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Tuesday, New York Attorney General Letitia James concluded her investigation into the Rochester Police Department’s killing of Daniel Prude, announcing the grand jury’s ruling that the officers involved in the fatal encounter will not face charges.
In response, the New York Civil Liberties Union issued the following statement from executive director Donna Lieberman:
“The Rochester Police Department took Daniel Prude’s life while he was in crisis. He deserved services and supports, not for his life to end. The City of Rochester subsequently withheld body camera footage and the RPD subjected residents peacefully protesting Prude’s murder and calling for systemic change to abuse.
“Despite these truths, the Attorney General’s grand jury opted for impunity, not accountability. This is not justice.
“We will not stop fighting for justice in Daniel Prude’s memory to protect others from being killed by police because they experience a mental health crisis.
“Mental health crises require mental health expertise, not violence at the hands of the police. It’s time for a complete transformation of community safety, beginning with removing the RPD from the role of first responders in mental health crises and putting trained mental health professionals in charge.”
In a related development, New York Attorney General Letitia James announced that a judge granted her motion to unseal and publicly release the grand jury minutes related to the investigation of Daniel Prude’s death.
“As I have contended throughout my entire career, there can be no accountability without transparency, and the public deserves to know what transpires behind closed doors,” said James. “That is why I filed a motion with the court to have the grand jury proceedings of this case unsealed and made available to the public, which the judge has just granted this evening. As soon as the judge authorizes, my office will release those proceedings so the Prude family, the Rochester community, and communities across the country will no longer be kept in the dark. This is a critical step in effecting the change that is so desperately needed.”
