Some in Chinese Community Worry Officer Liang Won't Get Fair Trial

WNYC News | Feb 12, 2015

For the second time this year, a Chinese NYPD officer is in the spotlight.

Last month, it was the funeral for Officer Wenjian Liu, who along with his partner, Rafael Ramos, was shot and killed in the line of duty. This month, it's the indictment of rookie officer Peter Liang, who's facing manslaughter and other charges in the fatal shooting of Akai Gurley, an unarmed black man, in a public housing stairwell. The NYPD and Liang's lawyer say it was an accident.

Both cases are drawing attention from media across the globe, but especially in the local Chinese community.

"The community is very concerned about this case," said Joe Wei, metro editor for the New York-based Chinese language newspaper World Journal. "They [Chinese New Yorkers] feel very worried Peter Liang will be the scapegoat for racial tensions regarding police and community relationships."

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