Video footage of the arrest and murder of Daniel Prude, an unarmed Black man, was released by his family this week, more than five months after his death. In the video, Rochester police can be heard laughing as they placed a mesh hood over Prude’s head while he was having a psychotic episode. They also forced him to lay face-down on the ground, according to a report by the New York Times.
Prude died one week later at a hospital where he was pronounced brain dead.
Prude, 41, suffered from frequent psychotic episodes and was running on the street naked in 31-degree weather telling people he had the coronavirus. Prude’s brother, Joe, was worried about him and called the police.
“I did not know that by placing the call it was going to put my brother in harm’s way,” he told CNN. “If I’d had knew that was going to happen, man, I’d have tied my brother up just like I told everybody before, and I’d have kept him there till he calmed down on his own.”
When video footage of Prude’s murder was released, protestors took to the streets in Rochester and eight were arrested. In New York City’s Times Square, a car pummeled through a protest on Thursday night, although no one was injured.
Black Lives Matter protesters block Times Square in New York City chanting “no justice, no peace.” They blocked drivers from going through, blocking off all exits. One driver refused to put up with it. No one was injured. pic.twitter.com/YxIf7ISVe6
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) September 4, 2020
The seven police officers involved in Prude’s death have been suspended with pay.
“There is no reason why they should be on paid suspension,” Junera, one of Prude’s children, said. “They should be arrested, and they should be tried as the killers that they are.”