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Attorney General Empanels Grand Jury As Part Of Investigation Into Daniel Prude's Death
By
Sydney Pereira
Published Sep 6, 2020
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Preston Ehrler/SOPA Images/Shutterstock
By
Sydney Pereira
Published Sep 6, 2020
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Following days of protests in Rochester, the New York State Attorney General announced she would set up a grand jury as a part of her office's investigation into the death of a Black Rochester man that was ruled a homicide by asphyxiation while he was detained by police.
"The Prude family and the Rochester community have been through great pain and anguish," New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement Saturday afternoon. "My office will immediately move to empanel a grand jury as part of our exhaustive investigation into this matter."
On March 23rd, 41-year-old Daniel Prude was detained by police officers who found him in the midst of a psychotic episode, naked in the street during a snowy night in Rochester. During the detainment, officers placed him in a hood to prevent him from spitting on them, pressed his face into the pavement, and kneeled on his back, video shows.
He was hospitalized and then died a week a later.
Following Prude's killing, Rochester police claimed his death was due to a PCP overdose according to the NY Times. Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren said the police chief never informed her of the detainment of the man, though she also admitted fault for looking at his death in "the mind-set of an attorney, and not necessarily the mind-set of a human being."
Seven officers were suspended with pay on Thursday.
The footage of Prude's death was obtained after the Prude family's lawyer filed a public records request. But the footage was allegedly withheld from being released earlier this summer. According to the city of Rochester, an official in James's office requested the city not release the body cam footage to avoid interference with the state attorney general's investigation on June 4th, though the Attorney General's office denied such an accusation, according to the Times.
After James announced she would set up a grand jury to look at the evidence, Governor Andrew Cuomo said in a statement on Saturday: "I applaud Attorney General Tish James for taking swift, decisive action in empaneling a grand jury—justice delayed is justice denied and the people of New York deserve the truth."
The attorney general has been investigating Prude's death since mid-April.
Prude's death did not attract widespread attention until the video showing his arrest was released on Wednesday. Since then, protesters have demonstrated in Rochester and NYC.
In Rochester, police have fired tear gas and pepper balls at protesters. In both cities, drivers have weaponized vehicles by driving them into or near crowds of people during demonstrations. A video in Rochester shows a driver spraying what looks like pepper spray out the window during a demonstration.
According to the Democrat & Chronicle's live report of the demonstrations Saturday night, Rochester police say nine people were arrested and three officers were "treated at local hospitals" for injuries in which "projectiles and incendiary devices" were thrown at them. Rochester police say bottles were thrown at officers and "commercial grade fireworks."
A journalist reported being targeted by police, and a Democrat & Chronicle reporter said a freelance photographer was detained for about an hour.
In NYC, eight people were arrested Friday for allegedly smashing store windows in Manhattan during protests.
Tagged
police brutality
police killing
tish james
rochester
new york attorney general
letitia james
daniel prude
police violence
Sydney Pereira
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