Prosecutor: No prison for NY officer in stairwell shooting

NEW YORK (AP) — A prosecutor said Wednesday that he has asked a judge not to give any jail time to a New York City police officer convicted of accidentally firing a stray shot into a public housing stairwell that killed an unarmed man.

"From the beginning, this tragic case has always been about justice and not about revenge," Thompson said in a news release announcing his recommendation.

"Because his incarceration is not necessary to protect the public, and due to the unique circumstances of this case, a prison sentence is not warranted," Thompson said.

While the judge does not need to follow Thompson's proposal at Liang's sentencing proceeding next month, sentencing recommendations from prosecutors typically hold significant weight in most criminal cases.

The case has been watched closely by Black Lives Matter activists who have decried what they see as lenient treatment of officers, and by New York City's large Chinese community, a part of which has defended Liang and argued that he was made a scapegoat.