President of the Rochester police union urges the city's mayor to resign after the top cop and his entire command staff walked out over the spit hood death of Daniel Prude
The president of a Rochester police union has called on the mayor to step down after the city's top cop and his command staff resigned amid nightly protests over the handling of the suffocation death of Daniel Prude.
Locust Club President Mike Mazzeo was asked by a reporter from WHEC during a press conference on Wednesday if he was calling on Mayor Lovely Warren to resign just a day after Rochester Police Chief La'Ron Singletary, Deputy Chief Joseph M. Morabito and two commanders announced their retirement.
In response, Mazzeo said: 'Yes.'
Mazzeo continued: 'There's a need for change. When we have a command staff walk out the door, something is wrong. I think too many people are involved in this that know the truth, and I hope the others learn soon.'
Locust Club President Mike Mazzeo (pictured) has called on the mayor to step down after the city's top cop and his command staff resigned amid nightly protests over the handling of the suffocation death of Daniel Prude
Mayor Lovely Warren (pictured) was quick to respond to Mazzeo's call for her resignation in a statement, saying: 'It is time for Mike Mazzeo to resign, because his archaic ways of policing are no longer wanted in the City of Rochester'
Warren was quick to respond to Mazzeo's call for her resignation in a statement sent to the news station.
'For 30 years, the problem with policing in Rochester are cops like Mike Mazzeo that watch the video of Daniel Prude's death and see nothing wrong,' the statement reads.
'Who believe there is nothing wrong with driving Mr. Prude's head into the street. Who believe there is nothing wrong with other officers standing by, joking and failing to intervene while Mr. Prude is dying. Who think its fine to just casually ignore him as he takes his last breath, and then callously and falsely inform his brother who begged for him not to be harmed.'
Warren wrote that people like Mazzeo are only out to 'protect and serve themselves, and certainly not the people of the city of Rochester'.
'It is time for Mike Mazzeo to resign, because his archaic ways of policing are no longer wanted in the City of Rochester,' the mayor added.
In addition to the resignations of Singletary, Morabito and two commanders, two more deputy chiefs and a commander gave up top leadership positions and returned to their lower ranks.
Singletary accused critics of trying to 'destroy my character and integrity' in a statement on Tuesday.
During a video call with members of the City Council, Warren said she did not ask Singletary, 40, to resign, but that his abrupt decision to step down came after 'new information that was brought to light today that I had not previously seen before'. She did not elaborate.
Rochester Police chief La'Ron Singletary (pictured) resigned from his position on Tuesday
Rochester Police Department's Deputy Chief Joseph M. Morabito (left) and Chief of Administration Mark L. Simmons (right) have also retired
While the 'timing and tenor' of the retirements were difficult, Warren said later at a brief news conference: 'I truly believe that we will get through this.'
In a prepared statement, Singletary said: 'The members of the Rochester Police Department and the Greater Rochester Community know my reputation and know what I stand for.
'The mischaracterization and the politicization of the actions that I took after being informed of Mr. Prude's death is not based on facts, and is not what I stand for.'
The sudden announcements came more than five months after the death of Prude, a 41-year-old black man who died several days after an encounter with police on March 23 in New York's third-largest city.
There have been nightly protests in the city since the video's release last Wednesday.
In a statement immediately following the resignations, the Locust Club said: 'The events that have unfolded today have taken us completely by surprise, as they have everyone else.' The union blamed the 'problems of leadership' on the mayor.
Singletary, who spent his entire career in the Rochester Police Department, was appointed chief in April 2019. He will stay on through the end of the month, Warren said.
'This is great news,' said Iman Abid, speaking for Free the People ROC, which has held protests since details of Prude's death emerged. 'It says to the people that people are able to move things and to shape things. The police chief wouldn't retire if it weren't for something that he felt he was accountable to.'
Daniel Prude, 41, died a week after an encounter with police officers in Rochester. Prude became unconscious while in police custody after officers put a 'spit hood' over his neck
Prude's death sparked outrage after his relatives last week released police body camera video (depicted above) and written reports they obtained through a public records request
But, she said, nightly protests will continue to push other demands, including the resignation of the mayor, defunding and demilitarizing of police, and development of a state law barring police departments from responding to mental health crises.
Officers found Prude running naked down the street in March, handcuffed him and put a hood over his head to stop him from spitting, then held him down for about two minutes until he stopped breathing. He died a week later after he was taken off life support.
His brother, Joe Prude, had called 911 seeking help for Daniel Prude´s unusual behavior.
He had been taken to a hospital for a mental health evaluation earlier that night but was released after a few hours, his brother told officers.
His death sparked outrage after his relatives last week released police body camera video and written reports they obtained through a public records request.
Seven police officers were suspended a day later, and state Attorney General Letitia James said Saturday she would form a grand jury and conduct an 'exhaustive investigation' into Prude´s death.
Demonstrators gathered in front of the public safety building in protest of the police killing Prude for the seventh night in a row on Tuesday
Demonstrators painted the word 'murderers' in front of the public safety building on Tuesday
In a federal lawsuit filed Tuesday, Prude's family alleged that it took more than 90 seconds for officers to notice he had stopped breathing because they were chatting and making jokes at his expense.
Prude's sister, Tameshay, sued as executor of his estate and named the city of Rochester, Singletary and officers involved in the arrest as defendants.
Prude's family contends his death and a cover-up stem from longstanding police department policy and practice that 'condones and encourages officers to use excessive force as a matter of course, and to lie in official police paperwork and sworn testimony to justify their unlawful actions'.
The lawsuit alleges the police department sought to cover up the true nature of Prude's death, starting with what Warren said was Singletary reporting to her early on that Prude had an apparent drug overdose.
The lawsuit also argues officers used force against Prude at a time when he 'obviously posed no threat to the safety of the officers or anyone else.'
'Mr. Prude was in the midst of an acute, manic, psychotic episode,' the lawsuit states. 'Mr. Prude was unarmed, naked and suffering. He needed help.'
Police union officials have said the officers were following their training.
President of the Rochester police union urges the city's mayor to resign after the top cop and his entire command staff walked out over the spit hood death of Daniel Prude
![President of the Rochester police union urges the city's mayor to resign after the top cop and his entire command staff walked out over the spit hood death of Daniel Prude]()
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September 10, 2020
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