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The New York State Attorney General’s Office decided to investigate the circumstances of the arrest of Daniel Prude, a black man who fell into a coma and then died after being detained by the police last March, was released this Thursday.
This case, which took place in Rochester, a city located in the northeastern part of the US state of New York, is being debated after the disclosure on Wednesday of the images recorded by the mini-cameras used by the police officers involved in the arrest, after a Formal request. from Daniel Prude’s family who requested access to a copy of the recordings.
Police action according to the images
On March 23, Rochester police, where 40% of the population is black, were called in to intervene after the victim’s brother called for help, reporting at the time that Daniel Prude was showing signs of psychological distress.
Once on the scene, one of the officers found Prude lying on the street floor, naked and handcuffed, according to images released Wednesday.
While the man made contradictory statements, the agent placed a cloth bag, a kind of hood, over Daniel Prude’s head, an action that agitated him even more.
This type of hood is used to prevent police officers from being hit by bodily fluids such as saliva, in case the detainee spits, and to avoid a possible contagion with the new coronavirus, the police explained.
An officer then placed both hands on the face of Daniel Prude, who, according to the released images, had difficulty breathing and begged to have his hood removed before losing consciousness.
The officers laughed several times during the arrest, according to the images.
Autopsy reveals death from “consecutive asphyxia”
Daniel Prude slipped into a coma and died a week after being hospitalized.
The institute of forensic medicine concluded, after an autopsy, that Prude’s death was a homicide, related to “consecutive suffocation from physical embarrassment”.
“We will work tirelessly to ensure transparency and establish potential liability,” New York State Attorney Letitia James said in a statement.
“They treated my brother like an animal,” Joe Prude (Daniel Prude’s brother who asked for help on the day of his arrest) said at a news conference Wednesday.
The agents involved have not been suspended
Rochester Police Chief La’Ron Singletary, also African-American, said an internal investigation was underway into the case, ensuring there was never any intention to “cover up” the incident.
On the same occasion, the representative reported that the agents involved in the incident were not suspended.
