Grand jury to hear stairwell shooting case

A grand jury will examine the shooting death of an unarmed man by a rookie police officer in a darkened public housing stairwell, the Brooklyn district attorney said Friday, hours before a memorial for the slain man.

The developments in the case surrounding Akai Gurley's death came two days after a grand jury on Staten Island decided criminal charges weren't warranted against a different police officer in the chokehold death of another unarmed man, Eric Garner. The Garner case — coming on the heels of a Missouri grand jury's decision not to indict a police officer in the fatal shooting of an unarmed 18-year-old in Ferguson — has sparked debate around the country about the grand jury process.

Brooklyn DA Kenneth Thompson said he would convene a grand jury "because it is important to get to the bottom of what happened."

"I pledge to conduct a full and fair investigation and to give the grand jury all of the information necessary to do its job," Thompson said in a statement. He said the information was still being gathered, and there was no timetable for when the grand jury would begin its work.

Gurley, 28, and his girlfriend opened a door to a pitch-dark stairway Nov. 20 as a rookie officer, patrolling by flashlight with his gun drawn, was descending the stairs one floor up, police said. City police often make roof-down patrols of public housing stairwells, as some are havens for crime.

Police officials have said Officer Peter Liang's gun may have discharged by accident, striking Gurley, the father of a 2-year-old child, and killing him.

The medical examiner has ruled the death a homicide.

The Rev. Al Sharpton initially planned to speak at Gurley's service Friday but later said he would pay his respects but not speak.

Gurley's funeral is scheduled for Saturday.

Wire services