Rochester, NY — A video released Wednesday shows the death of an African American in Rochester, a city in northwestern New York State. According to the Associated Press, Daniel Prude died on March 30, seven days after he was arrested on the street while snow was falling.
The images show that Prude, who was naked, complied with orders from the police officers and did not retrain. Prude appears handcuffed and at one point sits down while yelling at the officers. Then a policeman is seen putting a hood on Prude’s head. The hood is used by agents to protect themselves from the saliva of suspects during the coronavirus pandemic.
According to one report, officers were summoned to the neighborhood after Prude’s brother called for help to assist Daniel who was having a “mental health issue”.
The situation escalated when a police officer threw Prude against the pavement, who had asked to have his hood removed. An officer presses Prude’s head against the ground. Another puts a knee on his back. At one point, Prude begins to spit, which draws the attention of the uniformed men. Eventually, Prude stops moving.
Paramedics arrived on the scene and transported Prude to an area hospital. The forensic doctor concluded he later died of “complication with asphyxia caused by physical restraint.” The death was declared a homicide. The hood worn by police officers has been questioned by activists as being linked to the deaths of several prisoners in the United States.
Prude, who was from Chicago, was in Rochester visiting his family.
The case is being investigated by the State Prosecutor’s Office. Activists are calling for the case to be investigated as a murder.
Here is the released footage of the arrest:
