ONE YEAR AFTER THE MURDER OF DANIEL PRUDE
On March 23, 2020, Rochester police officers put a spit-hood over the head of a mentally distraught Black man, Daniel Prude, then pressed his body against the pavement until he stopped breathing. Police initially described his death as a drug overdose. But six months later, their body camera video proved otherwise. Now one year later, a grand jury has ruled the officers will not face criminal charges. An independent investigation into the city of Rochester’s response to the death has determined officials “suppressed” information and lied to the public. And now a wrongful death suit has been filed on behalf of his five children. Tonight, the community wants answers. As part of our Chasing The Dream initiative we take you to Rochester, New York where lead pastor at Spiritus Christi church, Reverend Myra Brown tells us about the community she’s preaching to heal. Plus she shares her own family’s recent grief over the police killing of her cousin just two weeks ago, by Rochester police during a mentally unstable encounter spurred by the loss of his grandmother and great grandmother.
Aired on March 23,2021.
Chasing the Dream: Poverty and Opportunity in America is a multi-platform public media initiative that provides a deeper understanding of the impact of poverty on American society. Major funding for this initiative is provided by The JPB Foundation. Additional funding is provided by Ford Foundation.
TRANSCRIPT
> GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME STO S TO 'METROFOCUS.'
ONE YEAR AGO DANIEL PRUDE, A 41-YEAR-OLD BLACK MAN, WAS KILLED AFTER BEING PHYSICALLY RESTRAINED BY POLICE IN ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.
BODY CAMERA FOOTAGE LATER REVEALED THAT EXCESSIVE FORCE USED BY POLICE ULTIMATELY LED TO PRUDE'S DEATH.
PROTESTS ERUPTED IN RESPONSE TO THE FOOTAGE WITH COMMUNITY LEADERS STEPPING UP TO SEE THAT OUTRAGED CITIZENS COULD PEACEFULLY PROTEST WITHOUT FEAR OF FURTHER VIOLENCE BY POLICE.
THE ROCHESTER CITY COUNCIL HELD ITS OWN INVESTIGATION, WHICH ALLEGED THAT SEVERAL PROMINENT CITY OFFICIALS, INCLUDING THE MAYOR, MAY HAVE KNOWN MORE ABOUT THE ACTIONS OF POLICE THAN THEY INITIALLY CLAIMED TO.
TONIGHT AS PART OF OUR CHASING THE DREAM INITIATIVE, WE'RE JOINED BY LEAD PASTOR AND PRIEST AT SPIRITUS CHRISTIE CHURCH REVEREND MYRA BROWN TO REVISIT THE DANIEL PRUDE INCIDENT ONE YEAR LATER.
REVEREND BROWN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
I FIRST WANT TO START OFF BY GIVING MY DEEPEST CONDOLENCES FROM ALL OF US AT CHANNEL 13 FOR THE LOSS OF YOUR COUSIN TYSON JONES WHO WAS KILLED BY ROCHESTER POLICE JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO.
CAN YOU JUST TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HIM?
YEAH.
TYSHAWN WAS A BRIGHT YOUNG MAN.
HE WAS IN POSSESSION OF HIS MENTAL HEALTH, HE WAS BRILLIANT, HE WAS KIND, HE WAS HUMBLE, VERY SPIRITUAL.
HE LOVED READING HIS BIBLE AND SENDING BIBLE QUOTES TO HIS FATHER AND HIS GRANDMOTHER WHO PRACTICALLY RAISED HIM IN THE CHURCH AND TAUGHT HIM HIS FAITH.
THERE WAS NOTHING HE WOULDN'T DO FOR YOU.
HE WAS ALWAYS INSPIRING HIS BROTHERS AND HIS SISTERS.
YOU KNOW, HE WAS UNIQUE.
HE WAS A UNIQUE YOUNG MAN, BUT HE WOULD REALLY GIVE YOU THE SHIRT OFF HIS BACK, YOU KNOW.
IT WASN'T HIS FAULT THAT HE ENDED UP WITH MENTAL ILLNESS THAT TOOK HIM AWAY FROM HIMSELF.
WE NEVER THOUGHT THAT HIS MENTAL ILLNESS WOULD BE A DEATH SENTENCE ON THE STREETS OF ROCHESTER AT THE HANDS OF POLICE.
IT ENDED UP BEING JUST THAT.
TY, SHAWN WAS ENCOUNTERED BY POLICE WHO ASSUMED THAT HE DIDN'T BELONG THERE, THAT HE WAS A HOMELESS MAN.
HE ACTUALLY LIVED 15 MINUTES FROM WHERE THEY FOUND HIM.
SO THEY TOOK HIM TO A HOMELESS SHELTER.
HE GOES INTO A HOMELESS SHELTER AND HE TOOK A KNIFE AND STARTED CUTTING HIMSELF, SO OF COURSE THEY CALLED THE POLICE.
THE POLICE SHOWED UP.
THEY KNEW IT WAS A MENTAL HEALTH CALL.
YOU COULD HEAR ON THE VIDEO THAT THE OFFICER KNEW THAT HE WASN'T ACTING HIMSELF.
YET THEY SHOWED UP WITHOUT A PLAN.
LIKE THEY CALLED FOR EITHER A TASER OR BEANBAG GUN.
YOU HEAR AN OFFICER AFTER TYSHAWN HAS BEEN SHOT SAYING, WHO WANTS THE BEANBAG, WHICH IS WAY TOO LATE.
SO THE OFFICER GETS OUT AND ENGAGED HIM BY YELLING AT HIM TO DROP THE KNIFE, AS IF PEOPLE WHO WERE IN MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS CAN SET THEIR MENTAL ILLNESS ASIDE BECAUSE WE YELL AT THEM, RIGHT?
SO IT BECAME HIS AUTHORITY AND POWER AGAINST TYSHAWN'S MENTAL ILLNESS.
SO HE DIDN'T SEE HIS HUMANITY AND HE CALLED HIM NAMES THAT WOULD NOT HAVE RESONATED AND THEN HE SET UP SORT OF THIS WILD WILD WEST ME VERSUS YOU SCENARIO, THE OFFICER BACKING UP, PULLING OUT HIS REVOLVER.
TYSHAWN CONTINUED TO WALK TORTOWARD HIM MUMBLING SOMETHING ABOUT JESUS AND KILLING.
WE NEED A TEAM HERE, PEOPLE WHO COULD HELP US.
AND IT ENDED BADLY.
HE CONTINUED TO WALK THIS OFFICER BACKWARDS YELLING AT TYSHAWN.
TYSHAWN CONTINUED TO COME TOWARDS HIM.
AFTER OVER 100 STEPS HE CONTINUED TO WALK FASTER TOWARD THE OFFICER AND HE PUT THREE BULLETS IN HIS CHEST AND TWO IN HIS STOMACH AND HE BASICALLY DIED THERE.
FOR THE SAKE OF PEOPLE WHO MIGHT BE WONDERING WHY I THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO START OFF WITH THAT QUESTION, I JUST FEEL LIKE THERE'S NO MANY PARALLELS BETWEEN WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR COUSIN TYSHAWN AND WHAT HAPPENED TO DANIEL PRUDE.
I'M WONDERING WHAT DOES THAT TELL US ABOUT WHAT HAS BEEN LEARNED, HAVE THERE BEEN ANY CHANGES?
WHERE DOES THE FACT THAT A VERY SIMILAR INCIDENT HAPPENING AGAIN ALMOST AROUND THE SAME TIME OF YEAR, WHAT HAS THAT DONE TO THE ROCHESTER COMMUNITY?
YEAH.
THE ROCHESTER COMMUNITY UNDERSTANDS THAT WE'RE UP IN ARMS REALLY.
REALLY THE COMMUNITY WANTS CHANGE AND THEY WANT IT QUICKLY.
YOU KNOW, WHAT WE HAVE SAID ON THE GROUND IS WE'VE TRACED REALLY THESE EXPERIENCES, BOTH OF THOSE BACK.
IN ROCHESTER WE ARE WORKING FROM AN 18-19 POLICING BLUEPRINT WHICH IS PATTERNED AFTER SLAVE PATROLLED.
IN STEEPED IN WHITE SUPREMACY PATTERNS.
AFS IT WAS FORMULATED TO PROTECT WHITE WEALTH AND PROPERTY.
IT WASN'T DESIGNED TO PROTECT PEOPLE OF COLOR.
WE'RE NOT GETTING IT ON THE GROUND.
WE REALIZE THIS BLUEPRINT IS A PROBLEM AND WE NEED AND WE'RE CALLING FOR A NEW POLICING BLUEPRINT.
THERE ARE OTHERS IN THE COMMUNITY CALLING FOR REFORMS.
IF WE DON'T FIX THE BLUEPRINT OF 1819, ANY REFORMS WE PUT ON TOP OF THAT WILL FAIL.
FAULTY REFORMS WILL FAIL BECAUSE THEY WILL BE ON A FAULTY BLUEPRINT.
WE NEED TO REIMAGINE THE BLUEPRINT OF PUBLIC SAFETY IF WE ARE GOING TO MAKE REAL CHANGES.
SO THERE'S LOTS OF ACTIVITY AND EFFORTS HAPPENING ON THE GROUND.
THE MAYOR HAS PUT OUT A REFORM DOCUMENT AS A RESPONSE TO THE GOVERNOR'S EXECUTIVE ORDER 203 CALLING FOR REFORMS.
MANY COMMUNITY GROUPS MYSELF, GROUPS THAT I'M A PART OF, THE PASTORS' ROUNDTABLE, THE UNITED CHURCH LEADERSHIP MINISTRIES.
THERE'S A RACE COMMISSION THAT HAS BEEN MEETING LOOKING AT STRUCTURAL AND INSTITUTIONAL RACISM.
THERE'S BEEN OF THESE GROUPS THAT HAVE BEEN SUBMITTING, THE POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY BOARD HAS MADE RECOMMENDATIONS.
SO RECOMMENDATIONS HAVE BEEN COMING FROM EVERYWHERE.
RIGHT NOW THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE ARE, IS THERE'S A PLETHORA OF RECOMMENDATIONS.
THEY'VE NOW BEEN SENT TO OUR CITY COUNCIL WHO WILL VOTE ON THAT THIS THURSDAY.
THEY HAD A COUPLE OF COMMUNITY HEARINGS AND HEARING FROM THE COMMUNITY.
LOTS OF PEOPLE CALLING FOR CHANGE, BUT NO CLEAR DIRECTION ON WHERE WE'RE GOING WITH THAT CHANGE.
AND THERE IS SOME RESISTANCE TO START WITH CHANGING THE BLUEPRINT.
THEY ARE REALLY WANTING TO NIBBLE AROUND THE EDGES ON REFORM.
IF THEY DO THAT, THAT'S GOING TO BE UNFORTUNATE.
SO WHEN IT COMES TO CHANGE, BECAUSE OF COURSE WHAT WE'VE SEEN UNFOLDING IN ROCHESTER IS NOT JUST THE BEHAVIOR OF THE POLICE BASED ON THIS BLUEPRINT THAT YOU JUST MENTIONED, BUT ALSO SOME QUESTIONABLE CHOICES BY CITY OFFICIALS.
I MENTIONED MAYOR LOVELY WARREN IN THE INTRO.
FROM THE COMMUNITY PERSPECTIVE, I'M WONDERING WHAT IS IT THAT ABSOLUTELY NEEDS TO HAPPEN FIRST?
LIKE, IF THERE WAS A FIRST STEP, IS IT A CHANGE IN POLICING POLICY, IS IT A CHANGE IN PERHAPS CITY LEADERSHIP?
WHAT IS THAT CRITICAL FIRST STEP THAT NEEDS TO BE SHOWN THAT THERE IS AN UNDERSTANDING AND AT LEAST AN APPRECIATION OF WHAT'S HAPPENING AND WHAT NEEDS TO NOT HAPPEN?
YEAH.
I THINK FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE WE'D LIKE THE GOVERNOR OR STATE POLITICIANS TO ACTUALLY PUT FORTH LEGISLATION THAT SAYS ANY POLICING BLUEPRINT THAT WAS CONSTRUCTED FOR CITIES IN THE 1800s NEEDS TO GO.
WE NEED TO DISSOLVE THAT AND START A NEW POLICING BLUEPRINT PROCESS WHERE PEOPLE OF COLOR ARE ACTUALLY AT THE TABLE INSTEAD OF BEING ON THE MENU, RIGHT, IN TERMS OF THE LACK OF SAFETY THAT WE FEEL.
WITHOUT THAT, I THINK WE'LL BE DOING THIS FIVE YEARS FROM NOW, TEN YEARS FROM NOW AND LEAVING THAT FOR GENERATIONS THAT COME AFTER US.
I THINK THIS IS OUR MOMENT TO FIX THE POLICING BLUEPRINT AND DECLARE WE'RE REALLY SERIOUS ABOUT THE OVERHAUL OF POLICING.
THE CULTURE ATTACHED TO AN 1819 BLUEPRINT DOES NOT SERVE IT AND IT DOES NOT HELP WHITE OFFICERS OR OFFICERS OR COLOR WHO ARE ALL SWIMMING IN THIS MESSAGING ABOUT BLACK AND BROWN BODIES DIFFERENT THAN WHITE BODIES.
WE HAD PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT HAD KNIVES AFTER POLICE AND THEY DIDN'T END UP IN THE MORGUE.
WE HAD WHITE PEOPLE WHO ENDED UP IN THE HOSPITAL.
THEY DIDN'T END UP SEGMENTS LIKE DANIEL PRUDE ON THE STREETS AND DEAD AND HAVING HIS LIFE SUCKED AWAY FROM HIM.
WE HAVE A WHITE SUPREMACY RACE PROBLEM IN POLICING IN ROCHESTER AND WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH THAT.
THEN THE VERY NEXT STEP REALLY IS TO GET RID OF THESE PRACTICES, THESE TRAININGS THAT HARM DISPROPORTIONATELY BLACK AND BROWN FOLKS, RIGHT, THE CHOKEHOLDS, THE SEGMENTING, THE PEPPER SPRAYING OF CHILDREN AND MOTHERS WITH CHILDREN.
THAT'S HAPPENED IN ROCHESTER SINCE DANIEL PRUDE.
SO WE HAVE ALL THESE PRACTICES THAT ARE DISPENSED AGAINST CITIZENS, PARTICULARLY BLACK AND BROWN CITIZENS REALLY THAT ARE INAPPROPRIATE AND DISPROPORTIONATE IN HOW WHITE CITIZENS ARE TREATED IN THE DELIVERY OF PUBLIC SAFETY.
WE'RE NOT SAFE.
PEOPLE OF COLOR ARE NOT SAFE IN THE ROCHESTER COMMUNITY SO WE REALLY NEED TO BE AT THE TABLE FOR AN OVERHAUL OF HOW DUO PUBLIC SAFETY, AND THE GOAL NEEDS TO BE DEVELOPING A REAL CONCEPT OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND THRIVING COMMUNITIES, WHICH WILL INCLUDE SHARED CONTROL OF OUR COMMUNITY, WHICH WILL INCLUDE REAL REALLOCATING FUNDS SO WE CAN INVEST NORTHBOUNIN COMMUNITIES AND REDUCE CRIMINAL ACTIVITY AND CRIME AND HELP COMMUNITIES TO THRIVE.
THAT ECONOMIC DEPRIVATION IS A REASON WE ARE NOT SAFE.
UNFORTUNATELY WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO LEAVE IT THERE.
REV REEREND MYRA BROWN, THANK YOU FOR TELLING US SO MUCH ABOUT YOUR COUSIN TYSON.
