Rochester Officer Faces Discipline in Daniel Prude’s Death

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/24/nyregion/daniel-prude-rochester-officer-charged.html

Version 0 of 4.

The Rochester Police Department announced Thursday it had filed departmental charges against an officer in the death of Daniel Prude, a Black man who died in Rochester, N.Y., last March after the police placed a mesh hood over his head and pinned him face down on the pavement.

The departmental charges against the officer, Mark Vaughn, are the first to be filed against any officer related to Mr. Prude’s case. He was one of seven officers suspended by the department in connection with the case last year. A grand jury declined in February to indict any of the officers, after Letitia James, New York’s attorney general, found there was enough evidence to present the case for criminal charges.

Mr. Prude’s death, and the release of body camera footage that showed him being pinned to the ground, reignited public outrage about racism and police brutality, amid nationwide protests following the police killing of George Floyd last May.

Mr. Vaughn and three other officers first encountered Mr. Prude in Rochester after a 911 call reported there was a naked man who appeared to be high running through the streets, screaming that he had the coronavirus. Officers confronted Mr. Prude and placed a hood over his head after he began spitting at officers — a common but controversial policing practice.

Mr. Prude was pinned to the ground for two minutes, became unconscious and had to be resuscitated. He was put on life support, and died a week later.

In body camera footage, released by Mr. Prude’s family last year, Mr. Vaughn can be seen leaning against Mr. Prude’s head with his feet on the ground; in a police report, Mr. Vaughn wrote that Mr. Prude had “segmented his head.” The pressure was so great that Mr. Prude appeared to have thought an officer was standing on him.

“Get your feet off me!” he yells in the video.

Mr. Vaughn maintained his position, leaning on Mr. Floyd’s head, for at least 68 seconds, according to an analysis of the video footage by The New York Times.

Mr. Prude’s family has filed a civil lawsuit against the city of Rochester and the officers involved in his death, alleging wrongful death.

“We missed many opportunities to hold these officers accountable,” said Mary Lupien, a Rochester City Council member. “This seems to be our only chance.”

But Ms. Lupien said she was wary of how long it could take to fire even one officer like Mr. Vaughn, which she believed was the only correct punishment for the community and Mr. Prude’s family.

“I think we’re looking at a very long process,” she said.

Information about the departmental charges against Mr. Vaughn wasn’t immediately available. The Rochester Police Locust Club, the union that represents the city’s police officers, did not respond to a request for comment.