Benedict Bryant, 47, was found guilty on Friday of dangerous driving occasioning the death of Indigenous teen Jai Kalani Wright in February 2022 in an inner Sydney suburb.
Judge Jane Culver ruled Bryant should have known placing his car without its lights and sirens activated could have caused a collision which posed a serious risk to the 16-year-old.
Bryant was behind the wheel when he parked the car at the end of a bike path he knew the teen was riding down at speed.
After colliding with the car, Jai was thrown off his bike and suffered critical head injuries, dying at Prince Alfred Hospital the following day.
While there was no evidence the sergeant was intending to injure or kill the teenager, the judge found a person of his experience should have known creating the obstacle would pose a danger.
Judge Culver found Bryant also failed to consider how other parked cars in the intersection would have impacted the boy's ability to see the police car in his path.
"The presence of these other vehicles posed a visible and physical obstruction to the accused ... this required the accused to exercise a greater degree of caution," she said.
More than 40 members of the teenager's family packed the Darlinghurst court room, with dozens of others filling an overflow room.
There were gasps and tears as the judge revealed her verdict while Bryant sat with his head bowed and eyes closed for most of the proceedings.
Speaking outside court, a supporter of Bryant indicated he would be appealing the verdict and said the incident would never have occurred if everyone was "in bed, like they should be".
Jai's father Lachlan Wright said outside court he hoped the verdict could mark a reset of relations between police and First Nations people.
"If things can change in the future, in regards to relationships between Aboriginal people in this country and the police force, maybe this won't happen again," he said.
Bryant will return for sentencing on April 17.
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