DA Thompson Faces Backlash in Akai Gurley Case

Nearly two dozen protesters gathered outside Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson's office on Thursday to denounce his letter to Justice Danny Chun calling for lenient sentencing in the Peter Liang trial.

"He failed the family, he failed myself and he failed the people that put him into office," Hertencia Petersen, Akai Gurley's aunt, said.

Councilwoman Inez Barron represents East New York, where Gurley was shot. She said Thompson has lost her support.

"He's supposed to be the person that we go to for protection and justice," she said.

A protester in the crowd outside Thompson's office shouted "traitor" several times.

"Don't ever come to us for anything," Barron said. And we're going to come to you for a lot because we're revolted by your actions, we will not forget," she said.

A spokesperson from Thompson's office said the DA had no comment about the protests and stands behind the letter.

"The defendant has no prior history of criminal acts or improper police conduct," Thompson wrote in the letter. "There is no possibility that the defendant will engage in police misconduct in the future because the defendant has been fired by the New York City Police Department, as a result of his conviction in this case."

After the conviction in February thousands of Asian-Americans came out in support of Liang.

Assemblyman Ron Kim said the case has pitted critics of the NYPD against Asian Americans.

"Peter Liang, in particular, has been scapegoat and targeted for all the failings in our justice system," Kim said.

Kim supports Thompson's sentencing recommendation, but also says the Gurley family hasn't received adequate justice for his death.

Thursday morning, Liang and his lawyer met with Gurley's partner Kim Ballinger and her lawyer.

Ballinger told Liang to look her in the eye as she explained that she was now a single mother because of his actions. Liang told her he was sorry twice.

Sentencing for Liang is set for April 14th.