The March 1-year-old black man had a mental health crisis on March 23, when officers hit him on the head with a “sphincter sock” and held him in a potential position on the ground before he could breathe. His brain was pronounced dead and he died a week later.
Her family’s lawyers released a video of the encounter with the police body this month, which will feature daily protests in Rochester.
Protesters are demanding that all officers involved in Prude’s arrest be fired, prosecuted and convicted. They are also demanding the resignation of city mayor Lovely Werner and police chief Lauren Singlettery.
Mayor and chief vow of police reform
Warren said during a news conference on Sunday that concerns over mental health issues in the city and police reform would extend his initiative to consider moving forward with Prude’s death.
Those measures include doubling the availability of mental health professionals and moving the Family Emergency Intervention Team (FACIT) from the police department to the youth and recreational services department, where similar programs reside, Warren said.
The mayor also said he “plans to join Monroe County’s Commission on Racial and Structural Equity to further improve our response to mental health emergencies and our police department.”
Warren added that both he and Singletari are working to make things better.
Warren said, “As the mayor of our city, it is my proud duty to honor Mr. Prude so that his death is not in vain and to make every possible effort to transform our city into a police force to truly protect and serve our residents.” Should. “
CNN reported last week that Vernon has requested that Singlettari provide a report within 30 days on how to improve mental health-related calls in Rochester.
SingleTree said Sunday that its department is exploring ways to improve mental health-related policing.
“Going forward, we are dedicated to taking the necessary steps to prevent this from happening again. And I understand that law enforcement should not work alone, and we are looking for ways to rethink policing around mental health.” Were for months, ”Singlettari said.
Officers involved suspended without pay
No one has been charged in Prude’s death, which was ruled by a Monroe County medical examiner.
The medical examiner’s report cites breathing complications as the cause of death in the adjustment of physical restraint. The report also cites excitatory delirium and acute PCP intoxication as the causes.
Despite seeing a video of Prude’s arrest on August Gust Pr, Vren Ren said Sunday that he went to suspend the seven officers involved a month later after learning that the attorney general’s investigation did not prevent him from doing so.
“Our understanding of our law department was that the attorney general’s office was in the middle of their investigation and so we couldn’t get in the middle of that investigation.” “The attorney general came out and said we could move on, and so I was confident we needed to suspend the officers and we needed the attorney general’s office to complete their independent review.”
The long delay in announcing Prude’s death at the hands of the police has raised concerns that officers tried to hide the death.
Last week, Warren hinted that he was initially misled by SingleTree, who said she believed the man died in police custody of an overdose.
But on Sunday, Warren said the police chief provided the information he had.
CNN’s Ganesh Setti and Travis Nicole contributed to the report.
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