Breaking: Entire Rochester Police Dept. command staff resigns over protests from the death of Daniel Prude
Rochester Police Chief La'Ron Singletary resigned after days of protest over the death of Daniel Prude in police custody. Two deputy police chiefs also resigned.
Mayor Lovely Warren told the Rochester City Council about the resignations on Tuesday. When asked by reporters who would be in charge of law enforcement during expected protests that night, Warren said she wasn't certain.
"We would have to find an interim chief," Warren said. "Because I just got the call before this hearing, I don't know."
Singletary explained the reasons for his resignation in a news release. One report said City Council President Loretta C. Scott told News10NBC that Singletary would stay on until Sept. 28.
"Today, after 20 years of dedicated service to the Rochester Police Department and the Rochester Community, I announce my retirement from the Rochester Police Department. For the past two decades, I have served this community with honor, pride, and the highest integrity," Singletary said.
Daniel Prude, 41, died in March after being restrained by police officers that placed him in a spit hood. His family had called the police because the man was having a mental illness episode and a medical examiner said later that he was under "acute PCP intoxication."
The seven Rochester police officers involved in the Prude case have also been suspended.
Singletary said that he was resigning because his character was being maligned over the response to the death of Prude.
"As a man of integrity, I will not sit idly by while outside entities attempt to destroy my character. The events over the past week are an attempt to destroy my character and integrity," Singletary said.
"The members of the Rochester Police Department and the Greater Rochesters Community know my reputation and know what I stand for," he added. "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."
Police Deputy Chief Joseph Morabito and Deputy Chief Mark Simmons also resigned.
While Singletary blamed "outside entities" for maligning his character, Mayor Warren had previously blamed the death of Prude on racism.
"Institutional and structural racism led to Daniel Prude's death. I won't deny it, I stand before it, and I call for justice upon it," she said.
Rochester Police Chief La'Ron Singletary retires in wake of Daniel Prude's death — September 8, 2020www.youtube.com
Violent BLM protesters attack outdoor diners in New York, cause panic in streets while climbing onto roofs of residents' homes
Dangerous protesters converged on Rochester, New York, for the third night in a row following the release of the footage showing local authorities arresting Daniel Prude.
Who is Daniel Prude?
Prude — who was discovered running around the city streets naked and reportedly high on PCP in March — died following the detainment by Rochester police. Authorities placed a spit hood on Prude during the arrest, and reportedly pressed his face into the pavement.
His family is now calling for the officers involved in Prude's arrest to be charged with murder.
An autopsy report from the Monroe County Medical Examiner's Office determined that Prude died as a result of "complications of asphyxia in the setting of physical restraint due to excited delirium due to acute phencyclidine intoxication," which is "an indication that Prude might have been high on PCP."
As of Thursday, seven officers involved in Prude's detainment were suspended pending an investigation into the matter.
What are the details?
Now-viral social media clips show a vast crowd of protesters descending on unwitting outdoor diners in Rochester on Friday night, forcing patrons to leave while smashing up tables and throwing chairs.
One protester can be heard screaming, "We're shutting your party down!"
Many of the diners begin to panic over the growing crowd — which reportedly contained at least 1,000 demonstrators — and tripped over one another in attempting to flee the outdoor dining area.
The crowd can also be heard chanting Prude's name, and demanding, "If you don't give us our s***, we shut s*** down!"
(Content warning: Rough language):
Rochester, N.Y.: #BLM rioters swarm a restaurant and knock over the dining tables. https://t.co/lxa0b5hHeh— Andy Ngô (@Andy Ngô)1599273278.0
Authorities ultimately determined the protest to be an unlawful assembly, and despite local police efforts to quell the riots with crowd-control measures, many demonstrators reportedly refused to back down.
Rioters later also reportedly began taking to residential areas, and could be seen climbing on roofs. Demonstrators reportedly set fire to at least one city bus stop during the overnight melee.
Human Events Managing Editor Ian Miles Cheong tweeted a video that was reportedly filmed at the scene, captioning it, "Black Lives Matter activists are now climbing onto people's homes in Rochester."
(Content warning: Rough language):
Black Lives Matter activists are now climbing onto people’s homes in Rochester. https://t.co/JffhYf4nzf— Ian Miles Cheong (@Ian Miles Cheong)1599274243.0
Another video sees at least one demonstrator insisting that any protest efforts be aimed "toward the white folks."
“We gonna put matters into our own hands if justice don't come," another protester adds. “I'm being honest with you. We got a 100,000 deep, ready. Ya'll need to know that."
(Content warning: Rough language):
Rochester https://t.co/XmGis0RxsV— special agent viti (@special agent viti)1599277434.0
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