A New York grand jury on Tuesday declined to indict the officers involved in the death of Daniel Prude, a black man who died from asphyxiation while in police custody in March 2020.
“A grand jury has voted not to indict any police officer on charges related to the death of Daniel Prude,” New York Attorney General Letitia James wrote in a Twitter thread Tuesday afternoon. “My office concluded there was sufficient evidence surrounding Mr. Prude’s death to present the case to a grand jury, and we presented the most comprehensive case possible.”
James said the ruling would “rightfully” devastate Prude’s family and communities across the nation, but that “we have to respect this decision.”
PROTESTS OVER THE DEATH OF DANIEL PRUDE IN ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, GET VIOLENT
“The current laws on deadly force have created a system that utterly failed Mr. Prude and so many others before him,” she said.
Last March, Prude, 41, was acting erratically while visiting family in Rochester, and law enforcement officers later arrived to assist. Footage surfaced weeks later, showing the 41-year-old naked with a hood over his face while officers tried to restrain him. He later died of “complications of asphyxia in the setting of physical restraint.”
“Daniel Prude was in the throes of a mental health crisis, and what he needed was compassion, care, and help from trained professionals. Serious reform is needed in the Rochester Police Department and our criminal justice system as a whole,” James said. “I will be pursuing a multifaceted approach, including legislation, to address the very issues that have prevented us from holding officers accountable when they improperly use deadly force. I will be unshakeable in my efforts to bring the change that is so desperately needed.”
News of Prude’s death surfaced following protests and riots that resulted from the death of George Floyd, a black man who died after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for over eight minutes toward the end of May 2020. Prude’s death amplified calls to reform law enforcement and restrict funding.
In early September, 11 people were arrested, and three Rochester police officers were injured following a violent altercation in the city. Upward of 2,000 people paraded through the streets, destroyed outdoor restaurant seating areas, and fought with law enforcement while volleys of tear gas were fired.
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“This is an unstoppable moment right now,” a protester yelled to a crowd. “It’s time to get rid of them sons of bitches,” referring to police.
