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Police Killed Daniel Prude in March and We’re Just Hearing About It Now
Recently released body-cam footage has sparked protests in Rochester, New York
On March 23, seemingly a lifetime ago, 41-year-old Daniel Prude was arrested by police in Rochester, New York. His brother had called the police for help, concerned about Prude’s mental health. NPR reports: “Prude, 41, had left his brother’s house in below-freezing weather. … He had been released from Rochester’s Strong Memorial Hospital earlier that night after expressing suicidal thoughts.”
Body-cam footage obtained by Prude’s family through a public-records request and released on September 2 reveals what happened next: “Officers restrained Prude by holding him down by his feet and his head, and applying pressure to Prude’s back with a knee. Prude eventually fell unconscious and stopped breathing, according to police reports. He died a week later.”
In response, protests have gathered near the spot where Prude was arrested, and organizers say they plan to occupy the space until “the officers involved in Prude’s arrest are fired and the city bars police from responding to mental health calls, among other demands.”
