Naked protesters condemn Daniel Prude’s death

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• Several naked protesters gathered outside Rochester’s police headquarters on Monday morning, condemning the police killing of Daniel Prude last March.
• Prude, a 41-year-old Black man, was killed after police officers put a spit hood on his head until he stopped breathing.
• His death fueled public outrage in Rochester as the city witnessed six consecutive days of protests.

According to local news outlets, several naked protesters sat outside the premises of Rochester’s police headquarters Monday morning to decry the brutal death of Daniel Prude and demand for police accountability.

Around a half-dozen demonstrators, having bare clothes or naked, wearing “spit hoods,” were sitting outside the City Public Safe Building ━ drawing attention for the death of Prude, a 41-year-old Black man.

Prude was killed by police officers who found him naked in a street on March 23 and put a spit hood on his head for about two minutes until he stopped breathing. He died a week later after life support was taken out.

Prude’s brother Joe mentioned that he noticed that his brother was behaving strangely. He told officers that he called 911 to ask for help. Prude was taken into a hospital for a mental health evaluation earlier but was released shortly.

Before going to the city’s Public Safety building on Monday evening, which was their sixth consecutive night of rally, protesters flocked in a city park. Police were stationed at the Frederick Douglass-Susan B. Anthony Memorial Bridge late night, announcing to the demonstrators that gathering outside the building is unlawful and they could be arrested if they insisted to rally.

Some of the demonstrators also have “Black Lives Matter” written on their backs. After some time, they were provided blankets and drove out of the vicinity, The Democrat & Chronicle reported.

Mayor Lovely Warren lauded the activist leaders, police, and community elders for a calm protest on Sunday night while President Donald Trump tweeted that Rochester was among the cities that had a “bad night.”

Seven police officers were suspended on Thursday.

On Saturday, state Attorney General Letitia James said that she would conduct a thorough investigation and would form a grand jury following Prude’s death. Police Chief La’Ron Singletary and Warren were facing calls of resignation following the delay of publishing the details of Prude’s killing.

According to police union officials, the cops just applied what they learned during training.

Protesters demanded police accountability and reforms on how officers should address mental health incidents.

A group called Free The People ROC issued a statement on Monday that says protests will remain to be held until Singletary and Warren quit their post, officers responsible for Prude’s passing are fired and arrested, and the Rochester Police Department will be defunded and should avoid responding to mental health emergencies.

Prude’s killing recently fueled another public outrage following the release of police body camera video and written reports obtained by Prude’s relatives.

Source: HUFFPOST