Rochester police releases videos of Black man’s arrest that led to his death
Police in Rochester, New York released body-camera footage of an arrest of a Black man named Joe Prude, who was hospitalized and later died. The incident was in March 23.
NPR explained in an article that Prude had some kind of mental health episode and was outside in the early morning wearing only a long underwear and a tank top. Prude’s brother called 911.
A police report said Prude damaged windows of stores and ranted about having the coronavirus.
The video from Rochester Police shows that when officers approached Prude, he was naked and lying on a street. He complied with orders to lay facedown on his stomach and he was cuffed. But he started to struggle with the officers and started to spit. A officer placed a white spit hood over his face. Prude struggled even more. An officer kneeled on his back, another officer held down his feet, and a third officer placed his hands on the back of Prude’s head and applied his full body weight in the same way someone would do a push-up.
Prude passed out, stopped breathing, was hospitalized, and died a week later. A medical examiner’s office said the cause of death was complications of asphyxia in the setting of physical restraint due to excited delirium due to acute phencyclidine (PCP) intoxication.
Prude’s family said police is responsible for the death and plans to file a wrongful death lawsuit.
Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren said there is an ongoing investigation by the New York attorney general’s office and that it’s something that is out of the city’s control. The Rochester chief of police said this is not a cover-up and asked for the investigation to take its course.
Black Lives Matter protesters are demanding that the offices involved in Prude’s arrest to be fired and charged and for a policy to be changed so police officers don’t respond to mental health calls.
There were several confrontations between Rochester police officers and protesters. Tear gas and pepper balls were deployed and at least 9 protesters were arrested.