Rochester, New York, February 23, 2021: On Tuesday, a grand jury voted not to indict any police officers in the homicide of Daniel Prude, who died after police forcibly pinned him to the ground last March. New York Attorney General Letitia James called on the public to respect the judicial decision, stating that she knows “that the Prude family, the Rochester community, and communities across the country will rightfully be devastated and disappointed.”
The Rochester Police Locust Club, which represents the officers, declined to comment pending the ongoing investigation, although they have expressed support for the officers in the past, both in this case and in another case of excessive force used on a 9-year-old child earlier this month..
“The citizens of Rochester should be more than disappointed, but I expect continued community unrest and demands for local and national law enforcement reform,” Anthony D’Orazio, 1st Vice Chair of the Libertarian Party of New York, stated. “It is outrageous that the police officers who committed this crime will not be held accountable for their actions, but we as a community, as well as communities around New York and elsewhere, must stand against the state-sponsored force used by the Rochester Police Department, and the type of atrocity committed against Daniel Prude. We call for the community to stand together to demand improvement and accountability in law enforcement.”
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Contact:
Anthony D’Orazio
1st Vice Chair
Libertarian Party of New York
tdorazio@lpny.org
866-336-3120