living expenses. He's overwhelmed right now. He needs to focus on his legal battles," Park said.
Park would not release how much has come into the defense fund, nor what the overall goal might be.
A crowd of 10,000 also rallied in Brooklyn this past Saturday to protest Liang's conviction.
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